An indoor farming company and one of the largest food distributors in North America have opened a new facility in the Southwest Ohio.
Square Roots and Gordon Food Service recently launched an indoor farm in Springfield, the companies announced. The climate-controlled, cloud-connected facility is Square Roots' fourth farm built in partnership with Gordon Food Service, and the company's second to open this year.
“Our partnership with Gordon Food Service, combined with our scalable smart-farm technology platform, means Square Roots is able to rapidly open a number of new indoor farms this year,” Square Roots Co-Founder and CEO Tobias Peggs said. “With this new facility in Springfield, we are now making locally-grown food available, all year, to new consumers across Ohio, while also creating exciting jobs in the community.”
The Springfield site's first commercial harvests are scheduled for this summer. Products will reach consumers throughout Ohio, including in the Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton metropolitan areas.
Springfield is roughly one hour from Hamilton, home to 80 Acres' massive $30 million, 70,000-square-foot indoor farm. 80 Acres, one of the region's best-funded startups, is part of a growing number of vertical farming operations and has seen its headcount nearly quadruple since 2020 to 300 employees.
“The new farm we’ve announced with Square Roots in Springfield accelerates our shared vision to build more indoor farms together across the continent,” Gordon Food Service President and CEO Rich Wolowski said. “Together, we are enabling local food at a global scale, meeting the rising demand for produce that is fresher, responsibly grown and traceable from seed to shelf.”
The new farm in Springfield harnesses Square Roots’ smart-farm technology platform and software-controlled hydroponic growing systems to produce more food with fewer resources 365 days a year, regardless of outdoor weather conditions. The company’s approach uses 95% less water than conventional field farms and features repurposed urban infrastructure — creating ideal growing climates inside refurbished, upcycled shipping containers that are stacked vertically to reduce impact on the land.
By deploying a network of local farms in strategically located cities like Springfield, Square Roots says it can ensure a shorter supply chain and less distance between people and their food, reducing food miles and minimizing food waste.
Square Roots farmers in Springfield will soon begin harvesting long-lasting herbs such as basil, cilantro, dill and parsley, as well as salad mixes and microgreens. The Springfield farm has the capacity to produce more than 2.4 million packages of herbs and leafy greens annually. All Square Roots produce has at least 14 days of extended shelf life and is free of pesticides and GMOs.
Springfield is the second farm Square Roots has opened in 2022, following the recently announced opening in Kenosha, Wis. Square Roots also operates two commercial-scale indoor farms in Michigan, and a facility in Brooklyn, N.Y., which also houses the company’s center for plant science and research and development.
Square Roots is a technology-driven indoor farming company with a mission to responsibly bring its locally grown food to people in cities around the world, all year round. Founded by Peggs and Kimbal Musk, the company's range of fresh produce is available in more than 250 retail locations around the country, including Gordon Food Service stores, Whole Foods Market, SpartanNash corporate stores, Fresh Thyme Market, Meijer’s market format stores, Busch’s Fresh Food Market, FreshDirect and Morton Williams.
Founded in 1897, Gordon Food Service serves food service operators in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest regions of the United States, and coast-to-coast in Canada. The company also operates more than 170 Gordon Food Service store locations in the U.S. It is one of the largest family businesses in the food service industry.
