Danville Aeroponic Farm by AeroFarms: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · Full operations post-acquisition; new microgreens varieties introduced

Ground broken on Danville facilityApr 2021Complete.
Facility begins productionJun 2022Complete.
Company files Chapter 11 bankruptcyJun 2023Complete.
AeroFarms emerges from bankruptcy under Molly MontgomerySep 2023Complete.
Acquired by Palm Ventures; Gustavo Burger appointed CEOApr 2026Complete.
Full operations post-acquisition; new microgreens varieties introducedTarget Jun 2026Current milestone.
WARN shutdown notice withdrawn; farm keeps running29 Apr 2026Complete.

Most important updates

Upcoming

Jun 2026Full operations post-acquisition; new microgreens varieties introduced (next)

Current obstacles

Economics of vertical farmingHigh LED and facility costs make microgreens 2-3x more expensive than field-grown; volume and retail acceptance remain challenged.
Financial stability post-bankruptcyAfter 2023 Chapter 11 filing, sustained profitability requires continued cost reduction and market expansion.

Physics limits

Energy intensityLED lighting is the dominant operating cost; even with efficient diodes, electricity consumption limits margin compared to outdoor farming.
Limited crop diversityVertical farms work best for fast-growing, high-value crops like microgreens; broader crop variety remains impractical.

How it works

4 parts

Germination

Seed preparation

Seeds are soaked and germinated in controlled conditions before being placed on growing trays.

Growing

LED-lit vertical stacks

Trays are stacked vertically under full-spectrum LEDs that provide optimized light wavelengths for growth and nutrient uptake.

Climate

Automated environment control

Temperature, humidity, and CO2 are precisely managed through the 7-10 day growth cycle to optimize yield and quality.

Harvest

Mechanical cutting and packaging

Mature microgreens are mechanically cut, washed, dried, and packaged for immediate shipment to retail partners.

Spec sheet

Spec	Danville Aeroponic Farm
Facility size	140,000 sq ft^R (reported)
Retail locations served	2,000+ stores^R (reported)
Microgreens varieties produced	8+^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

3 updates

About AeroFarms

The team behind Danville Aeroponic Farm

AeroFarms

Vertical farming, microgreens, indoor agriculture

AeroFarms grows nutrient-dense microgreens indoors using vertical farming technology with LED lighting and automated climate control. The company is one of the few remaining large-scale US vertical farms after consolidation in the industry.

140,000 sq ft farm supplies microgreens to Whole Foods, Costco, Harris Teeter and 2,000+ retail locations.
Filed Chapter 11 June 2023, emerged September 2023 under Molly Montgomery. Acquired by Palm Ventures April 2026.
Debt restructured; positioned for sustainable profitable growth under new ownership.

aerofarms.com (opens aerofarms.com)Company profile →

Founded: 200422 yrs
Headquarters: United States
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Raised: $140M3 rounds
Last round: Acquisition (Palm Ventures)Apr 2026
Works in: AgricultureIndoor farming
Coverage: 1 program · 3 updateslatest 1 Apr 2026checked 11 Oct
Lead investors: INGKA Group (IKEA)ADM CapitalWheatsheaf Investments
Customers: Whole Foods Market (opens wholefoodsmarket.com)Costco (opens costco.com)Harris Teeter (opens harristeeter.com)
Investors: Grosvenor Food & AgTech
Acquired by: Palm Ventures (opens palmventures.com)
People: Gustavo BurgerCEO (since April 2026)Molly MontgomeryCEO (September 2023 - April 2026)

Spec

Danville Aeroponic Farm

Facility size

140,000 sq ft^R (reported)

Retail locations served

2,000+ stores^R (reported)

Microgreens varieties produced

8+^R (reported)

Danville Aeroponic Farm

Milestones

Most important updates

Upcoming

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Seed preparation

LED-lit vertical stacks

Automated environment control

Mechanical cutting and packaging

Spec sheet

Update log

Apr 2026

Sep 2023

Jun 2023

About AeroFarms

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Seed preparation

LED-lit vertical stacks

Automated environment control

Mechanical cutting and packaging

Spec sheet

Update log

Apr 2026

Sep 2023

Jun 2023

About AeroFarms