Key Takeaways
- Strategic Collaboration: Water Garden Farms, Siemens, and CEAd aim to integrate cutting-edge digital technologies into indoor agriculture.
- Flagship Facility: The West Virginia-based greenhouse will span 500,000 square feet and run entirely on solar power.
- Advanced Technologies: The digiCEAd platform and Siemens Xcelerator will facilitate digital twin modeling and AI-driven analytics.
- Scalable Model: WGF’s expansion strategy includes multiple facilities using a decentralized and sustainable production model.
- Operational Efficiency: CEAd will deliver facility designs and systems to support regulatory compliance, productivity, and resource optimization.
WGF Launches West Virginia Flagship Facility with Siemens and CEAd
Water Garden Farms has announced a strategic collaboration with Siemens and CEAd to establish a high-tech indoor farming operation in West Virginia. The new 500,000-square-foot, solar-powered greenhouse will become WGF’s flagship facility, delivering an estimated 35 million packaged salad units annually while using significantly fewer resources than traditional field farming.
Located near Washington, D.C., the site will be one of the world’s most advanced controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operations of its size, marking the beginning of a $500 million multi-site expansion by Water Garden Farms.
Siemens and CEAd Enable Digital Integration at Water Garden Farms
At the core of the collaboration is digiCEAd, a joint platform by Siemens and CEAd. Designed specifically for CEA applications, digiCEAd will enable the company to use digital twin modeling, AI-driven analytics, and integrated operational tools.
Through the Siemens Xcelerator business platform, WGF will benefit from real-time decision-making and scalable innovation. The integrated systems aim to meet food safety and compliance needs while streamlining operations and reducing costs.
Rick Schneiders, Head of Future Food at Siemens, stated, “By partnering with CEAd and Water Garden Farms, we can develop smart farming solutions that transform the CEA industry. Open, scalable systems will be essential for enabling resilient food systems.”
CEAd’s Design Expertise Supports WGF Expansion Strategy
CEAd’s role in the partnership includes designing and implementing efficient facility and operational systems tailored to the needs of Water Garden Farms. According to CEAd CEO Thomas Larssen, “This collaboration is a bold reimagining of how we grow food to meet future challenges.”
Water Garden Farms’ decentralized model aims to increase accessibility to affordable, high-quality produce. The West Virginia site represents the first step toward WGF’s nationwide plan, which combines environmentally sustainable production with economic scalability.
Looking Ahead: Scaling Water Garden Farms’ Vision
Water Garden Farms will serve as a key deployment partner for digiCEAd’s technology, advancing AI and automation in indoor agriculture. With this collaboration, WGF reinforces its mission to enhance food security and reduce production costs through climate-resilient, low-impact farming methods.
CEO Dennis Levine emphasized, “With Siemens and CEAd, we’re deploying a high-yield production model that expands access and lowers food costs while supporting environmental goals.”
