BALTIMORE – Gotham Greens announced the official opening of its new, 100,000 square foot hydroponic greenhouse outside of Baltimore. Reimagining a portion of the former Bethlehem Steel Mill located in Sparrows Point, this is Gotham Greens’ seventh greenhouse nationwide and its first greenhouse that will provide a year-round supply of fresh produce to retail, restaurant and foodservice customers across 10 states throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.
The greenhouse will produce more than six million heads of lettuce annually and bring the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based, privately held company’s total annual production to more than 30 million heads of lettuce nationwide. This includes Gotham Greens’ new regional favorite Chesapeake Crunch inspired by the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which helps to filter and to protect drinking water for local residents.
“Gotham Greens is a brand dedicated to changing how people think, feel and interact with their food,” said Viraj Puri, Co-Founder & CEO of Gotham Greens. “We’re excited to introduce our line of leafy greens, herbs, sauces, dips and dressings to even more people up and down the East Coast. By conducting our first harvest during the cold winter season, this underscores our commitment to growing and delivering high-quality, long-lasting and delicious produce all year round.”
Gotham Greens’ produce is grown using hydroponic systems in 100 percent renewable electricity- powered greenhouses that use 95 percent less water and 97 percent less land than conventional farming. The new greenhouse features the company’s latest technological advances, including proprietary data-driven control tools to develop the highest-yielding, most energy efficient indoor farming system on the market today.
Over the past 10 years, the company has helped to create and to popularize the greenhouse-grown produce category among retailers and consumers. In conjunction with its rapid expansion across the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, New England and Midwest regions, Gotham Greens recently introduced a refreshed visual identity and packaging design that positions the company as a forward-thinking, innovative food brand.
“Given the global issues surrounding conventional agriculture, it is important that we continue to stand out in a field of greens in the produce aisle,” Puri said. “Our thoughtful approach to resource conservation and our brand mission are at the forefront of the design strategy, while our refreshed branding makes it even easier for consumers to shop for high-quality, local produce.”
Gotham Greens is creating 60 full-time green jobs in Baltimore and has partnered with the Baltimore County Department of Economic and Workforce Development and the Center for Urban Families to host hiring events. The company will sponsor a local mobile Pantry On The Go on March 11 in partnership with the Maryland Food Bank to provide fresh produce and other pantry staples to its neighbors facing food insecurity. The event also will serve as a local job fair, recruiting for year- round clean manufacturing jobs in a neighborhood facing high rates of unemployment.
The company’s Baltimore greenhouse will serve as a resource to educate local residents and visitors on the benefits of sustainable, indoor farming by hosting free guided tours, as well as field trips for schools, universities and other local community organizations.
For more information on Gotham Greens, its greenhouses and its products, please visit gothamgreens.com.
About Gotham Greens
Gotham Greens is a pioneer in indoor agriculture and a leading produce and fresh food company. Through its national network of climate-controlled, data-driven greenhouses, Gotham Greens grows and sells long-lasting, delicious leafy greens and herbs along with a line of fresh salad dressings and pesto sauces to retail, restaurant and foodservice customers year-round. Founded in 2009 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Gotham Greens now operates 500,000 square feet of hydroponic greenhouses across five U.S. states with more than 300 team members.