NEWS IN BRIEF

Square Roots opens fourth and largest indoor vertical farm

27-Jan-2022 - Last updated on 27-Jan-2022 at 17:53 GMT

Photo Credit: Square Roots

Related tags Square Roots indoor farming vertical farming

Indoor vertical farming company Square Roots and national food distributor Gordon Food Service have opened a new climate-controlled, indoor farm in Kenosha, Wisc., making locally-grown, fresh leafy greens and herbs available to more Midwest consumers year-round.

The Wisconsin farm is Square Roots' fourth and largest CEA facility (joining two other farms located in Grand Rapids, Mich., and its original indoor farming facility in Brooklyn, NY) and will feature the company's signature modular system of 'ready-to-go farms' fashioned from shipping containers retrofitted with the company's proprietary hardware and cloud-connected software.

Combining its expertise in the advanced technology of indoor farming systems with the operational and distribution strength of Gordon Food Service means that Square Roots can ship its leafy greens and herbs quickly and efficiently to grocery stores in nearby regions.

“We are also able to create exciting jobs in the community, while making locally-grown food available, all year round, to new consumers in nearby Chicago and Milwaukee, significantly expanding our reach in the Midwest," commented said Tobias Peggs, co-founder and CEO of Square Roots, who founded the company with Kimbal Musk in 2016.

Its Kenosha, Wisc., farm, for instance, will bring Square Roots herbs and salad mixes to grocery store shelves in Milwaukee and Chicago by Spring 2022. The Kenosha farm has the capacity to produce more than 2.4 million packages of herbs and leafy greens annually, according to Square Roots.

Because of the shorter traveled distances traveled from the company's smart indoor farms to grocery stores, Square Roots products have at least 14 days of extended shelf life -- an added value to consumers who now have a longer window of opportunity to enjoy their fresh produce at home, according to the company.

Square Roots fresh leafy green and herb products, which underwent a brand refresh in late 2021, are available in more than 250 retail locations across the US with ambitions to drastically expand its current store footprint.

“This new farm in Kenosha also accelerates our shared vision to build indoor farms together across the continent,” added Rich Wolowski, CEO of Gordon Food Service.

“Together with Square Roots, Gordon Food Service is enabling local food at a global scale, meeting increased demand for produce that is fresher, responsibly grown, and traceable from seed to shelf.”