BROOKLYN, N.Y.- Farmshelf, an indoor farming company, today announced continued success in its foodservice channel with the addition of ten primary school system partnerships, and multiple university agreements including University of Illinois at Chicago, which will anchor Farmshelf’s launch in the Midwest next month. Through these partnerships, Farmshelf will provide its proprietary hardware and hydroponic technology that makes growing more than 50 types of leafy greens, herbs and edible flowers easy for foodservice providers, restaurants and hotels. Farmshelf is currently operational in New York, Washington, D.C. and Houston metros with 100 units in operation.
“Schools and universities are on the cutting edge of finding new ways to feed students in a healthful, responsible and cost-effective way, while also educating them on opportunities to reduce waste and grow produce on site,” said Andrew Shearer, founder and CEO of Farmshelf. “Working with foodservice providers in an academic setting is the perfect engagement for us as it helps educate the next generation about healthy eating and responsible, sustainable farming.”
“Farmshelf is ushering in a new way for us to provide fresh produce to students and staff who dine on campus by bringing the farm right to our facility,” said Laura Lapp, Vice President of Sustainability and Culinary Services for Chartwells Higher Ed. “Providing our chefs direct access to a variety of greens and herbs allows them to elevate their dish offerings with fresh, flavorful and healthy ingredients – all at their fingertips. We can utilize Farmshelf as a teaching tool in our educational programming to show students not only how easy it is to grow fresh produce, but to also highlight the wellness attributes and flavor that fresh herbs and vegetables add to a dish.”
Farmshelf’s product is a smart, efficient and visually stunning growing system that brings fresh produce to the consumer, no matter the location. The company uses the latest technology in vertical farming, computer vision and machine learning to grow food to optimize flavor, yield and quality.
“Our mission at Farmshelf is to bring indoor farming to as many establishments as we can, including academic settings, foodservices and restaurants – essentially wherever fresh produce is used,” said Shearer. “We are pleased with the adoption we’ve seen to date in the food community with leading chefs Marcus Samuelsson and José Andrés being passionate users of Farmshelf and supporters of our mission. We are excited to help familiarize and get people excited about this type of food procurement.”
Farmshelf operates on a monthly subscription model with an upfront fee for the unit, as well as options to lease the hardware. Subscription services include monthly seedpod delivery and Farmshelf remote monitoring.
About Farmshelf
Founded in 2016, Farmshelf is an indoor vertical farming company that makes it easy for foodservice providers, restaurants, hotels and schools to grow their own leafy greens and herbs in an attention-grabbing, compact, on-site installation. For additional information, visit: http://www.farmshelf.com.
