By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

DECEMBER 13, 2020

A Vertical Field "Urban Farm" uses BIOLED eco-lighting technology to grow produce for a Rami Levy supermarket in Bnei Brak.

Ra'anana-Based Vertical Field signed an agreement with Israel's largest grocery chain Rami Levy, to provide vertical farms to each of the supermarket branches in the coming years.

A vertical farm will be installed next to each branch, providing customers with fresh produce grown out of the company's indoor farms.

"The Rami Levy chain understands the social responsibility that it has for customers as related to food security and supplying the highest quality products while maintaining low prices," said VP Marketing at Rami Levy Yafit Attias Levy. "Our customers bought Vertical Field’s produce during the pilot, and returned to purchase more."

"Therefore, we have decided to expand the partnership with Vertical Field to additional branches of the supermarket, and to offer fresh, high-quality, and pesticide-free produce in a way that increases shelf-life for our customers," he added.

Vertical Field's innovative "vertical farm" solution developed at the Ra'anana headquarters. The produce grown in a sterile indoor environment, without the use of chemicals or fertilizers.

The conditions in which the produce is grown is also controlled, which yields consistent products for customers to return to week in and week out.

The crops - lettuce, basil, parsley, kale, mint, etc. - are grown vertically within a bed of nutrient-rich soil on the walls of the greenhouse using proprietary technology from vertical farms. The technology minimizes water consumption and the use of ground soil, and the farms are maintained by local farmers. Customers also have the option to purchase the soil bedding it was grown in.

The installation initiative comes after a successful pilot program with Rami Levy, and over the course of the next five years "dozens" of vertical farms will be installed."One of the realizations that have surfaced during the COVID-19 crisis is the need to develop solutions that allow urban residents access to healthy food, with minimal human handling and without depending on transportation and shipping from remote locations," said CEO of Vertical Field Guy Elitzur. "The portable urban farm that we have developed is designed to be located in indoor and outdoor spaces at supermarkets, restaurants, shopping malls, rooftops, and other on-premise locations.""Over the past year we conducted a number of successful pilot projects, and installed vertical farms adjacent to supermarkets and restaurants in the United States and Israel," he added. "We are delighted to be able to provide- and expand access to- healthy, and high-quality vegetables grown right outside the consumer’s door."

Tags raanana rami levy vegan vegetarian Farming