Bowery Farming, the largest U.S. vertical farming company serving almost 800 grocery stores and major e-commerce platforms, announced that it is now providing Albertsons Companies with Bowery’s Protected Produce that’s local, safe and sustainable, to an initial 275 Safeway and Acme stores across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
“At Bowery we believe that everyone should have access to fresh, healthy produce,” said Katie Seawell, Chief Commercial Officer, Bowery Farming. “We’re proud to partner with Albertsons Companies to bring millions of shoppers our local, wildly delicious, Protected Produce and meet unprecedented demand for our growing category, which we believe is the next frontier of agriculture.”
Bowery builds smart indoor farms close to the cities it serves, using technology to create a simplified, agile food system focused on flavor, freshness and safety — farming efficiently to feed locally. At the core of its operations is the BoweryOS, its proprietary operating system, which uses sensors, vision systems, machine learning and automation technology to monitor and control all variables contributing to crop growth 24/7. Every new farm built benefits from the collective knowledge of the BoweryOS, making the entire network of farms stronger and more efficient each and every minute.
As a result of the BoweryOS, Bowery’s farms are more than 100 times more productive than a comparable square foot of traditional farmland, and its crops grow more than two times faster than in the field, using a fraction of the water and land. Bowery’s greens and herbs grow in completely controlled environments year-round, independent of weather and seasonality. Bowery produce is harvested at peak freshness, and is available on shelf within just a few days.
"Whether our customers shop with us in store or through our websites and apps, they expect to find fresh and sustainable produce for delicious meals at home,” said Ricardo Dimarzio, Produce Sales Manager of Albertsons Mid-Atlantic Division. "We're proud to offer Bowery Farming’s innovative and sustainable produce to help meet customer demand for high quality local indoor grown greens and herbs."
Five of Bowery’s most popular SKUs are now available in 164 Acme stores (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, and Maryland) and 111 Safeway stores (Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.). The initial five products are:
- Bowery Baby Butter Lettuce - Crisp yet tender, a mild and smooth baby lettuce with a refreshing finish.
- Bowery Crispy Leaf - Crunchy and refreshing, this mild and versatile green is the ideal base for a salad or grain bowl, and garnish for your culinary whimsy.
- Bowery Spring Blend - A smooth and satisfying mix of red and green oakleaf, romaine and mustard for a peppery finish, this is Bowery’s modern take on a classic lettuce blend.
- Baby Kale Blend - Robust and balanced, this versatile, flavorful blend of three types of baby kale works well in any dish, from a sauté to a salad to a smoothie.
- Bowery Basil - Aromatic and sweet, with a peppery flavor that adds depth to any dish.
The partnership will offer consumers Protected Produce year-round, even in the middle of events that interrupt the traditional supply chain. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Bowery has proven to be a safe, reliable and trustworthy partner for retailers looking to fill holes in the local supply chain.
This retail expansion comes at a pivotal time in the company’s growth. Bowery, now the largest U.S. vertical farming company, has seen nearly 700% growth in sales since January 2020 with brick-and-mortar grocery retailers, and more than quadrupled its sales with e-commerce platforms, including Amazon. To sustain this growth and meet demand for its produce, Bowery is building its largest and most technologically advanced farm yet in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which will further automate the growing process from seed to store and expand its reach throughout the East Coast. The company also has two commercial farms in Kearny, New Jersey, and Nottingham, Maryland, which are currently serving customers.
About Bowery Farming
Bowery Farming, the Modern Farming Company, was founded in 2015 with the belief that technology and human ingenuity can grow better food for a better future. Propelled by its proprietary software system, the BoweryOS, Bowery builds smart indoor vertical farms that deliver a wide variety of Protected Produce — in little time, near cities they serve, for a truly local approach.
Bowery’s farms are growing the next generation of vibrant and flavorful produce. They’re 100 times more productive on the same footprint of land than traditional agriculture, and grow traceable pesticide-free produce – the purest, best expression of what produce is meant to be – with a fraction of the water and land.
The largest vertical farming company in the U.S., Bowery's produce is available in nearly 800 grocery stores and via e-commerce platforms serving the Tri-state and Mid-Atlantic region, including Amazon Fresh, Giant Food, Hungryroot, Stop & Shop, Walmart, Weis, Whole Foods Market, and specialty grocers.
Based in New York City, Bowery has raised more than $172.5 million from leading investors, including Temasek and GV (formerly Google Ventures), General Catalyst, GGV Capital, First Round Capital, Henry Kravis, Jeff Wilke, and Dara Khosrowshahi, as well as some of the foremost thought leaders in food, including Tom Colicchio, José Andres, and David Barber of Blue Hill.
About Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. Albertsons Cos. is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2019 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave $225 million in food and financial support. In 2020, Albertsons Cos. made a $53 million commitment to community hunger relief efforts and a $5 million commitment to organizations supporting social justice. These efforts have helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, social justice and programs for people with disabilities and veterans' outreach.
