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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

controlled environment farming

Edible Garden Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for Its High-Tech Greenhouses

New Jersey-based indoor farming company Edible Garden has launched a crowdfunding campaign in the hopes of raising $1 million for its controlled-environment indoor farming operations that supply leafy greens and herbs to grocery retailers across the U.S. The campaign is currently live on crowd investment platform Republic, with $5,075 raised so far and 74 days left to go.

In a press release sent to The Spoon, the company said that funds raised via Republic will go towards further commercializing the company’s greenhouses and expanding its reach in terms of where it sells its produce. 

The company operates a controlled-environment greenhouse in Belvedere, New Jersey that utilizes tech to monitor things like temperature and humidity levels as well as help growers manage crop cycles. The software monitors these and other variables along the food supply chain for greater traceability of its products.

Edible Garden has additional farms nationwide through partnerships with growers, and its greens are already at over 5,000 stores nationwide. Meijer, Shop Rite, Target, Kroger, and Walmart, among many others, are listed as Edible Garden’s retail partners. 

Individuals can back Edible Gardens in different tiers, starting at a minimum of $100. Backers that contribute $250 or more get a Crowd SAFE agreement, which would enable them to receive a financial return “should the company ever sell or file for an IPO,” according to the press release. Other perks include sample of Edible Garden greens, including monthly and yearly supplies, depending on how much the individual invests. 

As with any campaign, backers assume a certain amount of risk investing in companies and projects via crowdfunding platforms, and there is no guarantee Edible Garden will sell or go public and therefore reward this campaign’s backers financially. In other words, caveat emptor.

That said, the last several months have seen a sizable uptick in activity and investment into the controlled-environment agriculture space. To name just a few, Revol Greens recently raised $68 million, AppHarvest nabbed $28 million, and Gotham Greens further expanded its high-tech greenhouses in the U.S. Those numbers are encouraging at a time when more consumers are expressing interest in locally grown food that is more traceable. However, controlled-environment ag as a sector has yet to economically prove its worth as a vital part of the food system, though it’s trekking in that direction.

For its part, Edible Garden will run its campaign until January 16, 2021.

Plenty and Driscoll’s Partner to Grow Strawberries Indoors

San Francisco Bay Area-based vertical farming startup Plenty and well-known berry brand Driscoll’s announced a partnership today to grow strawberries year-round via controlled-environment indoor farms. The partnership will use Plenty’s indoor farming technology and incorporate Driscoll’s proprietary genetics for strawberries, according to a press release sent to The Spoon. 

Plenty hinted at strawberries (and tomatoes) more than a year ago, when it unveiled its high-tech vertical farm Tigris. Currently, the company is best known for its mixtures of leafy greens, which it grows indoors via the hydronponic method. Plenty’s facilities also utilize sensors, LED light mixtures, and temperature and air control to create the optimal growing environment for plants.

Leafy greens are still one of the most common crops grown in these controlled-environment farms, and for a few of good reasons. For one thing, they’re one of the most popular produce types among U.S. consumers today. They are also far more delicate than, say, a mango, making it harder to transport them without spoilage. Leafy greens also yield more crop in a smaller space compared to something like a row of sweetcorn, and they can be harvested faster. Something like a strawberry takes more time to grow, and one profile of Plenty last year noted that it can take up to nine months to understand how a strawberry plant performs inside a controlled environment operation.

Lately, though, more ag tech companies have announced plans to grow more than arugula and herbs. Most notably, a Singapore-based company called SinGrow has employed its proprietary vertical farming tech to grow strawberries on a rack designed specifically for that fruit. SinGrow also creates its own strawberry breeds. Unfold, which just raised $30 million, has added cucumbers and tomatoes to its roster. Plenty itself said at the time of the Tigris launch that it wants to grow “exotic” fruits and vegetables, though as yet the company hasn’t named specific crops.

Strawberries aren’t exactly exotic, but for vertical farming, they are a logical next crop after leafy greens. Plenty’s home state of California produces over 91 percent of the country’s entire strawberry supply, and that fruit is also high on U.S. consumers’ lists.

To start, Driscoll’s will grow strawberries at Plenty’s Laramie, Wyoming facility. Driscoll’s Chairman and CEO J. Miles Reiter said in today’s press release that this partnership “will create a competitive market edge.” While that remains to be seen, one thing we can expect with a fair amount of certainty is that more companies will be growing strawberries via controlled environments in the months to come.