Upward Farms has announced that it will be closing its Brooklyn Headquarters Farm and exiting the vertical farming sector. In a statement, the company’s founders expressed sadness and pride in their work over the last ten years, which they consider the most impactful of their lives.
The company’s initial goal was to grow high-quality food in urban areas where people live and eat while improving the relationship between food and the environment. Despite encountering numerous challenges in vertical farming, the founders remain committed to finding diverse solutions that adapt food production to our new global and market realities.
Upward Farms recognizes that controlled environment agriculture and traditional agriculture can learn from each other. They hope that exchanging ideas between the two sectors will produce exciting outcomes. The company’s founders believe that solving the tension between food and climate is one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century and an opportunity for value creation.
The company’s choice of aquaponics as its production system reflects its commitment to harnessing, not mimicking, the nuance and harmony of natural ecosystems. The founders realized that improving the soil microbiome could be the key to unlocking new levels of fertility and growth in plants and addressing numerous other global challenges. In addition, they view the science of microbiomes as an exciting field that has only begun to be explored.
While Upward Farms may be closing its doors, a small portion of its team will continue working to unleash the magic of the microbiome. The founders believe their work is only the beginning, and they hope their efforts will inspire others to continue improving the relationship between food and the environment. The closure of Upward Farms is not a failure but an opportunity to pursue new avenues in the agricultural sector.
Image provided by Upward Farms
