Jun 11, 2024

Greens to be grown at new 140,000-square-foot Texas plant

A new, 140,000-square-foot indoor vertical farm in San Antonio, Texas, being built by Soli Organic will grow more than 10 varieties of greens and herbs.

The facility, in the mixed-use Brooks Community at the site of former Brooks Air Force Base, includes 100,000 square feet of production space with six vertical layers of growing capacity, according to a news release. An additional 40,000 square feet houses processing and packing operations.

Virginia-headquartered Soli Organic’s organic culinary herbs and leafy greens can be found in 20,000 stores nationwide. The Texas facility will help meet rising retailer and consumer demand, growing crops including basil, cilantro and mint, plus organic salad greens such as spinach, arugula and romaine lettuce, according to the release.

The plant uses automation, industry-leading lighting, precision organic fertigation and vertical and horizontal space to maximize quality and yield. The facility design enables growing with 90% less water and a fraction of the land used in traditional outdoor farming, according to the company.

“In today’s economy, consumers want value, and that’s what our new San Antonio facility is designed to deliver,” Soli Organic CEO Matt Ryan said in the release. “This high-tech farm will offer retailers and consumers fresh, organic produce grown here in Texas and is already delivering our best yields yet in a state known for the biggest and best of everything. This operation is pivotal to our national growth strategy, exemplifying our commitment to making organic produce accessible through a scalable, sustainable and profitable model.”

The facility will create more than 100 jobs, including high-wage, high-skill tech positions in horticulture and manufacturing, according to the release.

Following the launch of a new indoor farm in Anderson, South Carolina, Soli is scouting farm locations in the Northeast to expand its distribution network, according to the release.