Edible Garden Reports Sharp Increase in Retailer Product Demand as Controlled Environment Agriculture Industry Consolidates
Company Highlights Operational Excellence, Available Capacity and Capital-Efficient Growth Strategy as Retailers Seek Reliable Supply Partners
Actively Adding Retail Programs While Ongoing Cost Reduction Initiatives Are Designed to Accelerate Margin Expansion
BELVIDERE, NJ, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Edible Garden AG Incorporated (“Edible Garden” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: EDBL, EDBLW), a leader in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), organic and sustainable produce, and developer of the Zero-Waste Inspired® mission and Farm-to-Formula® platform, today reported a sharp increase in product demand from national and regional retailers seeking new and additional sources of supply for fresh herbs and organic produce. The Company has available capacity across multiple Company-owned and operated greenhouses and processing facilities, together with an established national contract grower network positioned near major U.S. markets, and the food safety and service infrastructure required by national accounts, and is actively engaged with multiple retailers regarding new and expanded programs.
The increase in demand follows a period of significant consolidation across the controlled environment agriculture sector, including the recently announced wind-down of a large indoor farming operator that supplied thousands of U.S. retail locations. As retailers affected by these disruptions move quickly to secure dependable sources of year-round supply, Edible Garden’s operational discipline and ability to deliver on time and in full have become increasingly important competitive advantages. The Company has benefited from similar market disruptions before: in reporting its 2025 annual results, Edible Garden disclosed that cut herb unit sales increased approximately 22.9% year over year, driven in part by incremental volume resulting from supply chain disruptions among competing herb suppliers.
“The phone is ringing at levels we have not seen before,” said Jim Kras, Chief Executive Officer of Edible Garden. “Retailers are not looking for a supplier next year — they are looking right now, and what they are asking about first is whether you can actually deliver, on time and in full, every single week. That is precisely what we have built this Company to do. We are not simply open for business — we are growing, we have capacity available, and we intend to convert as much of this demand into long-term programs as we can.”
Rather than pursuing growth at any cost, the Company has focused on developing a capital-efficient operating model centered on disciplined expansion, operational efficiency, supply chain excellence and profitable customer relationships. The Company’s operational execution is reflected in its industry-leading On-Time, In-Full (OTIF) performance and fulfillment rates that have exceeded 98% across its retail network. These service levels reinforce Edible Garden’s reputation as a dependable supplier and support the long-standing relationships it has established with many of North America’s leading retailers.
The Company’s recent commercial momentum has come from both new and existing national accounts. Over the past several months, Edible Garden has announced a multi-year private label fresh herb supply agreement with a major Midwest big-box retailer extending through December 31, 2028; a significant expansion of fresh cut herb distribution with Walmart across the Mid-Atlantic; the commencement of shipments under a new fresh cut herb program with Target; and chainwide availability of its USDA Organic herb line at all The Fresh Market locations nationwide. For the first quarter of 2026, the Company reported revenue growth of approximately 22.9% to approximately $3.3 million, led by an increase of approximately 45.9% in cut herb sales. These program wins reflect the confidence retailers place in Edible Garden’s ability to consistently execute and support large-scale distribution.
Edible Garden believes its operating model is structurally different from the capital-intensive indoor farming build-outs that have defined much of the sector’s recent history. Rather than concentrating capital in a small number of highly automated, high-cost facilities, the Company operates vertically integrated greenhouses and processing facilities in Belvidere, New Jersey; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Webster City, Iowa, supported by a national network of contract growers located near major U.S. markets. In April 2026, Edible Garden was named one of the Top 25 Greenhouse Produce Growers in the U.S. in 2026 by CEAg World, a leading authority covering the controlled environment agriculture industry, in a ranking based on active greenhouse production acreage. That structure is designed to deliver freshness, reduce food miles and scale distribution without the capital intensity that has challenged others in the industry. Edible Garden products are currently available in more than 6,000 retail locations across the United States, the Caribbean and South America. The Company believes this capital-efficient structure provides the operational flexibility to respond to changing retailer demand while supporting disciplined, sustainable growth.
“We have deliberately built a business that does not require enormous capital to grow,” continued Mr. Kras. “We have reduced labor costs, invested in automation, renegotiated supplier agreements and brought production in house — and we have done all of that at the same time we have been winning new retail programs and growing revenue. Taking cost out of the business while growing the top line is how margins expand, and that is exactly the work our team is doing every day.”
