Leading vertical farming producer Bowery is giving consumers a taste of innovation and next-generation greens with its limited-release baby Bok Choy, the latest in Bowery’s Farmer’s Selection line. In a break from tradition, the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) grower is launching the baby Bok Choy in tender, crunchy leaf form rather than whole heads. New York City Metro greens fans can get the ready-to-eat, zero-pesticide baby Bok Choy via FreshDirect (FD).
Designed to showcase the work of Bowery’s agricultural scientists, the Farmer’s Selection line of greens includes the year-round Mustard Frills, currently available at Whole Foods Market and via FreshDirect. Prior limited-release greens in the line include Baby Rabe, Green Sorrel and Dandelion Greens. With Bowery’s baby Bok Choy leaves, consumers can enjoy a brand new expression of Bok Choy, fresh or cooked.
“The potential for growing indoors to push boundaries of flavor, texture, and creativity is spotlighted with the launch of Bowery Bok Choy,” said Susan MacIsaac, Bowery Head of Agricultural Science. “Controlled indoor environments, operating outside of weather and climate constraints, are not only essential for building a future of reliable, fresh, nutrient-rich food but can also grow delicious, repertoire-expanding produce that connects with home cooks along the way.”
FD shop-by-recipe component targets home cooks
In another first, Bowery is launching this latest Farmer’s Selection green with a shop-by-recipe component via FreshDirect. A 15-minute Bok Choy and Shrimp Stir Fry recipe created by Chef Aarthi Sampath offers a fast and healthy dinner that showcases Bowery’s bright, crunchy and — the company emphasizes — seriously juicy Bok Choy. Bowery Bok Choy will launch in a 3 oz. clamshell with a peel-and-reseal lid in the New York City Metro Area, including southern Connecticut, the Hamptons and the Jersey Shore.
“We value how Bowery continues to push the boundaries of what produce could and should be,” said Mary Mitchell, FreshDirect Category Manager, Produce. “With Farmer’s Selection, Bowery is bringing a sense of discovery often associated with the farmer’s market to the FreshDirect shopper and providing inspiration for home cooks with greens like baby Bok Choy at the same time.”
Product portfolio and production continue to grow
In addition to Bok Choy, Bowery’s growing product portfolio includes its recently introduced spinach, a pesticide-free alternative to traditionally grown spinach — a regular on the pesticide-intensive “Dirty Dozen” list — and the expansion of its salad kits with a new sesame ginger flavor. A 2023 rebrand features a fresh creative expression across website design, product packaging and advertising, including unexpected mediums like streaming video platforms.
Bowery’s brand has been in the market since 2016 and is sold in more than 2,000 locations, including Whole Foods, Ahold Delhaize, Amazon, Safeway/Albertsons and Walmart. The company is scaling quickly with five farms in operation, including a state-of-the-art R&D and innovation farm for pioneering indoor ag science and two commercial farms under development intended to more than double the company’s total production.
The company reports that, as it continues to grow more with less, Bowery has increased its retail footprint by nearly 20-fold between 2020 and 2023. Bowery’s farms are powered by 100% renewable energy and the company continues to report significant energy efficiency gains, including improving the energy efficiency of farm production by 35% in the last year.
Image courtesy FreshDirect.