Newark’s Indoor Urban Farm Is ‘Redefining’ NJ, Sen. Menendez Says

NEWARK, NJ — Urban farmers across the nation stand to get “major wins” if the 2018 Farm Bill that passed Congress last week is signed into law. And one of them – a Newark-based “indoor vertical farm” – is changing the way people think about food production in the Garden State, its senior U.S. senator says.

On Monday, Sen. Bob Menendez donned a hairnet and white work coat for a tour of the “world’s largest indoor vertical farm,” AeroFarms in Newark. Menendez used the opportunity to speak about the 2018 Farm Bill, which has passed Congress and currently sits on President Donald Trump’s desk.

AeroFarms operates nine facilities around the world, including four in the Brick City, and plans to open a new site in Camden. In a few years, the company has grown from a start-up staff of eight to a “thriving company” of more than 120 employees, Menendez said.

• See related article: Urban Agriculture Company In Newark Gets 'Smart Growth' Award

At AeroFarms’ main facility in Newark’s Ironbound section, leafy field greens such as watercress, arugula and kale are grown without sun or soil in a fully-controlled indoor environment. The process reportedly uses 95 percent less water than field farming and 40 percent less than hydroponics, and requires “zero pesticides” to grow the same seed in half the time as the traditional field farmer, leading to 130 times more productivity per square foot than a commercial field farm.

“Urban farming is changing the way we think of traditional farming and redefining the Garden State,” Menendez said.

“From creating local economic opportunities to providing fresh, healthy produce to urban food deserts, AeroFarms has been a great addition to New Jersey,” the senator continued. “I’m proud to have led the charge to ensure vertical farms have the same economic opportunities as traditional farms. We need to make sure our federal policies keep up with innovation and changing industries to incentivize creating the jobs of tomorrow and protect our economy’s competitive edge on the global stage.”

Menendez said that when he visited AeroFarms last year on his “Jersey Jobs Tour,” it was brought to his attention that urban farmers have largely been excluded from federal programs and funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that have been designed for traditional farming.

Menendez said that he co-sponsored a provision included in the 2018 Farm Bill in an attempt to “correct this disparity.”

The senator’s contribution requires the USDA to update its policies to ensure urban and indoor farmers can access loans, conservation programs, and risk management tools, unlocking much-needed capital and resources to start-up or expand their operations.

The Farm Bill also creates an Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production within the USDA to manage urban agriculture programs, such as urban and vertical farms, community gardens and rooftop farms. The office will also advise the Secretary of Agriculture on policy development and create resources to navigate local urban agriculture policies, Menendez said.

AeroFarms co-founder Marc Oshima called the inclusion of urban farming provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill “a truly watershed moment” for AeroFarms and the broader urban farming community.

“We are excited by the positive impact it will have on job creation and increasing access to healthier food in New Jersey and throughout the U.S.,” Oshima said. (Story continues below video)

Menendez was joined at Monday’s press conference by New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo Jr., and Essex County Freeholders Wayne Richardson and Carlos Pomares.

“AeroFarms is a distinctive and important part of how we have strengthened Newark’s economy, bringing high-tech farming to our city, providing 21st-century jobs and healthy food sources to our residents,” Booker said.

“Senator Menendez’s efforts to bring federal support to urban farming in New Jersey as a whole will enable us to expand it here in Newark,” Booker added. “We will make Newark a national leader in urban farming.”

• See related article: Cory Booker Takes On 'Foodopoly,' Wants To Halt Big Agro Mergers

The campaign to help urban farmers in New Jersey also got a round of support from Democratic leaders such as U.S. Senator Cory Booker, U.S. Rep. Albio Sires and U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr.

• Booker: “During my time as Mayor of Newark, I was proud to be a strong advocate of AeroFarms as part of our broader efforts to increase access to healthy food options and help create the jobs of the future. Today, AeroFarms continues to help New Jersey lead the way in agricultural innovation by finding solutions to feed the world, all while using 95 percent less water and zero pesticides. This provision that I co-sponsored in the Farm Bill will support urban farming and help level the playing field for this ground-breaking industry.”
• Sires: “I want to thank Senator Menendez for ensuring that urban farms have access to the programs that traditional farms have benefitted from for decades. These innovative systems are a useful tool in the fight to guarantee access to healthy food sources in urban areas. I look forward to seeing what urban farmers will be able to do with the support of the USDA.”
• Payne: “I have long been an advocate for urban and vertically stacked farming. Innovative farms like AeroFarms are the future. It is past due for the Farm Bill to extend to them the benefits of federal programs and resources. I worked hard to help get AeroFarms to Newark, and I am thankful that Sen. Menendez was able to get urban farms resources in the Farm Bill.”

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Photos: Office of Sen. Bob Menendez