Growing Change, One Building at a Time: A Q&A with Green Food Solutions Founder Mary Wetherill
From indoor farm amenities in apartment buildings to a franchise model designed for real-world profitability and impact, Mary Wetherill, CEO and Co-Founder of Green Food Solutions, is rethinking how food is grown. With a mission to empower a new local food system through partnerships, her team is helping entrepreneurs launch controlled environment farms that are practical, profitable, and deeply connected to their communities. Ahead of exhibiting at the upcoming CEA Summit East in Danville, Virginia, we caught up with Mary to learn more about the model behind Green Food Solutions—and why she believes this locally rooted, partnership-driven approach is the future of urban farming.
Your mission to empower a new local food system through partnerships is front and center in everything Green Food Solutions does. What does that look like in practice—and why do you think this kind of local, community-driven approach is the future of CEA?
At a high level, Empowering a New Local Food System™ through partnerships means taking the workable, practical and profitable Farming as a Service (FaaS™) business model we created in Jersey City and throughout NYC—and working with approved partner farmers and entrepreneurs to replicate it. We train, support, and help them launch Green Food Solutions Farm Amenity® and Garden Amenity® businesses in cities across the East Coast and beyond.
Our partners are trained into leaders and innovators of a successful modern urban farming approach in each area or multiple areas. Why we know the model we created is the future of CEA in cities, is simple. It’s practical, profitable and scalable.
All the renderings and visions of what urban farming in cities could look like—skyscrapers with cows on every floor, plants covering building exteriors—were unrealistic, often unsafe or inhumane, and not practical or profitable. Rooftop farms on buildings 10 stories or higher face challenges like intense wind exposure, which can pose serious liability issues for property owners. Meanwhile, a number of the large-scale, factory-style CEA farms that were once held up as success stories have shut down.
While many industrial CEA farms set out to create local food production with fewer food miles, greater access, sustainability, and resilience in our cities and communities, the reality often fell short. A closer look reveals that some vertical farms relied on traditional sales channels—like grocery stores—that required them to ship food thousands of miles just to reach their markets. As for food access, most of their products were sold at premium prices, making them inaccessible to those who could not afford it.
Regarding sustainability, CEA farms face hurdles from food miles to reliance on substrates like peat with environmental drawbacks. High energy consumption is another major concern. And while aiming for resilience, some large, factory size CEA farms are still subject to pathogens, supply chain disruptions and dependence on conventional agriculture for essentials like seeds. It is certainly not resilient in the way it was imagined.
We wanted to build a food system that adapts to the world today because we need a new food system now. So we created something practical that works in the built environment that exists. We also had it in our main goals to create a business that meets the vision, as imagined, of local food production, access, sustainability and resilience. At Green Food Solutions we completely avoided traditional sales channels and created new ones instead. We created a new model and food system entirely. This is why we know it is the future of CEA, especially in cities.
The idea of treating indoor farms as building amenities—like a pool or gym—is such a creative twist. What sparked that idea, and how are you seeing it change the way people interact with food in their communities?
We are farmers ourselves, and after farming in shipping containers in Brooklyn and selling the food to the local community we had to move our operation. We started renting a small section out of a 10,000-square-foot greenhouse to continue to grow for our customers alongside a failing commercial farm selling basil to Manhattan restaurants. We were also struggling to make ends meet as farmers selling the food we grew. The greenhouse was on top of an affordable housing building in the Bronx and I saw that none of the food they were growing went to the people who lived in the building.
That was it. I had the idea to put farms in every building where people lived. It hit everything we thought was important in a local food system: zero food miles, access and affordability. I set off and spoke to as many developers as we could. When we got our first break it was our flagship farm on the rooftop at the Denizen in Brooklyn NY. Seventy-nine hydroponic systems growing all sorts of varieties of crops from leafy greens, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, strawberries and more. It was home to all our research. We sell the food, offer a CSA, and all the testing and research on what to grow.
We refined the model with customer input and what was valuable to them. It was a lot of work, but we created a profitable system that now is a win-win for cities, property owners and farmers together. As other developers saw what we did, they kept referring us to others because they saw how we were different from other attempts. We now have farms in buildings all over the city in community centers, senior centers, food pantries, homeless shelters, multiple luxury residential buildings, corporate offices, schools, wellness centers, libraries and even correctional facilities and residential treatment facilities.
