Hundred Acre Builds on Milwaukee’s Urban Farming Tradition

The indoor facility vertical hydroponic growing systems are utilized to produce a variety of crops, including basil and a premium salad blend, year-round.

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Eat/Drink

Throughout the 21st century, the city of Milwaukee has been at the forefront of developments in the field of urban agriculture. Farms such as Growing Power and Sweet Water Organics highlighted how indoor spaces like greenhouses and abandoned industrial buildings could be transformed into sites of food production. These facilities highlighted new ways that food could be grown—using techniques like vermicomposting and aquaponics—in an era of climate crisis. Weather-related catastrophes, including drought or excessive heat, meant little to plants growing indoors.

While both Growing Power and Sweet Water Organics had closed up shop by 2017, the legacy of such efforts undoubtedly informs Hundred Acre, an urban farm that opened its doors in the Century City business park (3945 N. 31st St.) in 2022. At this indoor facility vertical hydroponic growing systems are utilized to produce a variety of crops, including basil and a premium salad blend, year-round.

Restaurants like Bacchus and Tre Rivali are Hundred Acre customers, as are grocery stores Outpost and Go Grocer MKE. Hundred Acre recently entered a new partnership with three Milwaukee-area Metro Markets. Metro Market Milwaukee (1123 N. Van Buren St.), Metro Market Shorewood (4074 N. Oakland Ave.) and Metro Market Mequon (11558 N. Port Washington Road) will stock Hundred Acre’s Basil Pesto, Italian Leaf Basil, and Salad Blend. “After three years of consistent, reliable year-round production to support surrounding area businesses,” explains Hundred Acre’s Founder and CEO Chris Corkery, Metro Market “learned that we are a trusted partner in the sustainable local food supply chain.”

“Bringing Hundred Acre into three of our Milwaukee area Metro Market stores,” notes Metro Market Vice President of Merchandising Brian LeStarge, “allows us to continue to deepen our focus on providing local products in-store.”

The partnership with Metro Market is just one of several new opportunities on the horizon for Hundred Acre. The farm will soon start to offer a variety of new products, including a basil-honey vinaigrette, a basil-infused honey, and a line of microgreens. In even bigger news, Hundred Acre is planning open a second farm in mid-2025 in the Riverwest neighborhood. Such an additional facility will increase Hundred Acre’s capacity to grow more of its flagship crops while also allowing them to introduce new lines of produce. All of this will add up to increased access to healthy food for customers in the metropolitan Milwaukee region.