AutoStore and OnePointOne fully automate Opollo Farm together to reimagine fresh produce delivery in cities
The AutoStoreTM concept is used in an automated warehouse near Phoenix, Arizona, to grow thousands of herbs and vegetables inside robotic bins, moving smoothly throughout a towering, Rubik’s cube-like grid.
Opollo Farm is a fully automated vertical farming system built by AutoStore and OnePointOne. In a precision-controlled environment, robots move crops and adjust their positions to deliver the right amount of water and nutrients. A harvest-ready crop of greens can be grown in just 15 days, about half the time of traditional farming, and just a few miles away from where they are consumed.
AutoStore and OnePointOne are developing the Opollo Farm to produce fresh greens and herbs without using pesticides in cities, with plans to scale and explore new varieties of crops. Opollo Farm is designed to tackle some of the biggest challenges in agriculture today: labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, water scarcity, and the demand for fresher, locally grown food. The system is already up and running, supplying leafy greens and herbs to Whole Foods Market stores in the Phoenix area.
The Opollo Farm is a fully integrated vertical farming platform that combines automation, lighting, irrigation, and climate control (HVAC) to create the perfect growing environment. Robots travel along the top of the cubic-storage grid to manage watering, while advanced software continuously monitors each plant’s status and adjusts conditions in real time. Plants are seeded automatically, then immediately transferred to the grid for germination. Throughout their life, the plants move locations to receive optimal environmental conditions.
Unlike traditional farms, the Opollo Farm operates entirely indoors, providing complete control over the plants’ environment. Its compact, automated design allows it to be placed close to urban centers or co-located with distribution hubs, maximizing floor space and minimizing food miles.
When plants are ready to harvest, the robots bring each bin to the “Port”; the single entry/exit point for the grid, optimizing labor usage. These dynamic movements are at the heart of AutoStore’s technology, making farming faster, smarter, and more efficient. Automation enables Opollo Farm to operate efficiently around the clock, delivering consistent, high-quality harvests year-round.
“Traditional farming consumes vast amounts of water and land—resources that are becoming scarce,” said Sam Bertram, CEO of OnePointOne. “With AutoStore’s modular robotics and our plant-production technology, we can grow food almost anywhere using a fraction of those resources. This collaboration helps overcome the cost and scalability challenges of vertical farming, finally making locally grown produce—the number one priority for U.S. consumers—possible even in urban areas.”
Opollo Farm’s Process:
- Hydroponic Growing System: Plants are grown in bins within a closed-loop system where water is recirculated, radically reducing water consumption.
- High-Density Cultivation: Plants are grown at the highest possible density, enabling farms to be built inside existing distribution centers—eliminating the 2,000 mile average journey from the farm to distribution center.
- Automated Plant Movement: Powered by AutoStore’s cube storage system, plants move autonomously throughout the facility. Each bin enters and exits the grid through a single Port, dramatically reducing labor requirements.
- Scalable Architecture: Whether operating at small or large scale, Opollo Farm delivers consistent performance and can be expanded seamlessly to meet growing demand.
- Controlled Environment: The fully enclosed system protects crops from pests and contamination, eliminating the need for pesticides.
- Local Supply Chain: Proximity to urban centers allows for shorter supply chains and reduced transportation emissions.
Chris Petroulakis, Category Merchant for Produce at Whole Foods Market said “Opollo Farm is a perfect example of how advanced technology can revolutionize local agriculture, helping to deliver high-quality, locally grown produce right to our stores faster and fresher than ever before.”
