BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Indoor vertical farming company Upward Farms, which currently sells its microgreens across New York City Whole Foods Market locations, has announced its hybrid striped bass is now available to restaurants and consumers in partnership with Greenpoint Fish and Lobster in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This milestone marks the first time Upward Farms has made its entire aquaponic ecosystem of microgreens and fish available to consumers. Upward Farms’ striped bass are raised at the Company’s Greenpoint, Brooklyn farm beginning as fingerlings and are a pivotal element to growing operations. As the sustainably raised fish grow, they provide the fertilizer that nourishes Upward Farms’ USDA Certified Organic microgreens.
Upward Farms’ hybrid striped bass are harvested as a “plate-sized” 1.5-2 lbs fish. The flavorful fish are light, flaky, and buttery, with a taste that is the ideal balance of sweet and succulent, and a skin that crisps beautifully. The fish are raised in a controlled environment without the use of hormones, antibiotics, or mercury and are rich in minerals, including zinc and magnesium. Upward Farms has been awarded “Best Choice” for ethical and sustainable practices and is also Best Aquaculture Practices-certified. Upward Farms will continue to expand its footprint in 2022, serving its microgreens and fish to even more consumers on the east coast.
Greenpoint Fish and Lobster is committed to sustainable and ethical sourcing, with significant emphasis on supporting fellow local producers. They provide their customers with only the highest quality seafood, in ways that protect our oceans, seeing responsible farming of fish, particularly on-land production through recirculating aquaculture, as a key element in taking pressure off of the oceans and wild fisheries. Of the partnership with Upward Farms, Greenpoint Fish and Lobster Fish Buyer and Cofounder Vinny Milburn says, “Upward Farms has a marked reputation for providing quality, flavorful products without compromising on environmental sustainability through their best-in-class aquaculture approach. We’re proud to be able to support a local business and honored to be the first seafood wholesale and retail location for Upward Farms fish.”
Upward Farms takes a local approach to farming produce and fish, so consumers can have the freshest food with minimal environmental impact. While 90 percent of leafy greens are grown on the West Coast and 90 percent of seafood imported, Upward Farms develops aquaponic vertical farms within the markets they serve to increase local access to healthy, delicious, responsibly grown food. The company’s first two farms are in Brooklyn, with additional vertical farms in development to serve the broader US. Every purchase of Upward Farms’ greens and fish is a commitment to helping the planet.
“We are thrilled to be working with Greenpoint Fish and Lobster as a wholesale and retail partner who, like us, values quality, sustainability, integrity, and freshness,” says Jason Green, CEO and Cofounder of Upward Farms. “Our goal has always been to reconnect eaters with flavorful and nutritious local food grown at the highest standards for people and planet. Having spent years scaling our efforts to re-invent the salad aisle, expanding our offering beyond produce and to protein is the next piece of our vision. With Greenpoint Fish and Lobster, we have an ideal partner to share this giant leap towards that vision.”
About Upward Farms
Based in Brooklyn, NY, Upward Farms is a breakthrough vertical farming company bringing whole ecosystems into controlled environment agriculture through aquaponic farming of leafy greens, fish, and a robust and beneficial microbiome. Founded in 2013 and led by CEO and Cofounder Jason Green, Upward Farms is the only large scale vertical farm offering locally grown, washed and ready to eat USDA Certified Organic leafy greens and Best Aquaculture Practices-certified fish. Upward Farms grows and packs superior quality microgreens bursting with delicious flavor and nutrients that are best-selling products at Whole Foods Market. As a leader in the science behind regenerative agriculture, Upward Farms understands the role of the microbiome in the health of the soils and waters that produce the food on our plate. To learn more, visit www.eatupwardfarms.com.
