Feb 1, 2024

Indoor farming firm Eden Green expands donations capabilities

Eden Green Technology, an indoor vertical farming company, has announced a partnership to address food insecurity.

The partnership with Sharing Excess, a nonprofit organization, is to enhance Eden Green’s food donation program. To date, Eden Green’s donations have totaled to more than 365,000 pounds of fresh, hydroponic lettuce. The partnership should further the initiative’s impact, according to a news release.

Food insecurity remains one of the most pressing challenges for families and individuals across the U.S. A recent USDA report shows the severity of the hunger crisis, as research showed that roughly 17 million, or 12.8% of American households, reported being food insecure in 2022, a 22% increase from previous years. Moreover, food banks rely heavily on processed foods and typically lack access to high-quality, nutritional offerings.

Addressing food insecurity with healthy, reliable produce has been central to Eden Green’s mission since its founding. Leveraging the year-round growing cycle of its vertical greenhouse technology solution, Eden Green has been delivering fresh lettuce to local partners since the opening of its first commercial greenhouse in Cleburne, Texas, in 2022. Beginning in February, Eden Green plans to begin shipping a full suite of herbs.

The partnership will further streamline Eden Green’s philanthropic efforts, allowing the company to donate up to 10,000 pounds of lettuce and herbs per week to nonprofits fighting hunger and homelessness in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“So many communities across the country lack access to fresh produce,” Eddy Badrina, Eden Green’s CEO, said in the release. “We have intentionally built our vertical greenhouses with those communities in mind. First, our business model is designed to have up to a 10% buffer in each of our 13 yearly harvests that we can then donate to those in need.

“Our produce is always 24-48 hours fresh, and never on the verge of expiration. Second, by purposefully placing our greenhouse facilities in urban areas with a demonstrated need for more reliable produce, we both feed and employ the local community. We are constantly thinking about how we can maximize the impact of our technology. Our donation program is a crucial piece within that mission.”

Eden Green’s donations represent the equivalent of up to 8,000 meals per week, which will reach local partners, partners including Tarrant Area Food Bank and Harvesting in Mansfield Food Bank, nonprofits in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who each serve thousands of community members weekly. Most importantly, these donations help to fill in gaps in the fresh produce supply for these organizations.

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Eden Green,” Evan Ehlers, Sharing Excess’ executive director, said in the release. “This collaboration has enabled us to consistently deliver high-value, nutritionally rich produce to local food banks every week. We are immensely proud to work alongside Eden Green in our joint endeavor to expand access to fresh and healthy food, a necessity that is all too often out of reach for many. This partnership marks a significant step forward in our mission to combat food insecurity with sustainable and impactful solutions.”

Eden Green plans to build 20 vertical greenhouses across the U.S. over the next five years, and plans to further its philanthropic mission through each expansion project, according to the release.

Based in Cleburne, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, Eden Green is a privately held company whose mission is to provide hyperfresh and locally-grown produce. Its technology offers producers, retailers and suppliers an alternative to traditional agriculture. Its decentralized network of greenhouses provides access to safe and year-round locally grown produce.

The company’s proprietary microclimate environments, hydroponic vine systems and cutting-edge lighting solutions allow for rapid construction and expansion, increasing access and production profitably.