There was a lot of talk of the company's third commercial farming site in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania when I wrote my big TC1 on Bowery Farming late last year. After a big press unveil, the facility comes online today. The New Jersey-based vertical farming startup says the facility is its most technologically advanced to date.
The initial location in Kearny, New Jersey is the initial location of the commercial farm. The company says it will double those three by next year. According to real estate reports from the last few years, the farm is around 156,000 square feet. It is a large site from the sound of it, though others have outlined details for larger facilities.
There are questions about the environmental impact of vertical farming. There is plenty of upside, including a far smaller footprint and decreased water use, though the efficacy of relying on LEDs instead of natural lighting is often cited by detractors. The new farm will be powered by 100% renewable energy and will have water capture and filters designed to keep the water out of the system.
If we have learned anything from the past two years, it is that we are in a period of unprecedented disruption and uncertainty across our climate and geopolitical circumstances. The global food system is tied to these dynamics and we are seeing it firsthand. We are addressing the challenges in our system by growing food smarter for more people in more places, and that work continues today with the opening of our Bethlehem Farm.
70 jobs will be created in Bethlehem, which is an hour and a half away from Philadelphia, by the new farm. The location was designed by retailers like Whole Foods and Giant of Landover.
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