A majority of the American population is growing conscious about the journey of the food they eat, starting from the cultivation to how it ends up on their table. They are concerned about the quality of the produce in terms of whether pesticides are used and are trying to reduce unnecessary consumption and only consume what is necessary. Amidst all this, a New York based startup called Gotham Greens came up with what is called ‘urban farming.’ This is a concept of farming which uses urban spaces like buildings’ rooftops and abandoned warehouses and combines it with greenhouse farming to produce farm products.
The beginning of Gotham Greens
Gotham Greens was founded by Viraj Puri and Eric Haley when they quit their jobs and decided to do something environmentally friendly. Viraj Puri was working at an environmental engineering firm and Eric Haley was working at a private equity and advisory firm. After finalizing a business plan, they had Jenn Nelkin Frymark join as a third partner and kicked off their first greenhouse in Brooklyn.
How Gotham Greens operates
Gotham Greens employs state of the art machinery to ensure they maintain high quality. All the greenhouses they currently operate are completely solar and wind powered, meaning they maintain a neutral energy footprint. The greenhouses are fitted with the latest sensors to control various factors like climate, moisture, oxygen and carbon dioxide content. All the produce is farmed using a method known as hydroponic farming. ‘Hydroponic’ originates from Greek and hydroponic farming means water cultivation. This type of farming reduces the land requirement for farming without compromising on the yield.
Advantages
Gotham Greens employed sustainable techniques to ensure there is minimal wastage of resources as well as their products. All the water they use while farming is recycled and reused. Their way of farming increased productivity by 30 % more than that achieved by conventional farming methods, which require large areas of arable land.
Gotham Greens also has another unique achievement under its belt. During the Company’s early days, Whole Foods was one of their initial customers. Together, they built a greenhouse on top of a Whole Foods flagship store in Brooklyn, where they cultivate and produce fresh leafy greens and herbs. This Whole Foods store’s customers directly get their produce from the farm. This is a first of its kind and needless to say, it cuts down on the cost of logistics and drastically increases the products’ shelf life.
Gotham Greens now plans to scale up and increase the number of their greenhouses to tackle the demand they are currently receiving. By the end of 2019, the Company is looking to expand and have 8 greenhouse facilities in 5 states of the United States and increase its regional distribution to more than 30 states of the Country.
