Controlled Environment Agriculture

Hippo Harvest Launches USDA-Certified Organic Packaged Salad Line

Hippo Harvest raised $21M in a Series B funding round led by Standard Investments. Other participants include Congruent Ventures, Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund, Hawthorne Food Ventures, and Energy Impact Partners.

Key Takeaways:

  • Hippo Harvest has launched a USDA-certified organic packaged salad product line, offering leafy greens grown in a controlled environment and hybrid blends of greenhouse and field-grown greens.
  • The new product line provides longer shelf life, better quality, and more consistent supply compared to traditional field-grown produce.
  • Hippo Harvest’s advanced machine learning and robotic technology improve efficiency and reduce water, fertilizer, and land use.
  • The product line includes a variety of greens and is available in the San Francisco Bay Area with plans for broader distribution.
  • Hippo Harvest is committed to sustainability, having signed The Climate Pledge to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040.

Hippo Harvest Introduces Organic Packaged Salad Line

Hippo Harvest, a grower, packer, and shipper of packaged salads, has announced the launch of its new USDA-certified organic packaged salad line. The new line offers a variety of leafy greens sourced exclusively from the company’s controlled environment agriculture (CEA) greenhouse, as well as a hybrid blend of greenhouse and field-grown greens.

This launch represents a key development in the packaged salad market, as Hippo Harvest’s approach delivers benefits that set it apart from both traditional field growers and other greenhouse producers. The company’s product line offers retailers a wider assortment of organic salad products, longer shelf life, and more consistent supply compared to traditional field-grown produce.

Advantages of CEA-Grown Organic Produce

Founded in 2019, Hippo Harvest operates a unique greenhouse facility in Pescadero, CA, where the company grows its USDA-certified organic leafy greens. The controlled environment of the greenhouse provides several advantages over traditional field-grown methods, including better taste, extended shelf life, and improved food safety.

Hippo Harvest’s greens are known for their reduced bitterness and juicier texture compared to field-grown alternatives. Additionally, the company’s patented closed-loop watering and fertilizer system minimizes food safety risks, such as waterborne pathogens, mold, and mildew. The system allows for precise control over nutrients and sanitation, resulting in consistent quality and traceability at the case level.

Superior Quality and Longer Shelf Life

By growing in a controlled environment, Hippo Harvest protects its greens from weather-related disruptions, ensuring steady production and higher quality. The company’s custom nutrition system adjusts nutrient delivery based on the plant’s age, variety, and the greenhouse microclimate, which enhances overall product consistency.

Another key advantage is the extended shelf life of Hippo Harvest’s greens, which can last up to 30% longer than outdoor-grown alternatives. This is achieved through the company’s low microbial pressure environment and direct-to-refrigeration harvesting process, which maintains the freshness of the produce.

Sustainability and Technology at the Core

Hippo Harvest’s innovative approach to farming incorporates advanced machine learning and robotics to monitor, care for, and harvest the plants. This technology ensures that water and nutrients are delivered precisely, enhancing both efficiency and yield. The company’s modular grow-trays allow for highly customized management of water and nutrition across every 10 square feet of plant growth.

Through these efforts, Hippo Harvest has significantly reduced its environmental impact. The company’s operations use 92% less water, 55% less fertilizer, and 94% less land compared to traditional farming methods, all while maintaining prices that are competitive with field-grown suppliers.

Expanding Product Availability

Hippo Harvest’s USDA-certified organic salad line includes a variety of greens, such as Baby Spinach, Spring Mix, Arugula, Baby Kale, Baby Romaine, and Tender Greens. Currently available at select retailers in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Amazon Fresh and Gus’s Market, the company has plans to expand its distribution beyond the Bay Area over the coming year.

Commitment to Sustainability

In line with its focus on sustainability, Hippo Harvest has signed The Climate Pledge, co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism. This commitment aligns with the company’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Hippo Harvest CEO Eitan Marder-Eppstein commented on the launch, stating, “Our USDA organic-certified packaged salads provide the best of both worlds as it relates to cost, quality, surety of supply, and scalability for both consumers and grocers.”


Hippo Harvest Latest News

Successfully Closed a $21M Series B Funding Round Led By Standard Investments (2024/02/15)

Hippo Harvest, a controlled environment agriculture startup, has completed its $21M Series B funding round, led by Standard Investments. The round also included contributions from Congruent Ventures, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Hawthorne Food Ventures, and Energy Impact Partners. Hippo Harvest, established in 2019, uses a closed-loop, non-recirculating direct-to-root fertilizer system with advanced data analytics and robotic automation to optimize the production environment. The company’s innovative farming techniques aim to extend produce shelf life, enhance food safety, and reduce the environmental footprint. Hippo Harvest’s commitment to environmental stewardship aligns with The Climate Pledge’s goal of net-zero carbon by 2040. The funding will enable Hippo Harvest to scale operations and contribute to a more sustainable, efficient, and safe food system.

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