Jan 26, 2022

Square Roots opens farm in Kenosha, Wisconsin; expanding in Midwest

Square Roots, a technology company in indoor farming, and Gordon Food Service, a food distributor in North America, announced Jan. 26 the opening of a new climate-controlled, indoor farm in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

“Our partnership with Gordon Food Service, combined with our modular, smart-farm platform, means we can rapidly deploy new indoor farms in strategically located cities like Kenosha,” Tobias Peggs, co-founder and CEO of Square Roots, said in a news release. “We are also able to create exciting jobs in the community, while making locally-grown food available, all year round, to new consumers in nearby Chicago and Milwaukee, significantly expanding our reach in the Midwest.”

“This new farm in Kenosha also accelerates our shared vision to build indoor farms together across the continent,” said Rich Wolowski, CEO of Gordon Food Service. “Together with Square Roots, Gordon Food Service is enabling local food at a global scale, meeting increased demand for produce that is fresher, responsibly grown, and traceable from seed to shelf.”

Kenosha will be home to the fourth Square Roots farm located in North America, and the largest farm the company has built to date. The farm has the capacity to produce more than 2.4 million packages of herbs and leafy greens annually. Square Roots already operates two commercial-scale indoor farms in Michigan and another  in Brooklyn, New York.

The new farm in Kenosha harnesses Square Roots’ smart-farm technology platform and software-controlled hydroponic growing systems to produce more food with fewer resources 365 days a year, regardless of outdoor weather conditions. Square Roots’ approach uses 95% less water than conventional field farms and features repurposed urban infrastructure – creating ideal growing climates inside refurbished upcycled shipping containers that are stacked vertically to reduce the company’s impact on the land. By deploying a network of local farms in cities like Kenosha, Square Roots also ensures a shorter supply chain and less distance between people and their food, reducing food miles and minimizing food waste.

Square Roots farmers in Kenosha will soon be harvesting long-lasting herbs such as basil, cilantro, dill, and parsley, alongside nutritious salad mixes and chef-favorite microgreens. All Square Roots produce has at least 14 days of extended shelf life and is completely free of pesticides and GMOs.

Square Roots has recruited locally in Kenosha with the aim of opening new pathways for more young people to enter the high-tech agriculture industry. The company offers extensive ongoing training opportunities for employees, in addition to full benefits, ownership in Square Roots, and accelerated career paths to propel professional growth.

Founded by serial entrepreneurs, Kimbal Musk and Tobias Peggs, Square Roots’ range of fresh produce is available in more than 250 retail locations around the country including Whole Foods Market, FreshDirect, Fresh Thyme Market, Meijer’s market format stores, Morton Williams, Busch’s Fresh Food Market, SpartanNash corporate stores, and Gordon Food Service Stores.

Square Roots’ strategic partnership with Gordon Food Service reinforces a larger shared ambition to build commercial-scale, climate-controlled indoor farms together across the continent – enabling local food at a global scale, year round.

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Gordon Food Service serves foodservice operators in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest regions of the United States and coast-to-coast in Canada. It also operates more than 170 Gordon Food Service Store locations in the U.S.

First harvests are scheduled for spring 2022, reaching local consumers in Kenosha and the broader Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. Photo: Square Roots