Certified B Corporation Gotham Greens, one of the CEA industry’s fastest-growing indoor farming brands, has expanded its national footprint yet again. The company’s twelfth greenhouse nationwide — and its largest to date — is now officially open for business in Monroe, Georgia. Gotham’s first high-tech hydroponic greenhouse in the U.S. Southeast, the facility sits in a prime area that puts both Atlanta and Athens, Georgia, in easy reach.
The 210,000-square-foot Georgia facility is the second of three new Gotham greenhouses opening in 2023. The state-of-the-art greenhouse will provide a year-round supply of Georgia Grown fresh produce to retail, restaurant and food service customers throughout the region, including Whole Foods Market, Publix, Harris Teeter and The Fresh Market. New offerings such as the regionally inspired Coastal Crunch lettuce and family-size packs of Gotham’s best-selling Butterhead and Gourmet Spring Mix will light up Southeast shelves.
One step closer to 90% of U.S. consumers
“As we celebrate National Farmer’s Day, this expansion into the South is a pivotal moment for Gotham Greens and brings us one step closer to our goal of being able to deliver Gotham Greens fresh produce within a day’s drive from our greenhouses to 90% of consumers across the U.S.,” said Viraj Puri, Co-Founder and CEO of Gotham Greens. “Our new Georgia greenhouse is the largest, most technologically advanced we’ve ever built and uses enhanced automation, climate control and data science capabilities to ensure that our greens are not only delicious, but also consistent and reliable for our customers.”
Technology to overcome regional challenges
Agriculture is Georgia’s oldest and leading industry, contributing $70 billion to the state’s economy. With increasing high-impact weather events threatening that contribution, new and innovative farming methods and products are essential.
The new Gotham greenhouse boasts sophisticated new technology to overcome the region’s hot, humid climate and ensure all leafy greens and herbs meet the standard consumers nationwide have come to associate with and expect from the brand.
In contrast to traditional open-field farming methods, Gotham Greens farms use up to 90% less water and 97% less land compared to conventional farming methods. Plus, the farms provide a consistent and proven way of growing food closer to where people live. While field crops are especially vulnerable to the elements, such as heavy rains or drought, the fully closed greenhouse system provides protection and reliability for customers.
One hundred new jobs for Walton County
“Gotham Greens’ new state-of-the-art greenhouse facility in Monroe will deploy the latest, cutting-edge agricultural technology while creating almost 100 jobs in Walton County and providing consumers across Georgia with sustainable, Georgia Grown produce year-round,” said Tyler Harper, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. “Gotham Greens and the Georgia Grown brand are rooted in the shared values of quality, integrity and innovation, and we’re proud to welcome them to the great state of Georgia.”
Fighting food insecurity in local communities
In Georgia, one in nine people face hunger, including one in eight children. Gotham Greens will work with local non-profit partners to help address food insecurity and provide seedlings for community gardens and educational purposes. 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.
Since its launch in 2011, Gotham Greens has grown from a single urban rooftop greenhouse in Brooklyn, New York, to one of the largest and most respected hydroponic leafy green producers in North America.
The company’s national network of climate-controlled, high-tech greenhouses across America now includes locations in New York, Illinois, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, Colorado, California, Georgia and Texas. Gotham Greens products are available in more than 6,500 locations nationwide, including Whole Foods Market, The Kroger Co., Sprouts Farmers Market, Albertsons, Target, The Fresh Market, FreshDirect, AmazonFresh and more.
Images courtesy of Gotham Greens.