New Jersey Greenhouse Grower Adding 70,000 Square Feet
October 19, 2019 
Element Farms, a Lafayette, NJ-based producer of greenhouse-grown leafy greens, is set to begin operation at its new 70,000 square foot facility this month. The company will outfit its new site, once home to a horticulture company, with proprietary technology and supplemental lighting to produce a wide variety of leafy greens. At full capacity, Element Farms will produce more than half a million pounds each year of baby spinach, arugula, baby lettuces, pea shoots, beet greens, and more.
According to the company, the new facility is an evolution from Element Farms’ current home: the structure is made entirely of glass, which allows for more efficient transmission of sustainable natural sunlight, and the hilltop location moderates temperatures, bringing heating and cooling costs down during the company’s year-round production. Most of the operation’s everyday tasks will be automated with custom machinery, like seeders and harvesters, to increase yield per square foot. The new greenhouse is ideally situated on delivery routes for New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania’s population-dense and produce-hungry cities.
“We couldn’t be more excited for our new greenhouse,” says Element Farms Founder Serdar Mizrakci. “We’re customizing every aspect for operational efficiencies, integrated pest management, and sustainability. We’re also thrilled that we’ll be able to meet our ever-increasing demand and bring more pesticide-free, safe, and delicious greens to the retailers and customers who have been clamoring for it.”
The new greenhouse will have dedicated areas for research and development and fully climate-controlled space for both growing and packing. As the company grows, so will the facility: the rest of the property is similarly zoned for agriculture and can support more acres of greenhouse space. Element Farms expects to double its greenhouse team after launch and bring jobs to the surrounding area.
The Lafayette greenhouse is just the first part of Element Farms’ growth plan. The company is currently pursuing greenhouse projects in two other states where the markets for year-round local produce are ripe for disruption. Element Farms expects to announce these projects in the coming year.
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