At the end of a long, winding road lives a charming indoor farming community. The path is lined by impressive structures reverberating a lilac luminescence that can be seen from miles away. Wafting overhead is an earthy aroma of freshly turned soil, and somewhere beyond the walls of those buildings is a small seedling that has just pushed its way into the open air—perhaps a new sprig of basil or Romaine.
The group calls themselves Soli Organic™, though some may remember them as Shenandoah Growers. I recently took a stroll down the pavement with Steve Wright, Chief Customer Officer, who explains why, after being in business since 1989, the grower decided to transition its outdoor operation to an indoor farming program.
“After 20 years, we realized that the high costs and production risks of outdoor farming—from natural disasters and droughts to labor shortages and high input costs—were not to be taken lightly,” he relays. “Ten years ago, we decided to transition to indoor production to ensure we could continue to meet the needs of our customers and consumers, and we were one of the first category leaders to do so. This decision feels even more prescient today, given current supply chain disruptions, high input and labor costs, and multi-billion-dollar climate disasters every year.”
Now, a decade later, the company stares down the road less traveled with a stern determination and unique value proposition. The relentless focus on the consumer that Soli Organic adopted all those years ago remains today, and, as Steve tells me, developing a soil-based indoor system opened a whole new world of possibilities.
“This included the ability to complete our transition to producing 100 percent organic-certified produce at affordable prices, which we know is what consumers want. Our research tells us that nearly 90 percent of shoppers would purchase organic if it cost the same as conventional,” Steve outlines. “Being hyper-focused on consumer demands, and shifting to a system with less variability than outdoor farming, allows us to put our retail partners in the best position to succeed.”
Even amid the global pandemic when conventional outdoor growers had difficulty moving food from field to shelf, Soli Organic was able to respond to retailer demand. The organic provider is now bringing additional products to market through its soil-based biofarms and transforming the produce sector by delivering consistently flavorful, fresh, quality herbs and greens year-round.
“At Soli, we believe nature does it best. So, we bring the best of nature indoors and apply the latest technology to ensure our customers and consumers receive the freshest, healthiest, most flavorful, and most affordable organic produce possible,” Steve shares.
The use of soil in Soli’s growing system has been a key factor in eliminating synthetic fertilizers and enabling the team to grow 100 percent USDA-Certified Organic produce. As Steve puts it, Soli believes that the USDA organic standards truly are a gold standard for those looking for assurance that their food was grown in a way that’s good for them and the planet.
“...we bring the best of nature indoors and apply the latest technology to ensure our customers and consumers receive the freshest, healthiest, most flavorful, and most affordable organic produce possible.”
Steve Wright, Chief Customer Officer, Soli Organic™
“Having ‘Organic’ embedded in our brand reflects our commitment to that standard, and our system delivers unit costs that allow us to make our organic produce truly affordable and accessible to everyone,” he notes. “We also build sustainability into every component of our processes, and we are committed to measuring and continually improving how we make a positive impact on people and the planet. This is our passion, and our new brand brings that message to life.”
While the grower was founded in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Soli intends to have a total of 15 soil-based indoor farms in strategic locations around the country to better serve customers with regionally grown produce. The word “Soli” itself is inspired by the Latin word for soil and reflects the pivotal role of soil in the company’s proprietary controlled-environment systems. This enables Soli Organic to make low-cost, high-quality, organic produce grown nearby available to everyone.
“Our old brand didn’t speak to the future of the company,” Steve says of the rebrand. “Our business continues to grow and expand across the country, and we are fully transitioning to our next-generation soil-based indoor growing system. As we embark on this next phase, our team knew it was time for a new brand that better reflects what we do and how and where we do it—a brand that speaks to the heart of what our company values as an organization.”
In Steve’s eyes, what separates a brand from just another label is delivering a product that is consistent, differentiated, and tasty. Soli Organic achieves this by taking the uncertainties of nature out and keeping the best of nature in, delivering an organic product with distinctive flavor and texture that comes from growing in perfect soil, and at a price point consumers can afford.
And, by dispersing Soli’s operations across the country, the company is able to reduce the miles that stretch between a product’s origin and its place on the shelf.
