Last updated on June 13th, 2024
Bowery Farming, a New York City-based indoor-farming company, has opened a second facility in Kearney, New Jersey.
Company officials say the new facility is the most technologically sophisticated, commercial indoor farm in the world, producing 30 times more output than its New York City location.
The opening of the New Jersey facility will result in more distribution for Whole Foods, sweetgreen and Dig Inn in the Tri-State area. Six new products were launched including Romaine, Bok Choy, Cilantro, Parsley and Sweet & Spicy and a Sauté Mix.
Irving Fain, company founder and CEO, said Bowery is more efficient than farmland because it can grow 365 days per year, leading to more crop cycles per year and more yield per crop cycle. The company has developed its own proprietary software system combined with sensors that analyzes data to determine quality, texture, color and yield of plants.
The company grows produce using zero pesticides and non-GMO seeds that company partners spent nearly a decade developing. Its greens are distributed locally, with the company controlling the entire growing process from the seed to the store. By planting crops indoors, the plants grow as close as possible to the communities Bowery serves.
The growing process involves a controlled, indoor growing environment that allows the plants to grow pesticide-free. The facility uses LED lighting, which mimics the full spectrum of the sun, and purified water delivers the same nutrients found in the highest quality soil, the company says. The crops require 95 percent less water than they would if they were grown through traditional agriculture because the Bowery can give the plants exactly the amount of water they need. Analytics allow Bowery to harvest each crop at the right time to ensure prime flavor, the company says.
Bowery produce reaches stores and restaurants within a few days.
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