Welcome to “The Good Stuff,” where we highlight positive news and ways that NAED employees and member companies go above and beyond to give back to their communities! If you have some “Good Stuff” that you would like to share with tED, find out how below.
In this issue of “The Good Stuff”, Rockwell Automation is donating the space and growing systems for Clock Tower Farms to strengthen Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s hunger relief network.
MILWAUKEE — Rockwell Automation, Inc. announced the creation of Clock Tower Farms with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, the largest hunger relief organization in Wisconsin. Clock Tower Farms will combine hydroponic farming technology from Fork Farms and automation technology from Rockwell to grow and provide fresh, nutritious food that will help address hunger in our community. Clock Tower Farms is a first-of-its-kind facility, located in Rockwell’s Milwaukee headquarters. It is currently under construction and will be fully operational later this year.
“Clock Tower Farms demonstrates how industrial automation can solve real-world challenges at scale and meaningfully impact our communities,” said Patricia Contreras, vice president, Community Impact at Rockwell Automation. “Working with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Fork Farms allows us to combine our strengths to address hunger and ensure more families have access to fresh, healthy produce year round.”
Using smart technology to grow healthy food
Clock Tower Farms will house 72 Fork Farms Flex Acre hydroponic systems that use nutrient-infused, recirculated water to nourish plant roots and optimize growth. Rockwell’s Plant PAx system will monitor and automatically adjust nutrient, pH, and water levels based on the crops being grown. New technology developed by Fork Farms enables localized power, dehumidification, and water and nutrient management for growing in a controlled environment. The modular design lowers costs, simplifies installation, and maximizes crop yields.
Clock Tower Farms is designed to:
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- Grow 200,000 pounds of leafy greens and other produce for harvest each year
- Save 5.9 million gallons of water compared to traditional farming
- Conserve 5.5 acres of conventional crop land
Addressing food insecurity in our communities
Rockwell is donating the space and growing systems for Clock Tower Farms to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin at a critical time. Food pantries across Eastern Wisconsin are experiencing some of the highest demand in over a decade. For neighbors facing hunger, the impact of this collaboration will be immediate and tangible. Fresh food will move directly from harvest to distribution, traveling from the Clock Tower Farms dock to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s trucks with no long-term storage, delays, or unnecessary handling.
“Reliable access to fresh, nutritious food is critical to health and well-being,” said Patti Dew, Interim President and CEO of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. “Clock Tower Farms strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality produce efficiently to pantry partners across our network, expanding access to foods that support long-term health for neighbors throughout Eastern Wisconsin.”
Clock Tower Farms will strengthen Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s hunger relief network by expanding access to nutrient-dense food that supports long-term health, dignity, and choice, which are core priorities of the organization’s NourishRx approach to food as medicine.
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