Our Story
Reimagining How and Where Fresh Food is Grown.
We are a fresh food company farming with the future in mind. We build and operate sustainable greenhouses across America, growing delicious leafy greens and herbs that are always in season. We deliver our greens quickly after being harvested so they’re always fresh tasting, long-lasting and as nutritious as possible.
Our farms are unconventional. But so is our commitment to taste, quality and sustainability.
A Greener Take on Fresh Foods
Green produce starts with green decisions. Our indoor farming facilities are sun (and wind) powered, and climate controlled for a year-round growing season. We’re proud to serve the best greens, salad dressings, cooking sauces and dips. We start with simple, fresh ingredients and turn them into craveable recipes—simply drizzle, scoop, toss, serve and enjoy.
Our
Values
Vision
We are farmers that live in apartments. We see green fields where others see gray. We fuel blooming communities where others fear urban decay. And we grow the freshest produce on earth. Most of all we know that the crunch of fresh, local, sustainably-grown food sets off a chain reaction of good things in the world. We are Gotham Greens and we grow the most extraordinarily fresh food in extraordinarily fresh places.
Sustainability
Sustainability isn’t just about being smarter. It means changing the way we think. Working indoors means we can grow more produce (per square foot per year) than is possible with conventional farming. Plus, a unique hydroponic greenhouse technology means using less land, less water and less energy, while producing less pollution and less waste.
Technology
Our latest greenhouses are advanced, data-driven, climate-controlled facilities — the most efficient production systems available today. These greenhouses are some of the highest-yielding farms around and use less energy, less land and less water than other farming techniques. Plus, advancements in machine learning and data analysis allow us to monitor our crop’s health and progress, so we can deliver a fresher, more delicious product. Happy greens make happy people.
Machine learning technologies have helped us use products more efficiently even after harvest, namely in the diet, thanks to the right formulas, we have learned to select diets for men's health, for weight loss, for treatment.
Community
We’re committed to creating jobs for local residents from our communities. In addition to healthy and enjoyable year-round work, we’re also dedicated to urban renewal and becoming permanent fixtures in our home cities. By partnering with local schools, community leaders and non-profits, Gotham Greens helps to put better food on the table through environmental, educational and community initiatives.These programs are rooted in the communities surrounding Gotham Greens' facilities, but the impact extends beyond the borders of its neighborhoods.
Locality
While there are many ways to farm responsibly and sustainably, our approach is designed to bring the farm closer to you. Building greenhouses next to large urban populations and distributing regionally allows us to reduce transportation time, fuel consumption and associated emissions. Our greens get where they’re going faster, stay fresh longer (like, a lot longer), retain more of their nutrients and reduce food waste.
Quality
Our produce isn’t the best because of how we grow, it’s the best because of who grows it. Our greenhouses are built upon the collective values, talents and energy of our diverse team. While our technology has redefined urban agriculture, our dedicated farmers are the real secret to producing and delivering delicious fresh food, from seed to store.
Our History
The Very First Sprout
Gotham Greens is founded in Brooklyn, N.Y. Co-Founders Viraj Puri and Eric Haley teamed up with greenhouse expert Jenn Frymark to reimagine how and where fresh food is grown.
First Commercial Scale Rooftop Greenhouse Facility in the U.S.
Gotham Greens designs and builds its flagship greenhouse in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn—as a demonstration of a year-round, viable, commercial-scale farming enterprise, providing fresh food for city dwellers. One of the most iconic urban agriculture projects in the world, this rooftop greenhouse represented a shift in the concept of urban farming.
First-ever Commercial-Scale Greenhouse Farm Integrated into a Supermarket
Gotham Greens opens its second greenhouse, located on the rooftop of Whole Foods Market’s flagship grocery store in Brooklyn. This groundbreaking project represents the first commercial scale greenhouse farm integrated into a supermarket.
Gotham Greens Grows into the Midwest
Hello, Windy City! Gotham Greens opens its first greenhouse in Chicago to serve the Midwest region. At the time, it was the world’s largest rooftop greenhouse. Developed in partnership with method®, the greenhouse is part of the Historic Pullman Neighborhood on the city’s South Side.
Gotham Greens’ Third (and Largest) NYC Greenhouse Facility
Gotham Greens opens its third greenhouse in New York City on top of the former Ideal Toy Company factory (maker of the Rubik’s Cube) in Queens.
