Kalera, a hydroponic indoor vertical farming company, has opened its newest farm in Aurora, Colorado. The first harvest is scheduled for May.
The nearly 90,000-square-foot facility is the company's fifth domestic farm, joining a U.S. footprint that includes Atlanta, Houston, and Orlando. Globally, Kalera operates farms in Munich and Kuwait with a farm set to open in Singapore later this year.
"Increasing our national and global footprint has been a priority for our team as we seek to serve our major retail and foodservice customers," said Curtis McWilliams, Kalera's interim CEO, in a statement. "Opening this facility is an exciting step towards this goal, and we're proud to serve urban communities like Denver with clean, nutrition-dense leafy greens that are accessible to local consumers.”
Kalera greens are pesticide-free and non-GMO. The climate-controlled environments at Kalera facilities allow for sustainable farming methods, such as water recycling and optimization of plant nutrient formulas that maximize production.
All of Kalera's large-scale farms in the U.S. are operating above the company's 80 percent through-put yield target. Additionally, Atlanta and Houston have achieved this performance significantly ahead of schedule. Beyond achieving high yields, all Kalera farms are also making improvements in production capacity and corresponding revenues as demand for Kalera products continues to increase.
"Innovation is our focus, it's what Kalera was founded on," said McWilliams. "We are thrilled with these results, but not surprised, and are eager to bring this same efficient performance to our Denver farm.”
Related: Gotham Greens to Double Capacity, Expand to Texas, Georgia; Indoor Produce Food Safety Certification Launches.