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Texas Trader Joe's Gets Vertically Grown Greens

Specialty Food Association

Forty Trader Joe’s locations throughout Texas will soon stock non-GMO leafy greens from Kalera’s Houston facility. Kalera is a vertically grown farming company committed to supplying locally grown produce to urban areas with short growing seasons.

Shoppers in Texas can find the greens in the produce aisle in three varieties: Krunch, Butter, and Frisée. The farming company's current distribution includes Kroger and H-E-B stores throughout Texas.

"The Trader Joe's consumer base is undeniable, as the store is well-known for its low prices on quality, exclusive foods," said Kalera's president and CEO Jim Leighton in a statement. "At Kalera, we pride ourselves on innovatively growing nutritious, affordable, and accessible greens, making our expansion into Trader Joe's an excellent decision for our consumers."

Kalera’s 86,000-square-foot Houston facility is the largest for vertical farming in the state, producing 10 million greens a year. This year, the company has grown its retail store count by 25 percent compared to last year.

"Our Houston facility continues to triumph in the regional produce market, providing clean greens that are directly put into the refrigerators of Houston residents," Leighton said. "While we are a company that thinks globally, we act locally and understand that change begins at home."

Related: Square Roots, Gordon Food Service Create Indoor Farm; Consumers Fear Climate Change’s Effect on Food, Water

Image: Kalera

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