CEA facility liquidation featuring never-used automation, lighting, irrigation, and packaging systems. – FreshPlaza

Report on the Liquidation of Bowery Farming Facility and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

This report details the complete asset liquidation of Bowery Farming’s 200,000 square foot vertical farming facility located in Locust Grove, Georgia. The event, managed by SecondBloom in partnership with M. Davis Group, involves a $70 million operation, including over $32 million in new, never-commissioned equipment. The redistribution of these assets presents a significant opportunity to advance key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by making advanced agricultural technology more accessible.

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The liquidation and redeployment of this facility’s assets directly support several SDGs by promoting resource efficiency, sustainable industrialization, and resilient food systems.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

The available technology is designed to enhance food security and promote sustainable agriculture. By enabling the expansion of controlled environment agriculture (CEA), this equipment helps create climate-resilient, localized food production systems that can operate year-round, contributing to stable food supplies.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

This event facilitates the adoption of innovative and sustainable agricultural infrastructure. Making cutting-edge technology, such as automated systems and precision irrigation, available at a reduced cost lowers the barrier to entry for new and expanding operations, fostering sustainable industrialization within the agricultural sector.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The liquidation itself is an exercise in responsible resource management. By reintroducing high-value, unused equipment into the market, the event champions circular economy principles, preventing waste and ensuring the efficient use of manufactured goods. This aligns directly with targets for reducing waste generation through reuse.

SDG 13: Climate Action

The technologies available, particularly the high-efficiency LED lighting and advanced climate control systems, are integral to reducing the energy footprint of modern agriculture. These systems support climate change mitigation by promoting less resource-intensive farming practices compared to traditional methods.

Asset Categories and Technological Significance

The equipment represents a fully integrated, commercial-grade vertical farming solution. As stated by Chris Lange, President of SecondBloom Auctions, “This facility represents the pinnacle of vertical farming technology… an unprecedented opportunity to acquire proven, commercial-grade equipment at a fraction of original cost.”

Automation & Material Handling

These systems are crucial for creating efficient and scalable operations, reducing manual labor and improving production consistency, which supports sustainable economic growth (SDG 8).

• Logiqs AS/RS carrier systems
• FlexSpace high-density racking systems
• H2O Engineering water treatment skids

Precision Irrigation & Fertigation

This equipment enables significant reductions in water and nutrient consumption, a key target of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 12.

• Stolze automated fertigation and CIP systems
• Ozone and advanced filtration systems
• Keyence ultrasonic flow sensors and Hydrovar pump systems

Advanced Lighting & Climate Control

Energy-efficient technologies that minimize the environmental impact of indoor farming, contributing to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13.

• Fluence by Signify RAZR spectrum LED fixtures
• Nussun high-efficiency circulation fans
• 130-ton Daikin rooftop HVAC units

Control Systems & Software

The digital infrastructure for optimizing resource use and monitoring crop health, fostering innovation as outlined in SDG 9.

• Environmental control PLCs
• Sienna/K-Well integrated bay controllers
• Ignition SCADA platform

Processing & Packaging Line

Automated systems designed to reduce post-harvest food loss, a critical component of achieving SDG 12.3.

• Tri-Mach stainless steel conveyor systems
• Urbinati precision seeders and TTA automated transplanters
• Proseal tray sealing equipment and TOMRA optical sorting technology

Logistical and Procedural Details

Liquidation Schedule

1. Exclusive Preview Days: November 17–18, 2025
2. Online Sale Period: Opens early November, closes November 21, 2025
3. Equipment Removal: December 1–18, 2025 (FOB Locust Grove, GA)

Buyer Information

• Buyer Premium: An 18% premium will be applied to all lots.
• Removal Services: On-site rigging services will be provided by MEI Industrial Solutions.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • The article discusses a vertical farming facility, which is an innovative agricultural method designed to produce food sustainably, often in urban environments or areas with limited arable land. By making the technology from this facility available, it supports the broader goal of enhancing food production capabilities.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • The article focuses on “cutting-edge vertical farming technology” and “the pinnacle of vertical farming technology.” The liquidation makes this innovative infrastructure more accessible to other entities, promoting the adoption of advanced and sustainable industrial processes in the agricultural sector.
3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • The core event described is the liquidation of a $70 million facility, including “$32 million in brand-new, never-commissioned equipment.” By selling this equipment for reuse rather than disposal, the initiative directly supports the principles of a circular economy, preventing waste and promoting the efficient use of resources that went into manufacturing these assets.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 2.4: “By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production…”
   • The article describes equipment for a vertical farm, which represents a resilient and sustainable agricultural practice. The technology listed, such as “Precision Irrigation & Fertigation” and “Advanced Lighting & Climate Control,” is designed to create controlled, efficient, and high-productivity food production systems.
2. Target 9.4: “By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes…”
   • The liquidation offers an “unprecedented opportunity to acquire proven, commercial-grade equipment at a fraction of original cost.” This facilitates the adoption of environmentally sound technologies (like water treatment skids and high-efficiency HVAC) and upgrades the infrastructure of other agricultural operations, enhancing their resource-use efficiency.
3. Target 12.5: “By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.”
   • The entire event is an exercise in waste prevention. Instead of being scrapped, a massive inventory of “brand-new, never-commissioned equipment” is being liquidated for reuse. This directly prevents industrial waste and keeps valuable materials and technology in circulation.
4. Target 12.2: “By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.”
   • The equipment itself is designed for resource efficiency (e.g., “H2O Engineering water treatment skids,” “Stolze automated fertigation”). Furthermore, the act of repurposing the entire $70 million facility represents the efficient management of the material resources embodied in the equipment.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Implied Indicators for Targets 2.4 and 9.4:
   • Adoption of advanced agricultural technologies: The article lists specific technologies that serve as indicators of modern, sustainable farming. These include “Logiqs AS/RS carrier systems,” “Stolze automated fertigation and CIP systems,” “Fluence by Signify RAZR spectrum LED fixtures,” and “Daikin rooftop HVAC units.” The sale and subsequent deployment of these systems by other farms would be a measure of progress.
   • Scale of investment in sustainable infrastructure: The article quantifies the value of the technology being made available: a “$70 million vertical farming facility” with equipment contracts valued in the millions (e.g., “$5 million” for carrier systems, “$3 million” for lighting). This monetary value can be used as a proxy indicator for the scale of investment in sustainable infrastructure.
2. Implied Indicators for Targets 12.2 and 12.5:
   • Value of materials and equipment diverted from waste streams: The primary indicator mentioned is the total value of the assets being repurposed, which is stated as a “$70 million vertical farming facility.” This includes “$32 million in brand-new, never-commissioned equipment,” providing a clear monetary measure of waste prevention through reuse.
   • Physical scale of repurposed infrastructure: The article mentions the size of the operation as a “200,000 square foot operation,” which serves as a physical indicator of the amount of industrial infrastructure being kept in productive use instead of being decommissioned and disposed of.

Summary of Findings

Source: freshplaza.com