Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, Mich., has formed an exclusive partnership with indoor farming company Square Roots, expanding the greenhouse company’s reach from its New York base.
The agreement gives Square Roots access to more than a dozen Gordon Food Service distribution centers and 175 retail locations, although the news release announcing the partnership doesn’t specify where Square Roots plans to build more indoor farms. Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Square Roots now serves about 30 locations in the New York metropolitan area, according to its website.
Square Roots grows and delivers fresh herbs: chives, basil, sage and mint, according to its website. The release does not say if it will expand into other crops with the agreement.
“Customers want an assortment of fresh, locally grown food all year round,” Rich Wolowski, CEO of Gordon Food Service, said in the release. “We are on a path to do that at scale with Square Roots and are excited to be the first in the industry to offer this unique solution to our customers.”
Square Roots, whose co-founder is Kimbal Musk, whose brother Elon Musk is well-known for Tesla and SpaceX, has a farmer training program and a “farmer first” technology platform, according to the news release.
“This partnership means we will grow delicious, local, real food at huge scale,” Tobias Peggs, co-founder and CEO of Square Roots, said in the release. “We’re so happy to be working with a mission-aligned partner in Gordon Food Service — leveraging technology to bring real food to a huge number of people across the country, while delivering real social impact by empowering thousands of young people to become our country’s future farmers.”
Related Content
Square Roots implements “transparency timeline” for greens
Rhode Island governor and Providence mayor to welcome Gotham Greens
Square Roots starts farmer training program in September
