Vertical farming is an exciting industry that seeks to feed our increasingly urbanized population with locally grown produce. It’s no wonder then that investors are excited about vertical farming investments. But who are the biggest vertical farming companies in the space? And how can you invest in vertical farming companies’ stock? Read on to find out.
Aero Farms
Founded in 2004, AeroFarms is an AgTech company that boasts crops with no pesticide exposure and 95% less water than traditional soil-based growing methods. The company offers baby greens and microgreens through stores like FreshDirect, Whole Foods, Walmart, and even Amazon Fresh. This vertical farming company is on the list of movers and shakers.
App Harvest
AppHarvest is a certified B corporation traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol APPH. The company offers sustainable vegan salsas online and fresh vertically grown tomatoes in stores like Kroger and Meijer. Their 60-acre Appalachian indoor farm was already one of the world’s largest high-tech greenhouses, and they’ve now created a second 60-acre facility.
Bowery Farming Inc.
Bowery Farming, though one of the biggest and most influential vertical farming companies, is still privately owned, so there is no chance of investing through the stock exchange just yet. The NYC-based company offers vertically-grown lettuces, salad mixes, dark leafy greens, and herbs.
CubicFarm Systems
CubicFarm Systems is traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol CUBXF. The company provides AgTech solutions to vertical farms and other localized food suppliers. In addition to leafy greens, microgreens, and herbs, they also offer solutions for “vertical pastures”—a solution aimed to provide hydroponic animal feed. They also have their own brand of fresh produce called ALLWays Local.
Dream Harvest
Dream Harvest is another private vertical farming company that is worth following. Their farms are carbon negative and completely earth-friendly. They offer blends with fun names like “Kale-ing Me Softly” and “You Butter Beleaf It” by delivery in the Houston, TX area.
Eden Green Technology
https://www.edengreen.com/
Eden Green Technology provides turnkey vertical hydroponic greenhouse solutions for growers and researchers around the world. Though this is a private company, they offer a unique opportunity for investors. Because they design, build, and help run every greenhouse, you can create your very own local farm in as little as an acre and a half.
Farm.One
Farm.One likewise is a privately held company, with neighborhood farms in TriBeCa and Brooklyn. They offer weekly subscription plans for New Yorkers wanting baby greens, microgreens, herbs, flowers, mushrooms, and smoothies. Each product comes in a reusable container, creating less plastic waste, and is delivered by a bicycle delivery person, producing no vehicle emissions in transit.
GP Solutions
https://www.growpodsolutions.com/
The GP in GP Solutions stands for Grow Pod, and this company offers modular, stackable, and mobile farms built inside shipping containers. In addition to their full systems, they also sell Easy Leafy Green Fertilizer for use in water culture and other soilless growing systems. The company is publicly traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol GWPD.
Hydrofarm Holdings
Hydrofarm Holdings offers solutions for indoor growers, including a full range of equipment and supplies. They have:
Nutrients and additives
Growing media and containers
Lighting
Atmospheric automation
Water management solutions
Grow tents and tarps
Safety equipment
And much more
This company is publicly traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol, HYFM.
Kalera
Kalera creates cutting-edge hydroponic production facilities designed for rapid rollout. Their primary differentiator is that they optimize their operations to create the most affordable hydroponic vegetables possible. Kalera growers produce leafy greens and microgreens, including some unusual varieties such as popcorn shoots. The brand is traded on OTC Markets under the symbol KSLLF.
Plenty
Privately owned Plenty is a vertical farm that grows leafy greens and sells them in flavorful blends and single-variety packs. Their resealable packs stand out in grocery stores because of their bright colors and bold fonts. They’re also available through delivery services like Instacart and Amazon Fresh.
Smallhold
Smallhold is a private company that is a little unique in the vertical farming world. That’s because they don’t carry the usual leafy greens and herbs. Instead, they grow only specialty mushrooms. They offer varieties like royal trumpet, miatake, and lions mane. Since their products can be grown in a small space, they offer mini farms that can be placed anywhere, including inside of grocery stores and restaurants or in the back corner of the warehouse or basem*nt.
Square Roots
Square Roots is another private enterprise that offers fresh, local greens for communities near their facilities in Brooklyn and Grand Rapids. They offer a unique transparency solution that allows consumers to enter a lot number into their website and trace the life of the exact greens they’ve purchased.
Upward Farms
Privately-owned Upward Farms is an aquaculture company that offers delicious fresh greens. They will soon be launching freshwater striped bass for sale as well, from a sustainable, symbiotic environment that is free of antibiotics, hormones, and mercury. Their products are available in New York City and its surrounding areas.
Vertical Harvest
https://verticalharvestfarms.com/
The folks at Vertical Harvest have created a system designed to produce fresh, local produce in urban settings everywhere. They grow microgreens, lettuces, and tomatoes in quarter-acre hydroponic farms and are currently looking for partnership opportunities to allow them to further expand their reach.
Vertical Roots
https://www.verticalroots.com/
Vertical Roots is a vertical farming company that offers both direct-to-consumer and wholesale fresh produce. They have single variety offerings like romaine and green butter lettuce as well as leafy green mixes and living lettuces. While they are not currently publicly traded, you can find their products in more than 1,800 retail grocery stores across the country.
Village Farms International
Finally, Village Farms International is a Nasdaq-traded company, found under the symbol VFF. This controlled environment agriculture company has several brands, including Pure Sunfarms, Rose LifeScienceVie, and Balanced Health Botanicals. They directly run greenhouses in British Columbia and Texas, along with partner greenhouses in Canada and Mexico.
