Gotham Greens, one of CEA’s fastest-growing farm brands, today announced the official opening of its second high-tech hydroponic greenhouse in the Rocky Mountain Region and the company’s 11th greenhouse nationwide. The 140,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility located in Windsor, Colorado’s Great Western Industrial Park is the first of three new Gotham greenhouse facilities set to open in 2023.
Building on the success of its flagship Denver Metro greenhouse which opened in 2020 at Stanley Marketplace in Aurora, Colorado, Gotham Greens’ new Colorado facility is nearly five times larger. The increased footprint will enable the company to significantly increase the year-round supply of fresh produce to retail, restaurant, and food service customers throughout the region. Since planting roots in Colorado, Gotham Greens has created more than 85 jobs and has grown to be the leading greenhouse farming brand in the region.
Importance of innovative conservation
With up to 80% of the Colorado River’s water currently used for agriculture, Colorado’s depleted reservoirs are at risk of falling to critically low levels. While the impacts of climate change in Colorado have led to persistent drought conditions, clean and safe water flowing across the state is vital to a healthy community and economy.
“Water is life in Colorado and throughout the Western United States. Unfortunately, without new technologies like Gotham Greens is deploying, Colorado won’t have enough water to sustain the next generation of agriculture jobs or the industry that is a crucial part of the state’s economy,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. “Gotham Greens is an innovative leader in a new era of agriculture that is working to ensure a more sustainable future for Coloradans. With this second greenhouse in the Rocky Mountain Region, the company is making it possible for more Coloradans to eat healthy, fresh, locally grown food, while also conserving the precious resources we need to protect the home we love.”
Native Coloradan Eric Haley, Co-Founder and CFO of Gotham Greens, noted that the new greenhouse represents a significant milestone in Gotham Greens’ national expansion and Colorado’s agricultural future. “Natural resource conservation is essential to ensure that the Colorado I call home remains both beautiful and fertile for generations to come,” said Haley. “Using proven indoor farming technology, we’re able to transform land that otherwise would be unusable for agricultural purposes into a high-tech, state-of-the-art greenhouse that produces approximately 30 times more leafy greens per acre of land than conventional open-field farming.”
Gotham Greens Co-Founder and CEO Viraj Puri added, “We’re proud to expand the Gotham Greens brand of fresh, high-quality, longer lasting and sustainably grown produce and fresh foods throughout the Mountain Region. Since our founding in 2009, we have been committed to providing amazing fresh food using new solutions for conserving vital natural resources. By using hydroponic growing systems in high-tech greenhouses, Gotham Greens’ farms use up to 95% less water and 97% less land compared to conventional farming and provide a consistent and proven way of growing food closer to where people live, year-round regardless of the season, altitude and climate.”
Commitment to sustainability and community
A Certified B Corporation, Gotham Greens’ goal is to be able to deliver Gotham Greens fresh produce from its greenhouses to 90% of U.S. consumers within a day’s drive. The company and operates more than 40 acres (1.8 million square feet) of hydroponic greenhouses across 13 locations, with additional expansion planned for 2024. Nine states house to Gotham production facilities: New York, Illinois, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, Colorado, California, Georgia and Texas.
“We want consumers everywhere to put more greens at the center of the table, and we remain committed to bringing the best-tasting, most flavorful fresh foods in the category,” Puri said. “From our locally grown salad greens and herbs to our delicious line of dressings, dips, and cooking sauces, we hope consumers can sense our commitment to taste, quality and sustainability in every bite.”
As part of Gotham Greens’ continued commitment to sustainability, produce grown at the new facility will be packaged with a resealable lidded film, which the company reports reduces plastic packaging by more than 40%. Gotham Greens products are currently available in more than 6,500 retail stores nationally, including more than 250 stores throughout Colorado, such as Whole Foods Market, King Soopers, Sprouts Farmers Market, Leever’s Locavore, Lucky’s Market, Ideal Market, Choice Market and Tony’s Market.
Since the company launched its first commercial-scale urban rooftop greenhouse in Brooklyn, New York in 2011, Gotham Greens has been dedicated to becoming a permanent fixture in the communities where it operates. In Colorado, this effort includes partnering with local non-profits such as Food Bank of the Rockies and the Weld Food Bank, to help address food insecurity. In 2022, the company donated more than 44,000 pounds of food to families in need and provided more than 27,000 seedling donations for community gardens and educational purposes.
Images courtesy of Gotham Greens