IRVINGTON, NY - Earlier this month, we reported on BrightFarms’ recently announced expansion plan, including four new regional greenhouse hubs. As construction gets underway, I wanted to connect with the team to learn more about what this growth means for the company’s retail partners.

I spoke with Abby Prior, Chief Commercial Officer, to learn more.

“As a leader in the booming indoor farming industry, we at BrightFarms are passionate about transforming how produce is grown and delivered in the U.S.,” Abby explained. “We are excited to make big strides in that transformation through our expanding network of indoor sustainable farms that use far less energy, land, and water than long-distance, centralized, and field-grown agriculture.”

Greens from the new locations will begin shipping in 2024, which will allow BrightFarms to reach two-thirds of U.S. consumers, including consumers in the South and Southeast regions of the U.S. for the first time ever. BrightFarms’ four new greenhouse hubs combined will add up to 200 acres of growing space with the capacity to grow roughly 150 million new pounds of greens per year.

“The first hub—located in Yorkville, Illinois; about an hour’s drive from Chicago—is currently under construction. Hubs in Macon, Georgia, and Lorena, Texas, will break ground in the summer, while a planned hub in the Northeast will begin later in 2023,” Abby noted.

In addition, Abby remarked about BrightFarms’ commitment to adding agricultural jobs to the regions where the new greenhouses are being built.

“We’re proud to employ local farmers and members of the local communities at our new greenhouse hubs. Each of our hubs will create more than 250 jobs in the agricultural sectors once fully built,” Abby added.

As news of this exciting expansion continues to spread, the company also has a swelling product portfolio to share.

“Last spring, we launched our Crunch Kits™ Salads as a first of their kind indoor grown salad kit. With salad kits being the fastest-growing segment in indoor farming and the largest segment in packaged salads, we partnered with our retail customers to develop the kits, capitalizing on flavor trends and consumer insights to develop kits that are premium and delicious,” remarked Abby. “These premium kits are now available across the East Coast and Midwest and will soon be available for new retail partners in Texas and beyond as part of our expansion plans.”

We’ll continue to keep you in the loop regarding the latest in fresh produce, so stick with us at AndNowUKnow.

BrightFarms