Field‑grown produce is winning
After setbacks for vertical farms, open‑field growers are dominating Northern California’s spring supply — keeping many fruits and vegetables plentiful and affordable right now. Investors and consumers are watching whether that trend sticks as farm economics shake out. (nytimes.com)
Fourteen indoor-farming and controlled-environment agriculture companies entered bankruptcy in 2025, and the group of failed firms had attracted a combined historical funding total of about $1.37 billion. (elevenflo.com) Bowery Farming’s former $70 million Georgia vertical‑farm facility and automated equipment were put up for liquidation and auction through a SecondBloom/M. Davis Group sale announced in February 2026. (vertical-farming-show.com) Plenty filed for Chapter 11 in March 2025 after raising nearly $1 billion since its 2014 founding, and the company announced it completed a court‑approved reorganization and emerged from Chapter 11 on May 29, 2025. (techcrunch.com) AeroFarms, which previously entered bankruptcy in 2023, repeatedly delayed planned facility closures into early 2026 and by late February said it was “working through the diligence and sale process” with a potential buyer and aimed to close a transaction in March 2026. (aerofarms.com) Wholesale and trade reports for March 2026 show California’s desert shipping season tapering and growers preparing to shift production north to the Salinas Valley in early April while overall supply levels for many spring lettuces and brassicas are described as “meeting demand.” (markon.com) Regional crop updates from March 18–20, 2026 indicate Salinas was ramping up harvests with “ideal weather,” broccoli and cauliflower supplies steady, and leaf items generally fair to good in quality, with Mexico/Baja shipments helping stabilize West Coast markets amid localized heat‑related quality concerns. (proactusa.com)
