NOTTINGHAM, MD—Governor Wes Moore this week visited Bowery Farms‘ Rosedale/Nottingham location.  Bowery Farms is the nation’s largest vertical farming company which provides fresh food to over 2,600 grocery stores in the U.S.

Governor Moore was joined by USDA Under Secretary Jenny Moffit, Delegate Carl Jackson, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, and Bowery investor and culinary advisor José Andrés. The group toured the farm and learned about the use of renewable energy to create sustainable produce.

“New challenges call for new solutions — and when it comes to innovation, Maryland is already leading the way,” said Gov. Moore. “The work happening at Bowery Farming highlights our shared commitment to creativity, resiliency, and sustainability in everything we do as a state. Thanks to this extraordinary team, we are keeping Marylanders fed and keeping our economy strong.”

In 2015, Bowery was founded with the goal of creating a more sustainable and circular food system. The company has been able to expand its retail footprint more than 26 times between 2020 and 2024.

“At a time of unprecedented climate events and supply chain disruptions, we are grateful that Governor Moore could see first-hand how Bowery is reimagining the fresh food supply chain to be smarter, safer, and more sustainable,” said Bowery Founder and Chief Executive Officer Irving Fain. “Complex global challenges require a mosaic of solutions, and we’re proud to be part of efforts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to build a more reliable and secure food system.”

Officials say the state of Maryland is committed to supporting sustainable agriculture practices. The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state of Maryland. The program is offering $3.6 million in grants to projects that are designed to make improvements to cold storage, expand capacity for processing and distribution, and support the construction of new facilities.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photos via the Maryland Governor’s Office