Key Takeaways
- Sealed-Bid Offer Opportunity: A&G Real Estate Partners and Murray Wise Associates LLC are accepting offers for Spring Born’s hydroponic operations and ranch in Colorado.
- Advanced Hydroponic System: The facility features a fully automated, hydroponic growing system for pesticide-free leafy greens and herbs.
- Potential for Expansion: The sale includes a plan for an additional 130,000-square-foot greenhouse with installed utilities.
- Sustainability and Efficiency: The hydroponic system is noted for its 95% water usage reduction compared to conventional methods.
- Strategic Investment Opportunity: The sale offers a rare chance for agricultural users to acquire a technologically advanced and environmentally friendly facility.
Automated Hydroponic System Spearheads Agricultural Innovation
A&G Real Estate Partners and Murray Wise Associates LLC have announced an exciting opportunity for agricultural investors and companies. They are now accepting sealed-bid offers for Spring Born’s cutting-edge hydroponic growing operations and expansive 254-acre ranch near Silt and I-70 in western Colorado. This announcement has a deadline for letters of intent set for February 9.
Emilio Amendola, Co-President of A&G, highlights the facility’s state-of-the-art features. The warehouse, constructed recently, encompasses a fully automated hydroponic growing system developed by Green Automation Group. This advanced system produces up to 10,000 retail units daily of various leafy greens and culinary herbs, all free from pesticides and ammonia. The ranch’s strategic location, water rights, and utility infrastructure position it ideally to serve grocers throughout Colorado and the surrounding region.
A Leap in Agricultural Efficiency and Sustainability
The hydroponic operation is not just technologically advanced but also environmentally sustainable. The trenched system, which automatically plants, nurtures, and harvests crops, uses conveyors to ensure optimal sun exposure, water, and temperature conditions. Harrison Freeland, Vice President of Murray Wise Associates, emphasizes the efficiency of the operation, which is entirely hands-free and culminates in automatic cutting and packaging into retail-ready clamshell boxes.
Potential for Expansion and Diverse Agricultural Use
In addition to the existing state-of-the-art facility, the sale includes land cleared for a planned greenhouse of approximately 130,000 square feet, with necessary utilities installed. This expansion potential offers many opportunities for growers, including those focusing on other indoor crops.
USDA Certification and Tax Incentives Enhance Appeal
The nearly four-acre Spring Born hydroponic facility, which started operations in 2021 with significant state and federal financing, boasts USDA organic certification. The future owner/operator could also benefit from the Rural Jump-Start Tax Credit and other tax incentives linked to the facility’s water-saving capabilities.
Impressive Track Record and Market Presence
Spring Born’s produce, particularly its lettuce, has significantly impacted the market, supplying local grocers and national chains like Whole Foods Market. The produce is known for its extended shelf life of up to 23 days. As Amendola notes, this sale represents a unique opportunity that combines existing facilities, expansive ranchland, and advantageous incentives and infrastructure.
Background of the Selling Entities
A&G Real Estate Partners, based in New York, has a remarkable history of selling real estate and leases worth over $12 billion across various sectors, including agriculture. Murray Wise Associates LLC, acquired by Farmland Partners Inc. (NYSE: FPI) in November 2021, is a leading agricultural real estate auction and brokerage firm offering various services, including farmland asset management.
Image provided by A&G Real Estate
