World’s largest indoor vertical farm will launch in 2023

The new vertical farm will provide locally-sourced microgreens and sustainably-raised hybrid striped bass to consumers throughout Northeast America

Spotted: New York-based company Upward Farms, which focuses on indoor aquaponic vertical farming, has announced the addition of the world’s largest vertical farm to its network. The new facility, located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania will be 250,000 square foot. By early 2023 it is expected to be providing fresh, locally-sourced microgreens and sustainably-raised hybrid striped bass to consumers throughout the Northeast United States.

Upward Farms designs and operates vertical farms that host ecosystems of plants and fish, supplying these products to local grocers. By repurposing waste from fish and transforming it into organic fertiliser for leafy greens, Upward Farms’ aquaponic platform leverages the scalability of indoor farming with the benefits of regenerative agriculture.

The company highlights that all of its products are grown to the highest standards of quality and sustainability – USDA Certified Organic, non-GMO, and free from pesticides and fertilisers. As for the hybrid striped bass, they are certified for best aquaculture practices, free from mercury, antibiotics, or added hormones.

“Farming is one of the sectors that’s both highly exposed to the perils of climate change and one of its key drivers,” explains Jason Green, CEO and co-founder of Upward Farms, “Solutions for food production that are good for people and the planet are sorely needed. With this new facility, we’ll be able to reach some of the most populous areas of the US, and nearly 100 million Americans, within a single day of distribution versus the week it can take to receive products from the West Coast.”

Upward Farms’ microgreen salads come washed and ready to eat. They can be found at Whole Foods Market locations across New York City. The hybrid striped bass recently became available at Greenpoint Fish and Lobster, and across many of the company’s supplied restaurants in New York City.

The new facility in Pennsylvania will be over double the size of current vertical farms. Upward Farms’ facilities reduce water and land use by 95 per cent. This will save 100 million gallons of water and 120 acres of land every year, and avoid 1.7 million food transportation miles annually.

Other vertical farms spotted by Springwise include a vertical farming system with a unique soil-based substrate, and a hydroponic farm made from recycled materials.