CHARLESTON, SC - Vertical Roots, one of the largest hydroponic container farms in the US, opened its third indoor farm in Atlanta, Ga., this June. The company partnered with Collins Brothers Produce and Phoenix Wholesale Foodservice, to place the farm directly at their facilities.

"A large part of our mission is to grow food as close to the point of consumption as possible, and this farm site accomplishes just that," said Andrew Hare, co-founder and general manager of Vertical Roots. "The Collins family are esteemed produce industry leaders for three generations, and we're ecstatic about the unique grower-supplier partnership that we've cultivated."

The new Atlanta farm site will eliminate the need for produce transportation to the distributor and allow Vertical Roots lettuce to be delivered to local customers the same day it's harvested. Located within the Atlanta State Farmers Market, this is phase one of the company's Atlanta expansion. With farm production underway, Vertical Roots Georgia Grown lettuce will be available in grocery stores in July 2021.

Crisp, sweet, tender, or buttery, Vertical Roots lettuces are nutritious, pesticide-free and come in a wide variety of flavors, colors and textures for culinary masterpieces and everyday meals, according to the company. With long-lasting freshness, produce is in the hands of consumers within one to three days of being harvested and has up to 21-day shelf life.

The new Atlanta farm site will reduce produce transportation by an estimated 300 miles per delivery and help meet the company's retail demand that services thousands of grocery stores across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

"At Collins Brothers and Phoenix Wholesale, we've had the privilege to work with dedicated farmers across the country for decades," said David Collins, president of Collins Brothers & Phoenix Wholesale Foodservice. "We're thrilled to partner with Vertical Roots as they bring an innovative way of farming to the agriculture industry. We look forward to this relationship as we share a like-minded mission in providing our customers with high quality, fresh, local produce."