- Infarm drives its US expansion by establishing a new Growing Center near Baltimore, Maryland
- It will be Infarm’s largest facility globally so far, with a total size of nearly 200,000 sqft
- Once fully equipped, the facility in Howard County will produce up to 45 million crops per year
- This new Growing Center will be able to serve the Tri-State area with sustainably grown fresh produce
- This region is home to the highest concentration of CEA businesses in the US and is a strategic location to supply the entire East Coast
- The Growing Center will create more than 50 jobs
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 22, 2022 – Infarm, the rapidly growing global urban farming company, today announced the establishment of its third Growing Center in the US and the largest Infarm Growing Center to date.
Alongside the existing vertical farming facility in Seattle and a recently announced one in Austin, Texas, the new North East Growing Center will be located in Columbia, Howard County, Maryland. The opening of this facility is a significant step in the company’s US-expansion roadmap, where Infarm plans to roll out its network of cloud-connected farming facilities with a size of over 500,000 sq. ft. from coast to coast.
The new Growing Center in Maryland will add around 200,000 sq. ft. to Infarm’s US portfolio and produce up to 45 million crops per year. The Growing Center will create more than 50 jobs in Howard County.
“We’re thrilled that Infarm has chosen Howard County for this expansion of its innovative, data-driven vertical farming operation,” said Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. “Maryland’s strategic location makes it an ideal site for the new Growing Center and will allow the company to bring its nutritious produce to millions of new customers on the East Coast. We are proud to welcome Infarm to Maryland’s business community and applaud its commitment to unique and sustainable farming methods.”
“It is exciting to have one of the world’s largest urban farming operations locate its newest facility here in Howard County, which is a magnet for innovative businesses like Infarm,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “Our Gateway District continues to be an engine of economic growth, and Infarm’s investment brings more jobs to our community with a welcomed focus on sustainability. Infarm is revolutionizing how we grow and consume food locally and we look forward to a long partnership to advance the sustainability of our food system.”
Erez Galonska, CEO and co-founder of Infarm, said, “The opening of our largest US Growing Center to date in Central Maryland MSA demonstrates Infarm’s commitment to rapidly grow a local food infrastructure in the US market for the benefit of people and the planet. Howard County is a great strategic location that will allow us to serve over 23 million consumers across the Tri-State and Mid-Atlantic areas.”
“With the opening of this new Growing Center, we are now entering a region where vertical farming is already widely adopted, and green innovations are thriving. Once fully operational, our Growing Center will provide the Northeastern US with a new food production capability that minimizes climate and supply chain risk by growing more than 75 types of plants locally, sustainably, and reliably 24/7, 365 days a year,” Galonska added.
More than 50% of the new Growing Center is already pre-ordered with the first harvest planned for Spring 2023. The remaining capacity will be added by early 2024.
Infarm’s Growing Centers are set up with modular, cloud-connected farming units — each occupying 430 sqft of ground space and 33 feet in height — producing more than 500,000 plants per year while saving 95% of ground space, and 95% of water. To date, Infarm saved more than 30 million gallons of water.
Infarm is continuously working to reduce the environmental footprint of its operation. For example, the company is committed to using 100% green-certified energy throughout its network by the end of 2022 and will operate the North East Growing Center with green-certified energy.
Infarm’s data-driven approach and constant measuring and analyzing of plant data allow the company to continuously improve yield, taste, and production costs. Infarm already collected 100 billion data points to date and offers over 75 products, such as herbs, leafy greens, ready-to-eat salads, microgreens, and mushrooms. This year, an additional 40 products like strawberries, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and peas will be added.
With the intention to grow a global and scalable network of vertical farms that makes fresh, nutritious, and sustainably produced food accessible right where people live, Infarm plans to be established in 20 countries by 2030. Infarm has partnerships with more than 30 of the most important retailers worldwide. In the US and Canada, the vertical farming company has long-term agreements with retailers Kroger, Sobeys, Safeway, and Thrifty Foods.
Infarm was supported by the Maryland Department of Commerce, Howard County Economic Development Authority and Baltimore Gas and Electric.
About Infarm
Founded in 2013, Infarm is the world’s fastest-growing vertical farming company. In partnership with more than 30 of the world’s top retail chains in 10 countries in North America, Asia, and Europe, Infarm’s fresh produce is available in more than 1,850 stores worldwide. By 2030 Infarm plans to expand to 20 countries on those three continents and to the Middle East. The company’s product catalog consists of a variety of more than 75 plants such as herbs, leafy greens, salads, microgreens, and mushrooms, and will soon include strawberries, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and peas. The company’s modular farming systems are highly efficient, capable of growing more than 500,000 plants annually on just 430 sqft of floor space. In addition to using 95% less land, Infarm requires 95% less water than traditional farming methods and uses no chemical pesticides. So far, Infarm has saved more than 30 million gallons of water, 1.9 million sqft of land, and nearly 1.6 million food miles with its production methods. Infarm has committed to setting a science-based net-zero carbon target through The Science Based Targets initiative. Infarm’s operating entities are embedded in a holding company, infarm Indoor Urban Farming B.V, which is registered in The Netherlands. For more information, please visit www.infarm.com.
Press contact
Janina Baldin
Head of Media Relations
press@infarm.com
