• Square Roots (previously Square Roots Urban Growers), a hydroponic vertical farming startup, has announced opening a new container vertical farming facility in Springfield, Ohio in partnership with Gordon Food Service (GFS), the largest food distributor in North America. 

<ul><li>The Ohio farm has the same characteristics of Square Roots’ Wisconsin Farm , producing the same herbs including basil, cilantro, and dill, salad mixes, and microgreens. The Ohio farm also has the capacity to produce more than 2.4 million packages of produce per year and will supply customers in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton. First harvest is expected by June 2022.</ul> 

• This is the fourth vertical farm built in partnership with GFS and the second farm opened this year after its Wisconsin facility. 

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Square Roots is seeing a growing demand for its vertically grown produce in the Midwest, with the company now operating four of its five farms in the region. Square Roots is ahead of players such as Living Greens Farm (two farms, including a planned facility in Indiana), and Fifth Season (two farms), who are also targeting the Midwest region. Square Roots operates only one farm in the Northeast for which it has partnered with URB-E to streamline delivery of its produce to retail stores in New York.</ul>