Bowery Farming Partners with The Nature Conservancy to Support Rewilding Efforts Through 'Rewild the Land' Initiative

Available in over 1,000 grocery stores, Bowery is utilizing its shelf space with existing partners like Whole Foods Market and new partners, such as Wakefern and FreshDirect, to raise awareness for the Rewilding movement

Company announces new flexible, resealable packaging that will reduce its plastic use by nearly 50%

NEW YORK, April 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bowery Farming, the largest vertical farming company in the U.S., is proud to announce a partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC)—a global environmental nonprofit working to address land conservation and the climate crisis—as part of its' 'Earth Month "Rewild the Land''' initiative. Sustainability is core to Bowery's mission every day of the year, and this April, Bowery is supporting restoration efforts of both degraded farmland and forests in the U.S. through TNC's Plant a Billion Trees initiative.

Bowery is pledging to restore 50 acres in the U.S., in partnership with TNC, to support conservation efforts in restoring ecosystem biodiversity and spotlight the Rewilding movement, which returns retired farmland and other degraded land to Mother Nature. The pledge supports two main focal points: the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, a once heavily forested area converted to agriculture, and Longleaf Pine Forests, a biologically diverse ecosystem impacted by development and timbering that is home to 29 threatened and endangered species.

To celebrate Rewilding efforts led by The Nature Conservancy, Bowery has updated packaging on select 4 oz. SKUs in all retail partners for the month of April to feature cutouts of six animals that are residents of Longleaf Pine Forests and the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. This "Rewild the Land" pack takeover, designed by Phillip Nessen of Nessen Co., includes animals such as the Louisiana Black Bear, recently delisted as an endangered species thanks to conservation efforts. The missions of Bowery and TNC meet in this initiative, as rewilding and indoor vertical farming are both part of the solution to global challenges from climate change to feeding growing populations.

"When we grow inside, we can restore outside," says Frank Renwick, VP of Marketing and Brand at Bowery. "Sustainability has always been core to our mission, and this Earth Month, we are dedicating retail shelf space and ecommerce displays at FreshDirect, Whole Foods Market, Walmart, and more to increase consumer awareness about Rewilding. Our ability to turn non-arable land into verdant farmland means we can give Mother Earth a break for key land restoration endeavors, bringing biodiversity back to degraded lands over time. This brand campaign will also connect our consumers to information on actionable sustainability and restoration efforts, such as supporting The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees campaign."

Bowery's vertical farms are 100 times more productive than a traditional farm on the same footprint of land. In moving the production of food indoors, Bowery is utilizing technology and innovation — powered by 100% renewable energy — to help build a resilient, agile food system and feed growing populations sustainably without losing wild land to agriculture.

Bowery approaches sustainability holistically across water, energy, food waste, and food miles. Smart indoor farming is a key solution to climate change and the future of agriculture, as it uses a fraction of the water, far less land, no pesticides, and produces far less food waste. To that end, Bowery is excited to take a significant step forward toward its sustainability goals with the rollout of updated packaging in late spring 2022—to a flexible, resealable film lid—reducing its use of plastic by nearly 50%. This new pack includes a resealable "film" top, dramatically reducing total plastic, without sacrificing food safety or shelf life.

Bowery is the largest vertical farming company in the U.S., now available in over 1,000 retail stores, including new partnerships with Wakefern and FreshDirect. Bowery's 'Rewild the Land' packaging can be found starting April 4th in all FreshDirect regions and Wakefern banners including Shoprite, The Fresh Grocer, and Dearborn Market (more than 200 locations), plus retail partners such as Whole Foods Market, Giant Food, and Walmart. Customers can scan a QR code on the pack to learn more about Bowery's Rewilding initiative.

In March 2022, the company launched Bowery Strawberries in the form of a discovery pack featuring two cultivars of berries, Garden and Wild. This duo-pack celebrates the variety of flavor indoor growing can unlock, delivering the experience of biting into a perfect summer strawberry year-round. Strawberries are the latest innovation from the company; Bowery's product line of pesticide-free Protected Produce also features the Farmer's Selection Next-Generation Greens (including wildly popular Mustard Frills), a new-and-improved version of iceberg lettuce called Crispy Leaf, velvety and peppery Arugula with a punch, smooth yet crisp Baby Butter Lettuce, and more. Bowery doubled its revenue in 2021 and raised $325 million during its Series C equity round. The company also has three new commercial farms under construction in the Atlanta, Georgia and Dallas, Texas metropolitan areas (opening early 2023), as well as in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (opening spring 2022).

About Bowery
Founded in 2015, Bowery Farming is on a mission to democratize access to high-quality, local, safe, and sustainable produce. Bowery builds smart indoor farms near cities, growing fresher, pesticide-free Protected Produce with bold flavor in precisely controlled environments, 365 days a year. At the heart of the farm is the proprietary BoweryOS, which integrates software, hardware, sensors, AI, computer vision systems, machine learning models, and robotics to orchestrate and automate the entirety of its operations. As a result, each farm creates far less waste and uses a fraction of the water and land compared to traditional agriculture.

Based in New York City, Bowery is the largest vertical farming company in the United States, serving major e-commerce platforms and more than 1,000 grocery stores in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, including Albertsons Companies (Safeway and Acme), Amazon Fresh, Giant Food, Walmart, Wakefern, Weis, Whole Food Markets, and specialty grocers, with produce that's harvested year-round at peak freshness, delivered within days of harvest.

Bowery has raised more than $497 million in equity funding from leading investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, Temasek, GV (formerly Google Ventures), General Catalyst, GGV Capital, First Round Capital, and individuals including Jeff Wilke, as well as some of the foremost thought leaders in food, including Tom Colicchio, José Andrés, and David Barber of Blue Hill. 

About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 76 countries and territories: 37 by direct conservation impact and 39 through partners, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.

SOURCE Bowery Farming