New York, NY – Bowery Farming (Bowery), the largest U.S. indoor vertical farming company, announced today a $20,000 monetary donation to the Maryland Food Bank, a nonprofit hunger-relief organization dedicated to feeding people, strengthening communities, and ending hunger for more Marylanders. Bowery, already a dedicated Maryland Food Bank produce donor, committed to donating to the organization one dollar per unit of Bowery Crispy Leaf Lettuce sold in the Mid-Atlantic region during Hunger Action Month (September 2020), up to $20,000.
According to the Maryland Food Bank, almost a million Marylanders may find themselves food insecure as a result of the COVID-19 crisis and more than a third of these are children. It is because of generous partners like Bowery that the organization can work to ensure hundreds of thousands of food-insecure Marylanders have access to not only more food, but more nutritious local fresh food. Bowery’s donation of $20,000 will go directly toward the food bank’s COVID-19 response efforts, which is focused on expanding food access to those struggling most as a result of the pandemic.
“We are proud that the success of our newest launch, Crispy Leaf Lettuce, propelled this donation that will help feed our hungry neighbors during this heightened time of need,” said Carmela Cugini, Chief Revenue Officer at Bowery Farming. “Now, more than ever, families need access to fresh food, and we at Bowery are in a position to support our local communities reliably and consistently, with our fresher, safer produce. This monetary donation to the Maryland Food Bank, coupled with the in-kind donations, reiterates our commitment to democratizing access to fresh produce.”
Bowery’s partnership with the Maryland Food Bank commenced in 2019 when the company opened its most recent farm in Nottingham, Maryland, right outside of Baltimore. Since that time, Bowery has been a dedicated produce donor to the organization. In addition to supporting the Maryland Food Bank, Bowery also partners with Teens for Food Justice, D.C. Central Kitchen, Martha’s Table, and Table to Table, among others. This year, Bowery has donated more than 22 tons of fresh produce to food banks and other organizations feeding the local communities where it operates.
For more information about Bowery and/or its nonprofit partnerships, please visit www.boweryfarming.com.
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. By building smart indoor farms close to the cities they serve, Bowery creates the optimal conditions to cultivate wildly flavorful Protected Produce that’s available on shelf just a few days after harvest.
Its proprietary software system, the BoweryOS, uses sensors, vision systems, automation technology, robotics, and machine learning to monitor plants and all the variables that drive their growth 24/7. Because Bowery controls the entire process from seed to store, farms grow produce year-round, ensuring a safer supply of food that’s reliable and consistent.
The farms are 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.
Bowery currently has three farms: a commercial farm and R&D Center of Excellence, both in Kearny, New Jersey, and a commercial farm in Nottingham, Maryland. The company serves more than 680 stores in the Tri-State area and Mid-Atlantic region, including Whole Foods Market, Giant Food, Stop & Shop, Weis, Walmart, and specialty grocers, along with online partners, such as Amazon Fresh, Hungryroot, and Peapod.
Based in New York City, the company has raised over $172.5 million from leading investors, including Temasek, 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.
For more information on Bowery and its products, please visit www.BoweryFarming.com