“Operational discipline and dependable customer execution remain central to our strategy. Our retail relationships have been built over many years by consistently delivering quality products when and where our customers need them, and we believe that record of performance represents one of Edible Garden’s most important competitive advantages.”
“At the same time, our Farm-to-Formula® platform and the ready-to-drink buildout at our Prairie Hills facility with Tetra Pak are opening a path into higher-margin, shelf-stable nutrition categories that very few fresh produce companies of our size can access,” concluded Mr. Kras.
Guided by its Zero-Waste Inspired® philosophy, the Company intends to continue expanding its fresh cut herb and USDA Organic programs while advancing its Farm-to-Formula® platform into higher-value, shelf-stable nutrition categories. The Company believes its differentiated operating model, long-standing retailer relationships and disciplined approach to growth position Edible Garden to capitalize on additional opportunities as the controlled environment agriculture industry continues to consolidate and evolve.
ABOUT EDIBLE GARDEN®
Edible Garden AG Incorporated is a leader in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), delivering organic, better-for-you, sustainable produce and products through its Zero-Waste Inspired® next-generation farming model. Available in over 6,000 retail locations across the United States, Caribbean, and South America, Edible Garden is at the forefront of the CEA and sustainability technology movement, distinguished by its advanced safety-in-farming protocols, sustainable packaging, patented GreenThumb software, and innovative Self-Watering in-store displays. The Company operates state-of-the-art, vertically integrated greenhouses and processing facilities, including Edible Garden Heartland in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Edible Garden Prairie Hills in Webster City, Iowa; and its headquarters at Edible Garden Belvidere in New Jersey. It also partners with a network of contract growers strategically located near major U.S. markets to ensure freshness and reduce environmental impact. The Company is also expanding its Prairie Hills facility in Webster City, Iowa, into a dedicated ready-to-drink (RTD) clean nutrition manufacturing hub, supporting its Farm-to-Formula® strategy and its transformation into higher-margin, shelf-stable nutrition categories.
Edible Garden’s proprietary GreenThumb 2.0 software—protected by U.S. Patents US 11,158,006 B1, US 11,410,249 B2, and US 11,830,088 B2—optimizes vertical and traditional greenhouse growing conditions while aiming to reduce food miles. Its patented Self-Watering display (U.S. Patent No. D1,010,365) is designed to extend plant shelf life and elevate in-store presentation. In addition to its core CEA operations, Edible Garden owns three patents in advanced aquaculture technologies: a closed-loop shrimp farming system (US 6,615,767 B1), a modular recirculating aquaculture setup with automated water treatment and feeding (US 10,163,199 B2), and a sensor-driven ammonia control method utilizing electrolytic chlorine generation (US 11,297,809 B1).
The Company has been recognized as a FoodTech 500 firm by Forward Fooding, is a multi-year participant in Walmart’s Project Gigaton and a Giga Guru designee and has received NRG’s Excellence in Energy Award for its commitment to measurable environmental performance and energy stewardship. Edible Garden also develops and markets a growing line of nutrition and specialty food products, including Vitamin Way® and Vitamin Whey®—plant and whey protein powders—and Kick. Sports Nutrition, a premium performance line for health-conscious athletes seeking cleaner, better-for-you options. The Company’s offerings further include fresh, sustainable condiments such as Pulp fermented gourmet and chili-based sauces, as well as Pickle Party, a collection of fermented fresh pickles and krauts.
Learn more at https://ediblegardenag.com.
For Pulp products, visit https://www.pulpflavors.com.
For Vitamin Whey® products, visit https://vitaminwhey.com.
For Kick. Sports Nutrition products, visit https://kicksportsnutrition.net/.
Watch the Company’s latest corporate video here.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “expand,” “advance,” “designed to,” “opportunity,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the level and durability of inbound retailer interest and the Company’s ability to convert that interest into new or expanded distribution programs, the Company’s available capacity and ability to service additional retail volume, the expected effect of the Company’s cost reduction and automation initiatives on operating margins, the continued growth of the Company’s fresh cut herb and USDA Organic product lines, the development of the Company’s ready-to-drink manufacturing facility in Webster City, Iowa, and the Company’s Farm-to-Formula® strategy. There can be no assurance that any inbound interest will result in binding agreements, incremental revenue or improved margins. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section and other sections of the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no duty to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Investor Contacts:
Crescendo Communications, LLC
212-671-1020
EDBL@crescendo-ir.com
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