Imagine a farm of the future—not sprawling fields under open skies, but towering warehouses where crops grow under precisely controlled conditions. This futuristic vision is becoming reality at Bowery Farming, the largest vertical farming company in the United States, which is redefining food production through advanced warehouse technology.
Redefining Agriculture With Technology
Bowery Farming has introduced automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) to agriculture, creating what it calls "smart farms" that are more efficient, safer, and more sustainable than traditional farming methods.
The Vertical Farming Advantage: Maximizing Space
In Bowery's vertical farms, crops grow in specialized trays stacked vertically in storage locations where advanced technology creates ideal combinations of light, temperature, humidity, and moisture tailored to each plant's needs. Unlike traditional horizontal farming, vertical farming maximizes space by growing upward—with AS/RS technology enabling high-density storage.
By extending 40 feet upward in warehouses, Bowery achieves crop yields 30 times higher than traditional farming in the same footprint. "In outdoor farming, you need crop rows and tillage space. We don't have that problem," Frankert explained. "Trays are stacked at the most efficient height, with each plant optimally spaced relative to its neighbors."
Freshness First: Rapid Delivery Within 400 Miles
To ensure peak freshness, Bowery locates its facilities within 400 miles of served markets, enabling harvested produce to reach customers at Whole Foods, Walmart, and Albertsons within days. "We don't stockpile crops—that's another way we're disrupting the food supply chain," Frankert said. "We ship directly from farm to customer."
This model represents a unique combination of traditional yet effective automated material handling technologies, integrating pallet-handling AS/RS with sensors and LED lighting. It demonstrates how new applications like vertical farming continue to emerge even in mature fields like material handling automation.
Vertical Farming: A Sustainable Urban Alternative
Vertical farming grows crops in vertically stacked layers, typically using controlled-environment agriculture with soil-free techniques like hydroponics. These farms operate in various structures, from warehouses to abandoned mines.
The appeal is clear: as urban areas expand into traditional farmland, vertical farming provides a sustainable fresh food source near population centers. Indoor farming also enables year-round production, unaffected by seasons or extreme weather.
From Concept to Reality
The concept of vertical farming traces back to Columbia University professor Dickson Despommier, who in 1999 envisioned skyscraper farms feeding 50,000 people. While no such towers were built, the idea gained traction. The USDA now recognizes vertical farming as eligible for research funding, and venture capital has flowed into the sector—Bowery alone has raised $646.6 million.
Bowery co-founder Irving Fain said the company launched in 2015 believing "technology and innovation could be driving forces in reshaping our food system." He described traditional agriculture's resource intensity, climate vulnerability, and food safety challenges as unsustainable pressures.
The Technology Behind the Farms
At Bowery's core is BoweryOS, its proprietary operating system using sensors and cameras to monitor and optimize growth conditions. "If a tray isn't meeting its growth recipe, we can move it to a different environment within the AS/RS," Frankert said. This optimization resembles how AutoStore robots manage inventory, though for living plants.
The company designs its AS/RS and conveyor systems in-house to handle 4x8-foot aluminum growing trays in humid conditions. "This equipment didn't exist—we had to design and test it," Frankert noted.
Continuous Improvement Culture
Bowery's third facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, reflects its improvement culture—each new farm outperforms predecessors. Design changes between the first two facilities significantly boosted productivity, with the third aiming higher still. "We don't want to replicate the same farm. We want each one better than the last," Frankert said.
Software and hardware upgrades increased throughput four-to-fivefold between the first and third facilities while reducing equipment needs. "These improvements let us increase throughput while lowering build and maintenance costs," Frankert explained.
While full automation remains distant due to farming's complexities, Bowery continues advancing toward that goal. "We're upskilling our team to handle more complex work like equipment maintenance," Frankert said. "We call them modern farmers."
Bowery's story represents more than corporate success—it signals a new agricultural paradigm where technology enables efficient, sustainable food production closer to consumers. As Frankert concluded: "Without advances in software, hardware and automation, this wouldn't be possible at scale."