Square Roots opens new indoor farm, produces first harvest

Construction on Square Roots' indoor farm began in December and the first seeds were planted in March. Courtesy Square Roots

The farm's first locally grown harvest of herbs and greens that includes basils, arugula and radish microgreens will be available for consumers to purchase on e-commerce platforms, restaurants and grocery stores across the Great Lakes region in the coming weeks.

Construction on the indoor farm began in December and the first seeds were planted in March. The farm is cloud-connected and is managed by Square Roots' farmers and in-house software.

"COVID-19 exposed major weaknesses in the industrial food supply chain and accelerated the already fast-growing local farming movement," said Kimbal Musk, co-founder and executive chair of Square Roots. "Square Roots can now deploy commercial-scale, controlled-climate farms, fast, in locations across America to meet demand for local food, all year-round. My wider mission is to bring responsibly grown, local food to everyone in America."

The farm's proprietary OS, otherwise known as The Square Roots Farmer Toolbelt, provides day-to-day guidance to farmers while capturing millions of data points throughout growing cycles. The data can then be analyzed to determine how changes in certain environmental parameters impact factors like yield, taste and texture.

In addition to the technology that drives its operation, there also are cold storage, biosecurity, climate-controlled packaging space and distributor loading docks, among other things in the farm that ensures food safety.

The new indoor farm is Square Roots' third commercial facility.

Photo: A farmer harvest basil. Courtesy Square Roots

Source: Grand Rapid Business Journal

Source: Grand Rapid Business Journal