BrightFarms acquisition of lēf Farms signals retail demand for CEA greens

It’s no secret that indoor-agtech farm companies can grow leafy greens fast and ship them to retailers nearby.

Still, it’s surprising to hear Abby prior, chief commercial officer of Irvington, N.Y.-based BrightFarms say that Loudon, N.H.-based lēf  Farms, which grows on only 1 acre, is the No. 4 indoor grower of salads in the U.S.

Well, that must’ve been attractive to BrightFarms, which acquired lēf Farms this past summer and is building 12 additional acres on the property.

Listen to this episode of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast:

“The sky's the limit. I think we're seeing that the consumer is ready to make the change” to more local, indoor-grown salad, Prior said. “Our greatest challenge in 2021 has really been having enough capacity to meet the needs of consumers in the markets where we grow and where we are partnered with really strong retailers who are leading the way in the salad category.”

Remembering that indoor-grown leafy greens comprise less than 10% of the salad category helps keep this growth in perspective — even though we keep hearing news of Controlled Environment Agriculture, or CEA, companies gaining more investment capital, building new farms and expanding every which way a company can expand.

But BrightFarms CEO Steve Platt predicts 50% of leafy greens will be grown indoors in the next 10 years, so it’s something to watch.

Learn so much more in this interview Prior has with The Packer and PMG editors Tom Karst and Amy Sowder.