Soli Organic Inc., USA’s only soil-based, controlled environment agriculture company delivering 100% USDA certified organic produce to more than 20,000 retail stores nationwide, has announced plans to build a new soil-based, controlled environment agriculture farm in Marysville, Washington.
The 130,000 square-foot farm will supply 5 million pounds of affordable USDA certified organic herbs and leafy greens each year and support 150 local, well-paying jobs in the Seattle area.
The Marysville facility is expected to be operational by Q1 2023. The facility is the second of eight new farms Soli Organic intends to build in the near term, in addition to seven facilities already in operation. The company intends to have a total of 15 soil-based indoor farms in strategic locations across the United States, which will support its plans to shift 90% of its production indoors.
Founded in 1989 as Shenandoah Growers, Inc., Soli Organic Inc. is the leading grower and marketer of fresh organic culinary herbs in the United States, providing sustainable, USDA certified organic, regionally grown produce to retailers coast-to-coast.
Soli Organic believes organic produce should be accessible and affordable to all people. The company’s ‘biology first, technology to scale’ philosophy flips the typical high-tech controlled environment agriculture script in support of this mission. The natural benefits of its soil-based growing system – combined with the highly targeted use of technology – enable the company to offer organic herbs and leafy greens with all of the sustainability benefits of indoor-grown produce, at a much lower price point.
Matt Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Soli Organic, said, “This is an incredibly exciting time for Soli Organic. We’re thrilled to be expanding into the Pacific Northwest region as our company seeks to ensure that consumers in the Seattle area and broader Pacific Northwest region have access to high-quality indoor-grown organic produce that is not only affordable, but sustainably produced. This next phase of expansion for Soli Organic will advance our efforts to scale and grow the company while maintaining our strong track record of financial performance.”
“Economic Alliance works with our local communities to attract innovative companies, like Soli Organic. They will be bringing environmentally sustainable indoor farming technologies to Marysville and the Puget Sound Region. Washington’s strong agricultural tradition makes Soli Organic a perfect fit for our community,” said Garry Clark, Economic Alliance Snohomish County President & CEO.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Soli Organic to Marysville and the Cascade Industrial Center,” Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring said. “It’s a forward-thinking company and an excellent addition to our growing business corridor.”
Organic produce at prices comparable to conventionally-grown produce
By growing plants in living soil – rather than using hydroponics or aeroponics, as is common among other controlled environment agriculture companies – Soli Organic has become the first company to unlock the full value of controlled environment agriculture. This includes achieving considerable savings that translate to low unit costs, higher and more predictable yields, and environmental and climate benefits.
Using a soil-based substrate enables the company’s closed-loop nutrient regeneration technology, which produces nitrogen naturally. This eliminates entirely the need for synthetic fertilisers, which supports the company’s USDA certified organic status and shields it from recent ongoing spikes in input costs. Synthetic fertiliser prices reached repeated record highs over the course of 2021. This trend is anticipated to continue in 2022.
The use of soil has also enabled Soli Organic to achieve low unit costs for organic produce, rivaling most outdoor field production and considerably lower than any other indoor – and non-organic – agriculture company. The company’s organic production system, water- and energy-efficient technologies, and strategic farm locations support a best-in-class sustainability profile.
Accelerated growth plans
Soli Organic also recently announced a US$ 120 million agreement with leading real estate development firm Decennial Group, one of the largest of its kind for a controlled environment agriculture company to date. The agreement will finance construction of three of the company’s planned eight new facilities.
In August 2021, Soli Organic broke ground on the first of the three facilities to be financed through this announcement, located in Anderson County, South Carolina. The 100,000 square-foot facility is anticipated to be operational by Q2 2022. The company intends to announce the locations of the two additional farms financed through this agreement in the near future.
The Rockingham, Virginia-based company has developed the nation’s largest commercial indoor organic, soil-based growing system and continues to redefine how to bring fresh, organic, and sustainably farmed produce to market – operating across a nationally integrated platform of farms, production, and logistics facilities.
