Element Farms Unveils New State-of-The-Art Greenhouse
New Facility Will 20x Company’s Current Capacity for Growing
Pesticide-Free, Local, and Sustainable Leafy Greens Year-Round
New York, NY -- October 31, 2019 -- Element Farms, one of the only companies capable of growing pesticide-free, local, and sustainable spinach year-round, has announced that it will begin operations at its new 70,000 square foot Lafayette, New Jersey, greenhouse facility in the coming weeks. The company will outfit its new site, once home to a horticulture company, with proprietary technology and supplemental lighting to produce a wider variety of leafy greens at a higher yield and lower cost than most competitors. At full capacity, Element Farms will produce over half a million pounds each year of pesticide-free baby spinach, arugula, baby lettuces, pea shoots, beet greens, and more.
The new facility is an evolution from Element Farms’ current home: the structure is made entirely of glass, which allows for more efficient transmission of sustainable natural sunlight, and the hilltop location moderates temperatures, bringing heating and cooling costs down during the company’s year-round production.
Most of the operation’s everyday tasks will be automated with Element Farms’ custom machinery, like seeders and harvesters, to increase yield per square foot. The new greenhouse is ideally situated on delivery routes for New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania’s population-dense and produce-hungry cities. As before, greens will be delivered directly to retailers within 24 hours of harvest for maximum shelf life.
“We couldn’t be more excited for our new greenhouse. We’re customizing every aspect for operational efficiencies, integrated pest management, and sustainability,” said company founder Serdar Mizrakci. “We’re also thrilled that we’ll be able to meet our ever-increasing demand and bring more pesticide-free, safe, and delicious greens to the retailers and customers who have been clamoring for it.”
The new greenhouse will have dedicated areas for research and development and fully climate-controlled space for both growing and packing. As the company grows, so will the facility: the rest of the property is similarly zoned for agriculture and can support more acres of greenhouse space. Element Farms expects to double its greenhouse team after launch and bring jobs to the surrounding area.
Mizrakci started Element Farms as an MBA student at Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management after learning that most leafy greens consumed on the east coast make a week-long trek from California and lose freshness and nutrients in transport. He envisioned and executed a better process based on his independent study work with co-founder Danny Janeczko at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell, his own expertise as an industrial engineer, and his passion for good food.
The Lafayette greenhouse is just the first part of Element Farms’ growth plan. The company is currently pursuing greenhouse projects in two other states where the markets for year-round local produce are ripe for disruption. Element Farms expects to announce these projects in the coming year.
About Element Farms
Element Farms launched in 2016 with a single goal: to grow the purest, best-tasting greens for the most people possible. Element Farms is one of the only indoor controlled-agriculture companies that can produce local, pesticide-free, hydroponic spinach at scale year-round.
Founder Serdar Mizrakci has solved the biggest issues in indoor agriculture--inconsistency, plant disease, and high operational costs--by bringing farming back to its most basic elements: the plant, light, nutrients, and water. The company uses proprietary technology and renewable energy to seed, grow, and harvest its produce and higher yields and lower costs than most competitors.
The Element Farms greenhouse is located in Lafayette, New Jersey. The brand’s current product line includes baby spinach, baby arugula, crispy lettuce, salad mixes, and more.
Learn more about the company at www.element-farms.com.
Images by Element Farms