Woolworths partners with startup InvertiGro to launch Australia's first in-store vertical farm

Customers at a flagship Woolworths (ASX: WOW) inner-city store in Sydney will now be able to see their herbs growing in the fruit and vegetable section as part of a novel partnership between the leading grocery retailer and AgTech start-up InvertiGro.

The Sydney-based business is on a mission to feed the world in a smarter way, and from this week onwards will showcase its vertical indoor farming solution at Woolworth’s Metro Park Sydney Village store.

Under “the Urban Garden” branding, InvertiGro’s in-store InvertiWall will demonstrate vertical farming in action, with commonly-used herbs basil, mint, coriander and parsley available for sale at $3 per bunch.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Australia’s ‘Fresh Food People’ to deliver a hyper-local, nutritious and flavoursome herb range whilst also introducing shoppers to the benefits of indoor vertical farming for both consumers and our planet,” InvertiGro co-founder Paul Millett said.

“As indoor-farming technology providers, our solutions have applications from on-farm fodder production and crop diversification to in-store applications that can address urban and regional food deserts, supply chain and sustainability issues.

“Indoor vertical farming has the potential to help communities become more self-sufficient and sustainable in their food production, and we are proud to be leading the way in Australian AgTech innovations with global applications.”  

Founded in 2017, InvertiGro's founders CEO Ben Lee and COO Paul Millett view themselves as modern-day farmers, designing innovative solutions that enable others to sustainably and profitably deliver herbicide and pesticide-free produce.

Before transporting them to the store, the business will plant the herbs at its rural-urban indoor farm in Rosebury, less than two kilometres from Woolworths Metro Park Sydney Village. Some will be immediately available for sale, while others will continue to grow in-store.

InvertiGro maintains its efficient indoor farming solutions grow with a fraction of the land and water required by traditional commercial-scale farming methods and benefit customers as the hyper-local produce is always fresh and in season.

The herbs, sold as living plants in 100 per cent recyclable paper-based packaging, will also be available from Woolworths Metro Double Bay later this month.

“This is a great opportunity for Metro Park Sydney Village customers to connect with the provenance of their produce and an exciting platform for Woolworths Metro to create greater awareness for innovative Australian farming methods,” Woolworths Metro director Justin Nolan said.

“Metro Park Sydney shoppers will notice InvertiGro takes up a small amount of space in-store and is a great non-waste initiative for our customers. We look forward to our shoppers using the hyper-local fresh herbs available at the Urban Garden to garnish and add flavour to home-cooked meals.”