Plenty, a vertical farming company, has expanded to 17 new Safeway stores across Northern California, bringing the total number of stores carrying Plenty produce in the region to 53. The additional Albertsons-owned stores, which include Safeway and Vons, are part of the multi-year agreement between the two companies to expand Plenty produce into more than 430 Albertsons-owned stores across the state of California.
The new store locations are primarily in smaller communities, making Plenty the first indoor, vertically farmed produce available to these shoppers.
Plenty is also employing a first-of-its-kind Text-a-Farmer feature, on display next to its greens in the stores. Text-a-Farmer lets shoppers text questions while shopping and receive an answer directly from a Plenty farmer. Questions can cover anything related to Plenty and its produce, including “do you use pesticides on your leafy greens,” “is your packaging recyclable” or “how do I keep my greens fresh for longer?”
In the age of COVID when human contact has been limited and in-person sampling is restricted, Plenty is working to connect with shoppers directly to answer questions and share information.
“At Plenty, we’re proud of the fresh, flavorful greens we grow in our farm and of our transparent growing process, which lets us track a plant from seed to kitchen,” said Nate Storey, co-founder and chief science officer at Plenty. “The Text-a-Farmer program is one way we can directly connect with customers and hear their personal questions and experiences. We’re always excited to engage with shoppers and help them learn more about our company and the delicious produce we grow.”
Plenty’s sustainable farm delivers produce year-round that tastes like it was picked fresh from the garden. Using data analytics, machine learning and customized lighting, Plenty is able to coax the natural flavors and nutrients from the plants, creating a superior taste experience from leafy greens. Operating on vertical towers, the farm grows hundreds of acres in a space the size of a big box store, using a fraction of the land and water used in outdoor growing.
All store locations carry four of Plenty’s flavor-first products:
- Baby Arugula – A bold baby arugula with spice and subtle hints of summer citrus and black pepper;
- Baby Kale – A velvety-soft baby kale highlighted by bright notes and a smooth finish;
- Crispy Lettuce – A crispy leaf delivering the fresh, clean crunch you crave and versatility deserving of your most creative ideas; and
- Mizuna Mix – A crunchy, colorful mix of tatsoi and mizuna that brings a mustardy heat to the table.
A full list of Plenty stores across the Bay Area can be found here.
