For years, Edible Garden has been known for greenhouse-grown herbs, leafy greens, and fresh produce cultivated through controlled-environment agriculture. Produce built our foundation—but today, we’re stepping beyond the perimeter of the produce aisle.
A Platform Shift
At Natural Products Expo West, we unveiled our new state-of-the-art ready-to-drink (RTD) manufacturing platform at a midwestern facility over 200,000 square feet in size, in integration with Tetra Pak, a global leader in food processing and packaging. This isn’t a simple brand extension; it’s a full platform shift.
The Retail Reality: Demand Without Supply
Over the past year, conversations with major national retailers across our 6,000+ retail doors have been clear: demand for high-protein, clean-label RTD beverages—including GLP-1 supportive formulations—is outpacing supply. In some categories, shelves are 20–25% short. That’s not just an inventory issue—it’s lost revenue and frustrated consumers.
The global RTD market was valued at $766 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2030. But scale alone isn’t the story. The real driver is consumer expectation: clean ingredients, functional benefits, shelf stability, and environmental responsibility—all at once. Retailers want reliable domestic capacity that delivers on all fronts. Our midwestern facility is our answer.
From Controlled Agriculture to Controlled Nutrition
Our over 200,000-square-foot, food-grade facility will be transformed into what we call the “Field of Drinks,” honoring Midwestern agricultural heritage. With proprietary processing systems and Tetra Pak’s advanced aseptic packaging, the facility will produce high-protein RTD shakes under our Kick sports nutrition brand, Jealousy, our high-fiber GLP-1 support formulation, private-label solutions for national retailers, and eventually expand into ultra-filtered dairy and family nutrition categories. Phase 1 production is targeted for Q1 2027, bringing at least 50 new jobs to the region.
But this is bigger than a beverage line. The facility is the backbone of our Farm-to-Formula strategy—integrating controlled-environment agriculture with advanced R&D and precision formulation to create vertically integrated, clean-label nutrition at scale.
Why Aseptic Matters
Tetra Pak’s renewable, plant-based cartons and aseptic processing allow us to extend shelf life without refrigeration or preservatives prior to opening. That lowers food waste, reduces energy consumption across the supply chain, and enables efficient ambient distribution—all while maintaining clean-label integrity. In a category dominated by plastic bottles and cold-chain logistics, aseptic cartons, including the Prisma format and future Prisma Aseptic 300 Edge, provide sustainability and retail-density advantages. Smaller footprints mean more product per pallet and more facings per shelf. Efficiency is environmental stewardship.
The GLP-1 Effect and Functional Nutrition
GLP-1 medications have accelerated consumer interest in protein-forward, fiber-rich, metabolically supportive nutrition. The market lacks scalable, reliable infrastructure built to meet that demand. We’re not chasing a trend—we’re building capacity for sustained, structural growth.
Elevating the Business
Produce got us here, but this facility elevates us. It transforms Edible Garden from a controlled-environment agriculture operator into a vertically integrated, clean-label nutrition platform, capable of branded growth, private-label integrations, and category expansion. We’ll continue growing fresh herbs and greens in Belvidere, New Jersey, and at our Heartland greenhouse in Michigan. But our midwestern facility becomes our nutrition hub—the bridge between agriculture and advanced functional beverage manufacturing.
When retailers ask for reliability, we respond with infrastructure. When consumers demand clean labels, we respond with science and transparency. When the market moves toward shelf-stable functionality, we respond with scalable aseptic capacity. This facility embodies all three.
This initiative is not a departure from who we are—it’s the logical evolution of our Zero-Waste Inspired mission, aligning sustainability, operational discipline, and margin expansion in one integrated platform. When systems are grounded in traceability, environmental responsibility, and technological precision, you don’t just participate in growth markets—you shape them. From this midwestern facility, that’s exactly what we intend to do.
Jim Kras is a co-founder of Edible Garden and has served as Chief Executive Officer and Director since March 2020.
