Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Presented AeroFarms With CEA Proclamation Honor During Visit to AeroFarms Danville, World’s Largest Aeroponic Smart Farm

Danville, Virginia, March 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AeroFarms®, a Certified B Corporation and world leader in indoor vertical farming, welcomed Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Matthew Lohr to AeroFarms Danville, as they tour the cutting-edge indoor vertical farm, growing award-winning leafy greens with pioneering vertical farming technology.

Governor Youngkin presented the inaugural Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Proclamation to AeroFarms, a notable sign of the growing importance of the CEA category and the impact of next generation agriculture to the Commonwealth of Virginia. AeroFarms continues to pioneer the latest technology in indoor farming, bringing advancements in agriculture and job creation to Virginia as a model for continued expansion.

“I was pleased to visit AeroFarms and see firsthand their amazing contribution to the Commonwealth’s growing controlled environment agriculture and AgTech innovation industry. Indoor growing is the future of agriculture and Virginia is leading the way,” said Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.

AeroFarms leafy greens are safely grown indoors in state-of-the art commercial indoor vertical farms that are certified for USDA Good Agricultural Practices, SQF Level 2 Good Manufacturing Practices, Non-GMO Project Verification, OU Kosher, and the industry-leading CEA Food Safety Seal that was developed to differentiate indoor clean growing practices from the traditional challenges in the field. AeroFarms leafy greens are completely pesticide free and are ready-to-eat without any need to wash, providing a major benefit to customers looking for safety and convenience.

“AeroFarms is proud to be part of the Virginia agriculture ecosystem, advancing next generation AgTech solutions as we continue expansion to grow the best plants possible for the betterment for humanity,” said AeroFarms CEO and Co-Founder David Rosenberg, “We are appreciative of the Virginia community for the support of AeroFarms and our work to advance the industry.”

Winning on flavor, AeroFarms is the number one retail brand for both unit and dollar sales in the United States for microgreens according to Nielsen syndicated data*, and AeroFarms leafy greens can be found at major retailers like Ahold Delhaize, Amazon Fresh, Harris Teeter, The Fresh Market, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, and more.

AeroFarms proprietary indoor vertical farming technology to grow more plants at the highest productivity per square feet with the least amount of natural resources, continuing AeroFarms legacy of continuous improvement and innovation. The AeroFarms aeroponic advantage provides the perfect, nutrient-rich mist targeted right at the roots of the plants for optimized efficiency and better water management, using up to 95% less water than field farming. AeroFarms Danville introduces a state-of-the-art water recapture process for even more water savings. In addition to the benefits to the environment, AeroFarms Danville will also add 158 jobs to the local economy while bringing fresh, safe, delicious greens to more communities year-round.

AeroFarms Danville Key Benefits:

• Capable of serving over 50 million people within a day’s drive

• Capable of growing over 3 million pounds of leafy greens annually

• Hands-free farming with end-to-end automation from seeding to growing to harvesting to packaging

• Over 50% water savings and over 50% improvement in LED efficiency through proprietary design versus previous farm

About AeroFarms

Since 2004, AeroFarms has been leading the way for indoor vertical farming and championing transformational innovation for agriculture. On a mission to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity, AeroFarms is a Certified B Corporation with global headquarters in Newark, New Jersey. Named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company two years in a row and one of TIME’s Best Inventions in Food, AeroFarms patented, award-winning indoor vertical farming technology provides the perfect conditions for healthy plants to thrive, taking agriculture to a new level of precision, food safety, and productivity while using up to 95% less water and no pesticides ever versus traditional field farming. AeroFarms enables local production to safely grow all year round, using vertical farming for elevated flavor.™ Its products can be found at major selling partners like Ahold Delhaize, Amazon Fresh, Baldor Specialty Food, Compass Group, Harris Teeter, Marcus BP, Momofuku Noodle Bars, ShopRite, The Fresh Market, Walmart, and Whole Foods Market. In addition, through its proprietary growing technology platform, AeroFarms has grown over 550 varieties of plants and has developed multi-year strategic partnerships ranging from government to major Fortune 500 companies to help uniquely solve agriculture supply chain needs.

*Source: Nielsen [Microgreen SKUs] Total US xAOC 52-weeks ending 13-Aug-2022

• Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin presents AeroFarms with the inaugural Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Proclamation
• Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Tours AeroFarms Danville with AeroFarms Co-Founder and CMO Marc Oshima