Giant Partners with BrightFarms to Provide Locally Grown Produce in Stores

All 169 Giant stores will now carry locally-grown produce year-round from BrightFarms Capitol Greenhouse, a 150,000 square-foot greenhouse farm located in Culpeper County, Va. BrightFarms will provide Giant an assortment of fresh salad mixes, such as baby arugula, Asian greens, baby spinach, spring mix, spinach blend and baby kale, as well as basil and a variety of tomatoes. The produce supplied will total nearly one million pounds per year, company officials say.

“Giant Food’s partnership with BrightFarms further emphasizes our commitment to our communities by providing sustainably sourced produce and creating local jobs,” says Gordon Reid, president of Giant Food. “Demand for locally grown produce is growing and we are pleased to provide our customers with fresh, healthy, sustainable produce throughout the entire year.”

BrightFarms’ state-of-the-art greenhouse farms are specifically designed to conserve land and water and help the environment by locating the farms close to markets to reduce greenhouse gas emission from transportation. Its produce can go from “seed to shelf” in as little as 26 days, and will be delivered to stores within 24 hours of harvest, ensuring the produce is as fresh as possible, officials add.

"The BrightFarms Capitol Greenhouse allows us, in partnership with Giant Food, to provide consumers with the tastiest, freshest and most sustainable local produce possible, no matter the season,” says BrightFarms chief BrightFarmer (CEO), Paul Lightfoot. “Giant is the right partner for us because of its commitment to the communities it serves; it's a huge win for both Giant consumers and the environment."

BrightFarms also creates green-collar jobs for local farmers, allowing more money to stay within the community that it serves, say officials.