Vertical farming company Upward Farms plans to build a 250, 000 square foot vertical farm for microgreens in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The facility will be constructed through 2022 and is expected to begin operation in early 2023. It will be the company’s third facility on top of two existing farms in Brooklyn, New York.
Upward Farms operates an aquaponic system where plants are cultivated in water populated by fish. The organisms form a symbiotic relationship. The fish provides natural fertiliser through its waste while the plants filter toxic ammonia that emanates from waste build-up. This natural filtering cycle means aquaponic farming reduces water consumption by up to 95 percent.
“With this new facility, we’ll be able to reach some of the most populous areas of the US, and nearly 100 million Americans, within a single day of distribution versus the week it can take to receive products from the west coast,” co-founder and CEO Jason Green said in a release. “This is a local success story with massive global implications for how and where food is grown, and the next generation of manufacturing technology.”
Upward Farms’ greens are USDA Certified Organic, non-GMO, and free from synthetic chemicals. The vegetables are marketed in Whole Foods throughout New York City. Their new facility will supply consumers throughout the Northeast region and beyond.
Unlike many aquaponic farms, the company also sells the hybrid striped bass that they use in their aquaponic system. They sell their fish through a retail shop in Brooklyn as well as to restaurants across New York City. The fish are certified for Best Aquaculture Practices and are free from mercury, antibiotics, or added hormones.
Another distinguishing feature of Upward Farms is that their cultivation relies heavily on microbiomes. These bacterial communities contribute to plant health, increasing quality, nutrition, and yield. These natural cultivation methods are producing yields twice the industry average.
Upward Farms was founded in 2013 by Ben Silverman, Jason Green, and Matt La Rosa. It raised $121 million in a Series B funding round last year. The business focuses on supplying perishable foods locall to combat unsustainable imports of fish and leafy greens.
