Vertical farming company Eden Green breaks ground on its first high-tech commercial greenhouse

Cleburne-based Eden Green Technology broke ground on Wednesday for the first commercial version of its modular, vertical hydroponic greenhouse concept.

The new 83,000 square meter facility will employ 30 people and produce up to 600 tons of leafy vegetables annually, the company says. Farmers Branch-based real estate and construction company Ryan Companies US will build the facility, which is expected to be completed in early 2022.

Eden Green has been running an experimental research facility for the past three years, growing rosemary, lettuce, dill, basil, and other vegetables in a proprietary plastic “vine” system covering 40,000 square feet. The greenhouse technology installed throughout the translucent R&D structure adapts to the plants’ water and light needs, allowing growers to stagger planting year-round for what the company calls an “eternal harvest”.

“We’ve made every mistake you can make and learned from it,” Harrison Tomlinson, Eden Green’s sales director, told visitors on a tour of the research facility after the groundbreaking ceremony.

Because vertically grown crops take up less space than traditional growing space, Eden Green is promoting that its greenhouses can be closer to the communities and businesses that serve them, thus keeping the greenery fresher as it is not transported over long distances. The company says it is in the process of signing agreements to sell its hydroponic products to multiple distributors.

Eden Green’s vertical farming will be shown in its existing R&D greenhouse.(Juan Figueroa / employee photographer)

The company also sees its technology as a solution to food deserts, saying that each greenhouse can comfortably employ dozens of people in a community while providing the full benefit to those employees.

The new greenhouse facility is located next to the existing R&D greenhouse in Cleburne. It will be funded by a recent $ 12 million capital injection from existing investors, according to a March release from Eden Green. The company originally planned to break the ground for the new building in the spring, but this was delayed by a shortage of building materials.

According to CEO Eddy Badrina, the new greenhouse is a touchstone for the young company.

Eden Green’s technology has sparked interest from investors and customers, Badrina said. But with just one research facility, the company still has to prove that the modular greenhouse concept can be built and operated as a profitable business and at the same time supports jobs in a community.

Eden Green CEO Eddy Badrina (second from right) breaks ground with his family on Wednesday for the company’s new greenhouse.(Juan Figueroa / employee photographer)

“What we find out is that nobody wants to be first … and nobody wants to be last,” said Badrina. “We’re going to put our money where our mouth is and we’re going to build this commercial concept.”

The company said its commercial greenhouses can see positive cash flow within 90 days of launch.

Eden Green was founded by South African engineers Jacques and Eugene van Buuren with the aim of revolutionizing food production. The company has worked for years to make its business model profitable, which raised questions about the ethics of Eden Green co-chair Gentry Beach’s ties to former President Donald Trump, according to a ProPublica investigation.

And in 2018, the company settled a lawsuit with one of its largest investors, who claimed it had mishandled $ 19 million in investments in nine months. Eden Green has publicly claimed it has a lot of money.

Badrina said Wednesday that he believes the startup will be profitable by the end of this year.

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