Urban agriculture company Gotham Greens has expanded into the New England market with a new greenhouse in Providence, Rhode Island.
Gotham has converted the site of a former General Electric lighting factory into a 100,000-square-foot facility that will deliver a year-round supply of fresh produce to retail, restaurant and foodservice customers across the region.
The greenhouse, which is Gotham’s seventh in the US, will produce more than 6 million heads of lettuce annually, including regional favourites such as New England Crunch.
“We’re on a mission to transform how and where fresh produce is grown,” said Viraj Puri, co-founder and CEO of Gotham Greens.
“Since announcing our expansion into New England, we continue to feel inspired by the city, state and region’s legacy of manufacturing and local food culture. We have received tremendous support from elected officials, retailers, restaurants and our community, who love that we can provide a reliable, year-round supply of fresh and safe produce.”
The Rhode Island facility is Gotham Greens’ seventh urban greenhouse in the US.
The greenhouse also will serve as a resource to educate local residents and visitors on the benefits of indoor farming by hosting free guided tours, as well as field trips for schools, universities and other community organisations.
The inauguration comes less than a month after Gotham Greens opened its second greenhouse in the Pullman neighbourhood of Chicago and its sixth in the US.
Founded in 2009, Gotham Greens will operate 500,000 square feet of high-tech farms across five US states by the end of 2019.
The company’s produce is grown using hydroponic systems in 100% renewable electricity-powered greenhouses that are said to use 95% less water and 97% less land than conventional farming.
Earlier this year, Puri told FoodBev how the company has seen a continued rise in demand for greenhouse-grown produce due to increasing calls for traceability and transparency in the supply chain.
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