Redi-farms, an indoor, vertical, hydroponic farm, is forging ahead.
WESTFIELD, NJ — It’s a business poised for growth.
Redi-farms, an indoor, vertical, hydroponic farm at 610 North Ave. East celebrated its opening Thursday evening in the rear section of a century-old building previously owned by Handler Manufacturing.
“Eventually, we’ll have six businesses all within this building, but the anchor business is our indoor hydroponic farm and that’s what we’re celebrating today,” said Westfield’s Greg Redington, who co-founded the business with his wife, Michele Modestino.
The historic factory building is planned to have a restaurant, an event space, a “speakeasy” and a teaching kitchen, according to the plans. Modestino said the next step will be to get the restaurant space and education center up and running.
“We’re working with a restaurant partner, a plant-based restaurant partner, so we’re very excited to get that going, get that out for the community,” she said.
Indoor vertical farming, evidenced by plants under lights, were on display as guests sipped drinks and snacked on microgreens. “Mushroom fruiting” rooms could be seen at the farm, which says it aims to provide a range of fresh fruits and vegetables to the local community.
“We’re still in a little bit of R&D as we perfect our systems here before we move over to the big farm,” Modestino said. “That’s going to be three times the size.”
The greens are getting out.
Redi-farms has partnered with the farm box delivery company Just Farmed, and is also supplying some local restaurants, Modestino said. Soon, she said, Redi-farms plans to launch its own “green box.”
Marty Silverman, Redi-farms’ sales and operations coordinator, has been selling the farm’s produce at Patricia & Paul, Artisans of Fine Oils & Balsamics, 20 Elm St., Thursday afternoons as part of a “pop up.”
The farm, he said, is also getting close to launching its online store, something he anticipates will happen in the next two months. While the farm store in Westfield is under construction, people will be able to pick up goods at a location to be announced in Mountainside, he said.
“We’ll start marketing our version of a CSA box that people will be able to purchase online, come to the facility in Mountainside and pick up and at the same time they’ll be able to come and pick up additional items that are for sale,” Silverman said.
This article originally appeared in TAPintoWestfield on March 3, 2023 - click HERE to see original article