Produce Grower reported yesterday that BrightFarms, an American indoor farming company headquartered in Irvington, New York, is expanding its footprint throughout the United States by constructing four regional greenhouse hubs in the Eastern and Central U.S. Per the article, the new locations are set to start shipping produce from 2024 which would enable BrightFarms to reach about two-thirds of the US and set the company up for 10-times increased revenue by the end of 2025.
BrightFarms is constructing its first regional hub in Yorkville, Illinois, with similar facilities to be established in the coming months in Macon, Georgia, and Lorena, Texas. Another hub in the Northeast will follow later this year. These locations have been strategically selected near major metropolitan areas and boast a combined footprint of up to 200 acres, with the capacity to produce approximately 150 million pounds of leafy greens annually once fully operational. The establishment of these regional hubs is set to create over 250 jobs at each location, bringing the total job creation to more than 1,000 in the agricultural sector.
Steve Platt, CEO of BrightFarms, has highlighted the unsustainability of the current U.S. salad supply chain, with over 95% of leafy greens grown in two centralized, water-depleted regions on the West Coast. In contrast, BrightFarms has developed a more viable solution. “We grow our greens where people consume them, 365 days per year,” Platt explained. He also expressed enthusiasm for the four new greenhouse hubs currently underway, which will deliver fresh, clean, and responsibly grown produce to two-thirds of the U.S. This approach benefits both consumer health and the environment, while providing fair wages and benefits to agricultural workers.
BrightFarms has partnered with KUBO Group and Green Automation Group to build the most advanced indoor farms in the country, a move that will facilitate the company’s expansion plans. These partners are renowned leaders in greenhouse and automated growing system technologies, and their involvement will revolutionize the way leafy greens are grown in the U.S. KUBO’s cutting-edge Ultra-Clima technology provides a stable climate control system that is both efficient and sustainable, resulting in higher production yields, less variability, improved food safety, and greater resource efficiency. Furthermore, BrightFarms has collaborated with Green Automation Group to design and implement its Mobile Gutter System (MGS). The MGS will fully automate the growing and harvesting process, leading to record yields and improved food safety.
Image provided by BrightFarms
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