Belvidere, N.J.-based Edible Garden, a greenhouse grower of herbs and lettuces, has launched a unique campaign to seek investors to expand.
The company has launched a crowdfunding campaign on the Republic funding platform. As of Nov. 12, the campaign had raised just under its minimum target goal of $25,000, and the investments will be accepted until Jan. 16.
Edible Garden operates farms in 13 states through cooperative farming agreement, according to a news release, and supplies retailers including Meijer, Walmart, Wakefern/ShopRite, Kroger, Hannaford, Target and Sweetgreen.
"As the organic, packaged produce category soars, we are positioned at the forefront of sustainable farming with rigorous food safety protocols and a proprietary farming management software system,” according to the release. “Since we control the entire growing process from 'seed to store,' our farms exceed produce category profitability with minimal product loss.”
The company is a contributor to Project Gigaton, a Walmart initiative to avoid one billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from the “global value chain” by 2030, according to the release.
"This will further reduce our carbon footprint and expand access to its USDA-certified organic, sustainable produce offerings,” CEO Jim Kras said in the release. “By crowdfunding, we're turning our customers into investors in the future of farming."
The company’s organic products include fresh-cut herbs, living herbs and living lettuces.