AeroFarms Plans St. Louis Innovation Hub
08/18/2021
The 150,000 square foot indoor vertical farm, AeroFarms’ largest to date, will be strategically located in the greater St. Louis area to provide AeroFarms with rapid access to retail partners throughout the Midwest, company officials said. The plant is part of a project with the World Wildlife Fund and the St. Louis Controlled Environment Agriculture Coalition to demonstrate innovative strategies to minimize the environmental footprint of indoor agriculture.
“Customer demand for our award-winning greens has been accelerating across the United States, and this latest farm expansion will allow us to serve our retail partners and their customers throughout the Midwest,” said David Rosenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of AeroFarms.
AeroFarms will deploy its latest generation of proprietary growing technology at the farm, which will generate yields up to 390 times greater productivity per square foot annually, compared to traditional field farming, while using up to 95% less water and zero pesticides.
“Indoor farming solutions can help us ensure a more resilient and environmentally responsible food system in the future, through decreased water use, reduction of soil erosion and use of pesticides, and lowered food loss and waste, but there are still challenges to overcome,” said Julia Kurnik, Director of Innovation Startups at World Wildlife Fund.
AeroFarms said it starts by selecting the most flavorful varieties of leafy greens, then perfects them in its proprietary indoor vertical farms for optimal quality, color, nutrition, texture, taste, and yield. The company has trademarked Vertical Farming, Elevated Flavor to highlight for consumers how its food is grown, as well as the key growing benefits that AeroFarms uniquely brings to the market, setting a new culinary standard with millions of data points to prove it.
“For 20 years, St. Louis has cultivated its AgTech assets, shaping them into a world-renowned industry cluster that grows start-ups and sustains developed businesses, supporting them all with research, funding and thoughtful collaboration,” said Steve Johnson, Chief Business Attraction Officer, Greater St. Louis, Inc., and president, AllianceSTL.
The STLCEA Coalition was convened by WWF and consists of more than 70 key stakeholders including Greater St. Louis, Inc., Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, University of Arizona, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, and Schnuck Markets, Inc.
Project Announcements
PEAK Precision Manufacturing Plans Bowling Green, Kentucky, Operations
07/26/2024
Italy-Based Sipcam Agro USA Upgrades Wayne County, Mississippi, Operations
07/26/2024
Cleveland-Cliffs Plans Weirton, West Virginia, Operations
07/26/2024
IDEXX Laboratories Plans Wilson, North Carolina, Production Operations
07/26/2024
Germany-Based Ritz Instrument Transformers Plans Waynesboro, Georgia, Operations
07/26/2024
AirJoule Plans Newark-Wilmington, Delaware, Operations
07/26/2024
Most Read
-
19th Annual Area Development Gold and Silver Shovel Awards
Q2 2024
-
2023's Leading Metro Locations: Hotspots of Economic Growth
Q4 2023
-
2023 Top States for Doing Business Meet the Needs of Site Selectors
Q3 2023
-
The CHIPS and Science Act will bring jobs back to the United States
Q2 2024
-
The Bring Your Own Energy (BYOE) Party Is Starting
Q2 2024
-
2023 Top States Commentary: Top-Ranked States Have What It Takes to Win Mega Projects
Q3 2023
-
How to Overcome NIMBYism in Data Centers
Q2 2024