All of our farms except for our first, is an indoor CEA farm serving freshly harvested food weekly to the people who live, work or play in that building. Our farmers have become the most popular members of the communities they grow for and we are reconnecting people with their food system once again. All the food is picked up after every harvest and many of the community members say it’s the highlight of their week when our farmers are on site. They love knowing their farmers and having a say about what we grow for them.
You’ve spoken candidly about the struggles many CEA businesses face, from startup costs to limited access. How does your franchise model flip the script and help more people launch successful, mission-driven farms?
I think how we flip the switch is simple. On a high level, our model is already proven and tested, while most CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) farms are still trying to figure out commercial viability and a working business model in real-time. Again, they’re often still using traditional sales channels and supply chains. We, on the other hand, don’t rely on those traditional channels or distribution.
Another game-changer is that, in our model, a farmer gets paid for their farming, not just the sale of the food. This makes a huge difference in the quality of life and bottom line of an urban farm business. Monetarily, starting a partnership with Green Food Solutions in your city or area has very low startup costs, especially compared to building a commercial farm. Factory CEA has astronomical startup and operational costs. Our model shows our partners how to cover not only their ROI in year one but also their operating costs.
Just like our food system, we’re transparent about our startup costs and the fast ROI our system can provide. Our low-end startup cost is $57,603.33, and that can be covered by just one Farm Amenity® sale. Our business is exactly that – a real business to not only grow food but also profits. Our training and business support help launch each new partnership into the same success we’ve created as we continue to grow together.
We’re even required by the Federal Trade Commission to share our numbers with potential partners. We’re proud of our success and are committed to supporting our partners on their path to success too. That’s another thing that really flips the switch: we work together. Most large CEA farms are proprietary and private; they often don’t even allow the community to enjoy the farms or be part of the local food they’re asked to buy. With Green Food Solutions, you’re an active member of your community.
Training and education are big parts of what you offer. For someone new to farming—or even just curious—what are the most important things they need to know before getting started?
The wonderful thing about this business opportunity is that all they need to do other than get 2 certifications — 1 in food safety and 1 in IPM management — is to be able to follow a system. Our partners receive a comprehensive operation manual detailing:
o Establishing your Business (EIN, Insurances, site selection, etc)
o Personnel (hiring processes, interviewing process, employment law, job descriptions, etc)
o Marketing your Business (local promotion, brand specs, public relations, marketing strategies, etc)
o Operating Procedures and SOPs (equipment and supply lists, vendors, processes and how to do everything step by step).
They also get leads generated from us, sales call support, marketing templates, proposal templates, grand opening support, social media management, technology support, PowerPoints and scripts for sales and engaging their community at the farm. We provide a complete system to follow for their success. And they have our dedicated support every step of the way as they grow the business.
You’re now growing a network of franchise partners around the country. What kinds of people are drawn to this work, and what impact are you seeing as they bring Green Food Solutions to their own communities?
We have a vetting system we use to validate our potential partners. We see a lot of people interested in the work we are doing. Some people who are looking to switch careers and be part of making a difference while building a business for their future.
What we look for first and foremost in a person is the passion to be part of a food system & brand that is centered around addressing the issues of access, affordability, sustainability and resilience in a real way. We look for a team player. We ask a series of questions that include evaluating the territory they are interested in starting a Green Food Solutions, as well as why they want to be part of a franchise as opposed to owning an independent business. How do they plan on running the business, do they want to hire or be the farmer themselves and how soon do they plan to begin operations?
These are only a scratch and sniff of the questions we ask and the deep dive we take together. We know we are in this for the long haul together, so we also look for good people we want to work with. Good people for a better food system now. That’s what we are looking for in a partner. All else can be trained. We offer discounts to our veterans, LGBTQ and Black owned business partners.
To learn more, visit the Green Food Solutions website.
You can also talk to the Green Food Solutions team at their tabletop exhibit at the upcoming CEA Summit East, September 9-10, 2025 in Danville, Virginia.