CEAg Talks: Fully Automated Opollo Farm Is a Twist on Today’s Vertical Farming
May 27, 2025 
The pitch for Opollo Farm, a vertical farming outfit that just debuted its flagship facility in Arizona, is intriguing: fully automated and scalable farms co-located with grocer distribution centers, drastically reducing labor, transport, and energy inefficiencies. The roughly 1,000-square-foot facility’s framework is a cube storage system from warehouse technology company AutoStore, growing around 4,000 pounds of leafy greens and herbs per month.
But produce sales aren’t the end game; rather, Opollo’s parent company, OnePointOne, intends to sell the farms themselves—targeting retailers and distributors who want more control over fresh supply. The goal is lower capital expenditures, lower operating costs, and a clearer path to positive unit economics.
Sam Bertram, CEO of OnePointOne, knows that vertical farming is under the microscope right now. And in this interview, he repeatedly told CEAg World that vertical farming is “really hard.” But with a Whole Foods pilot program under way and imminent plans to expand into strawberries and mushrooms, Bertram is all in. Here, he shares his perspective on keeping costs down, the evolving role of the grower, and why he believes Opollo Farm is poised to succeed where others have failed.
Watch the full YouTube video clip below. (Having trouble viewing the video? Click here.)