“The most exciting thing we are doing is reinventing the supply chain. By growing organic herbs regionally in our vertical farms, we are taking five to six days out of the transportation process,” Steve imparts. “This means a tangibly better experience for the consumer in terms of freshness and flavor, while also cutting down significantly on waste, which is critical for the environment.”
“By growing organic herbs regionally in our vertical farms, we are taking five to six days out of the transportation process.”
As I quickly learn while meandering down this path with Steve, sustainability is a key tenet of the Soli Organic mission. From the supply chain it has innovated to the products it puts on the shelf, being kind to the Earth is top of mind. One of Soli’s most recent efforts includes the rollout of new sustainable packaging.
“Our new Indolce™ basil and our leafy greens are packaged in 100 percent post-consumer recycled material trays. No virgin plastic is produced to make these trays, and they are recyclable as well (based on locally available infrastructure). It also offers peel-reseal functionality for the consumer, which enhances freshness and shelf-life. The basil will also be merchandised in a high-graphic, display-ready box, perfect for driving incremental sales,” Steve divulges.
What else is new with Soli Organic? My interest was certainly piqued by Steve’s mention of the recently debuted organic Indolce basil line, which launched this year in a 2 oz package.
“It’s a unique variety that delivers exactly what consumers want out of basil: sweet and indulgent, with just a hint of a peppery kick,” Steve explains. “We are taking flavor and freshness to a whole new level through our research and technological partnerships, and Indolce basil is just the first of many more to come.”
Of course, an expanded product line necessitates an expanded footprint—something Soli Organic is working tirelessly toward. In fact, Soli opened the doors of its newly upgraded indoor vertical farm in Elkwood, Virginia, just a couple of months ago.
“This is where we harvest our new Indolce basil, which landed on shelves this past May,” Steve shares with me. “Our Anderson, South Carolina, farm will be opening later this year as well. We are also excited about our ongoing commitment to the Pacific Northwest, where we will be opening a facility in Marysville, Washington, which will serve the Seattle area and the broader region. Our Northwest pack facility is scheduled to go online later this summer, while the full facility is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2023.”
As Soli Organic knows well, the road to greatness is anything but straight and narrow. You must be willing to take risks and venture into the unknown despite whatever is at your back. Technology is certainly one space fresh produce operators are dipping their toes into, but in many ways, the possibilities are still endless.
“Technology is a critical component of successful indoor growing. It is what enables efficient resource use and precise control of inputs in the growing process. It also advances our ability to monitor, adjust, and maintain optimal growing conditions, including lighting, water, air movement, and environmental elements,” Steve relays. “Our vertical farms, by nature, require an extensive amount of robotics and artificial intelligence to monitor, move, maintain, and harvest the product.”
Steve notes that the development of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) will only grow in importance as technology continues to advance. From his perspective, technology is critical to enhancing cost advantage while improving unit economics and minimizing environmental impact.
“Soli Organic is adopting innovative technologies based on AI and machine learning, which enable us to make more data-driven decisions and will significantly enhance our ability to provide affordable, sustainably produced crops to consumers around the country. Automation will continue to be at the forefront of both our growing and packing operations. The recent challenges in the global economy and ongoing labor shortages have intensified that need,” Steve adds. “That said, we are working on many patented tools that will allow us to grow even more harmoniously with nature. Imagine a world where the plant tells us what they need when they need it. That world is fast approaching!”
I ruminate on that image for a moment as we come to the end of our journey together. I can see it now: Steve leans down toward a group of leaf lettuces as they whisper to him that they are nearly ready for harvest. It may seem a bit fantastical, but for Steve, a version of this reality is not so far away.
“We are extremely energized about the future and continuing our approach to developing innovative new products, packaging, and merchandising while building on our strong relationships with our retail partners,” concludes Steve. “We are particularly excited about our multi-year partnership with Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. We will explore and bring new types of produce to market that, while not feasible for commercial outdoor cultivation, can be grown organically indoors and offer improved flavor, nutrition, and yield. The key to a sustainable future is identifying plants that offer consumers higher nutritional density, bursting with flavor, and the lowest possible environmental impact.”
Sitting at my desk as I near the conclusion of this story, I think back to what’s at the end of that long, winding road. I picture a world living in perfect harmony, where busy hands and sophisticated machinery are hard at work bringing the freshest herbs and lettuce to the masses.
How did we get here? For Soli Organic, the answer is simple: by taking the road less traveled. 
