BELLEVUE, Wash. — King County shoppers will soon have the option of buying fresh produce right from the root inside certain grocery stores.
The Kroger Company, which owns QFC, announced this week its partnership with Infarm, a German company specializing in urban farming networks. The companies plan to launch living produce farms inside two QFC stores in Bellevue and Kirkland this month.
The living farms will be added to an additional 13 stores later on.
The living farms will be grown using hydroponic technology, which utilizes water rich in mineral nutrients instead of soil. The produce will be grown on-site at the participating QFC stores, removing the need for extended transportation and storage. It will also produce a more eco-conscious product, according to a statement from Kroger.
The living farms will be the first-of-its-kind in the United States, read Kroger's statement.
"Kroger believes that everyone deserves to have access to fresh, affordable and delicious food, no matter who you are, how you shop or what you like to eat," said Suzy Monford, Kroger's group vice president of fresh. "Our partnership with Infarm allows us to innovate by combining ground-breaking in-store farming technology with our passion for fresh, local produce and ecological sourcing. Kroger is excited to be first to market and offer the best of the season, and we're proud to lead the U.S. on this journey."
The partnership also marks Kroger's continuing effort to be more green and work on its Zero Hunger, Zero Waste plan which seeks to eliminate waste across the company by 2025.