Gotham Greens Launches Cooking Sauces
Inspired by a love of basil and a desire to incorporate fresh greens into more recipes, Gotham Greens launches fresh, ready-to-use pesto in classic and dairy-free varieties. It quickly becomes a fan-favorite.
Gotham Greens Launches Salad Dressings
Gotham Greens launches a line of fresh salad dressings to pair with our crunchy salad greens, including our best-selling Green Goddess.
New Greenhouses in Illinois, Rhode Island and Maryland
Gotham Greens opens three new greenhouses in Chicago, Providence, R.I., and Baltimore, bringing fresh greens to the Midwest, New England and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Gotham Greens Goes West
Hello, Rocky Mountain Crunch! Gotham Greens opens its first greenhouse in the Denver Metro area to serve the Mountain region.
Gotham Greens Opens in California and Becomes a Certified B Corporation™
Gotham Greens opens its first West Coast greenhouse near the University of California, Davis campus. The company becomes a Certified B Corporation™ and unveils ambitious sustainability goals.
Welcome FresH2O Growers in Virginia
Our team welcomes FresH2O Growers into the Gotham Greens family. The 540,000 square foot greenhouse expands Gotham Greens’ distribution up and down the East Coast
Gotham Greens Launches Plant-Based Dips
Inspired by fresh herbs and a love for snacking, Gotham Greens launches new plant-packed dips: Green Goddess, Spinach Artichoke, Tzatziki and Green Harissa.
New Greenhouses in Colorado, Georgia, and Texas
Gotham Greens opens three new greenhouses in the Mountain and South regions, bringing our total production to 1.8 million square feet (nearly 40 acres). Today, Gotham Greens is one of the largest producers of greenhouse-grown leafy greens in the world.
Our Leadership
Viraj Puri co-founded Gotham Greens in 2009 after leading start-up enterprises in the United States, India and Malawi focused on sustainable agriculture, green building, renewable energy and environmental design. He has been awarded fellowships from TED, Wild Gift and the Environmental Leadership Program and recognized as one of the “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2020” by Goldman Sachs and Crain’s NY Business “40 under 40” list. His work has been published in several books and journals, including “Innovation on Tap,” “100% Renewable: Energy Autonomy in Action” and the UN Academic Journal. Viraj is a LEED® Accredited Professional and earned a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University.
Viraj Puri
In 2009, Eric Haley co-founded Gotham Greens, a pioneer in indoor agriculture and a leading fresh food company, where he serves as the Chief Financial Officer overseeing the company’s financial operations. A Certified B Corporation™, Gotham Greens farms with the future in mind, delivering long-lasting and delicious leafy greens, herbs, salad dressings, dips and cooking sauces all year round to retail, restaurant and foodservice customers. Eric began his career in finance specializing in Planning, Reporting and Analysis at JP Morgan Chase and then M&A, capital raising and strategic consulting at Corporate Fuel Partners. He received an MBA from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Wyoming, where he also played Division I football. In 2021, he was recognized as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® New York. Gotham Greens has been awarded Inc. Best in Business Award and Greenhouse Grower “Operation of the Year,” and more. Eric lives in Denver and enjoys exploring new restaurants, cooking at home and spending time with his family.
Eric Haley
Before joining Gotham Greens as its Chief Greenhouse Officer in 2009, Jennifer Frymark designed and operated greenhouses and indoor farming facilities around the world. She has extensive experience in greenhouse system design, plant nutrition, crop and pest management, sensors and controls, and staff training. Previously, Jenn worked at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center and managed greenhouses in Antarctica providing fresh vegetables for U.S. research scientists. She also worked in the greenhouse at the Cuisinart Resort and Spa in Anguilla, and designed and led operations of the Science Barge in New York City. Jenn received a master’s degree in plant sciences from the University of Arizona and a bachelor’s degree in plant biology from Arizona State University.
Jenn Frymark
Gotham Greens is built upon the collective values, talents and energy of our diverse people. We employ over 400 full-time team members across our Brooklyn headquarters and regional greenhouses.
Gotham Greens is a Certified B Corp™
Certified B Corporations™ meet the highest possible standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. The “B” stands for benefit. As a Public Benefit Company, Gotham Greens balances profit and purpose, prioritizing positive impact for employees, communities and the environment. The certification is a huge milestone in our mission of creating a more sustainable food system through social and environmental practices.
Our Greenhouses
Our technologically advanced, urban greenhouses yield a year-round, local supply of premium-quality produce grown under the highest standards of food safety and environmental sustainability.