Eden Green Closes Texas Facility

Dr. Jake Holley

Eden Green closed its greenhouses in Cleburne, Texas, in December. It’s hard to put Eden Green squarely in the greenhouse or vertical farm domain—growers there utilized an innovative hydroponic architecture that saw lettuce, cooking greens and herbs grown vertically within a greenhouse. While this growing method can pack significantly more plants per square foot, providing enough light throughout the crop, as well as managing logistics (like IPM, harvesting and sanitation), can become extremely challenging.

The reasons behind the closure have not been made public aside from a brief statement issued to Vertical Farm Daily citing constriction of access to capital, but the impact is significant. Eden Green employed more than 100 workers and supplied produce to over 400 stores.

Here’s the statement posted to the company’s website: “While our journey has come to an end, we are incredibly proud of what we accomplished together: the fresh greens that nourished families, the jobs created locally, the students we educated and the hope we brought to the future of sustainable farming. To our employees, partners, customers and community—you believed in us and in our mission to build a better food system. We are deeply grateful for your support and trust over the years.”

It’s always unfortunate to see a CEA operation of this scale shut down, especially one that pushed the boundaries of hybrid growing systems. IG