In this podcast episode, Jill Carlson from Plenty and Brian Cook from Local Bounti share their innovative approaches to indoor vertical farming. They discuss the benefits of year-round production and the ability to grow in locations that are not typically arable. The companies are committed to sustainability, with Plenty focused on reducing waste and Local Bounti using a variety of logistics methods to get its products to market. Listeners will learn about the advantages of indoor vertical farming, how it removes the volatility of produce and encourages consistent year-round production. With a focus on sustainability, Plenty and Local Bounti are leading the way for a more accessible and affordable future for fresh produce.

Key Takeaways

• Discover how Plenty's technologically advanced farm achieves industry-leading yields of up to 350 times more per acre than traditional farms through its patented architecture
• Learn how Local Bounti's stack and flow technology provides fresher produce to regions that usually don't get to see it, making fresh produce more affordable for consumers
• Find out how indoor farming removes the volatility of produce, enabling consistent year-round production, and encouraging consumers to make the investment in fresh produce
• Learn about the advantages of growing produce in locations that are not necessarily arable, and how it allows companies to pick sites based on logistics rather than growing conditions
• Explore Plenty's commitment to physical access and affordability of their produce, employing at least 30% of employees locally and exclusively serving Compton retailers and food service providers to ensure people in the community have access to their produce
• Discover how Local Bounti uses a variety of logistics methods, including FOB pickups, deliveries to customer warehouses, and cross-stock partnerships, to get its products to market
• Learn about the sustainable practices of both companies, with Plenty focusing on sustainable transportation logistics and reducing waste, and Local Bounti using a variety of logistics methods to get its products to market.

Shareable Quotes

“The main thing we notice is people really call out the texture of our product and the crunch of the product. I think there's a lot of people have experience with indoor greenhouse product and it just doesn't have that same hardiness that I expect from the field. It's really hard to replicate that crunch. This is something that's partially due to our technology and our lighting and how we grow, but it also is driven by less transit and not washing.” (Jill Carlson)

“Having these hubs in various places where we produce is going to be really important. And so when we think about innovation and distribution, we're really often thinking about how do we make the transportation logistics as sustainable as possible. So how can we be centrally located to key customers, distribution centers and their routes? We are not constrained where we have to pick land that is arable and perfect growing conditions. We can actually pick our site based on logistics, a few other factors.” (Jill Carlson)

“We just launched with another retail partner, and it's been great seeing reviews come in. But what we're hearing a lot is obviously fresh, which is great because that's what we're focusing on, right. Making sure that that eating experience is the best. This is the best salad that we've eaten. We've had that happen a couple of times. And those are always fun to read as well.” (Brian Cook)

Guest Resources

Jill Carlson

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-carlson/

Plenty

https://www.plenty.ag/

https://www.instagram.com/plenty/

https://www.facebook.com/plentyinc

https://www.linkedin.com/company/plenty-farms/

https://twitter.com/plenty

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCajiaq9RM0wwnOK1BPtA1bg

Brian Cook

https://www.linkedin.com/in/4brianccook/

Local Bounti

https://localbounti.com/

https://instagram.com/localbounti

https://facebook.com/localbounti

https://www.linkedin.com/company/36164287

https://www.pinterest.com/LocalBounti

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYlxISL3R_uKBM6R2l4598Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@localbounti

Show Links

International Fresh Produce Association - https://www.freshproduce.com/

Fresh Takes on Tech - https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/technology/takes-on-tech-podcast/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFreshProduceAssociation/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/IntFreshProduce/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-fresh-produce-association/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/intlfreshproduceassn/