Urban Greens

04/14/2025

Drip, drip, drip. Our hydroponic racks use nutrient water to provide our seedlings with the essential building blocks to grow into healthy greens

04/07/2025

Some little arugula seedlings are reaching for light after being uncovered in germination

04/01/2025

This is our germination cart. It is probably the single biggest time saver in our operation. As we scaled up into a warehouse, there were more and more channels that were further and further apart. That meant a lot of time carrying channels.

This cart allows us to bring the germinated channels directly to the grow racks and seamlessly slide them into position. This has saved us thousands of trips of walking across the warehouse

03/31/2025

Urban Greens is turning 8 years old! Here's a look back at some milestones over the years

Year 0 – Farmers Market Beginnings
We started at the local farmers market, learning to grow and sell produce while connecting with our community. Markets are an incredible place to network—some of our first customers were chefs and restaurant owners!

Year 1 – First Basement Microgreens
Growing year-round meant moving indoors. We expanded beyond markets and focused on consistency. We learned that specializing in a few products is far more effective than growing everything!

Year 2 – Grocery Store Debut
Our greens made it to their first grocery store shelf! Selling beyond markets required food safety permits and liability coverage, but it opened the door to bigger opportunities.

Year 3 – Transitioning to Hydroponics
We moved from soil to hydroponics, leading to higher yields with less labor. Then focused on designing an efficient system that made scaling easier.

Year 4 – Scaling Production
Demand grew faster than we could keep up! Expanding to a larger site helped, but balancing production, customer relationships, and R&D was a real challenge. Scaling requires more than just space—it demands smarter workflows.

Year 5 – Consolidating in One Location
After bouncing between multiple sites, we centralized in a warehouse. Every grow space is unique, and we quickly learned that irrigation, HVAC, and schedules need constant real-time adjustments to keep plants thriving.

Year 6 – Peak Production & Efficiency
Operating at full capacity meant refining every process. Hiring part-time help for packaging and delivery was a game-changer. Plus, innovations like reusable grow mats and custom-built carts cut labor and costs significantly.

Year 7 – From Growers to System Designers
We built our first custom hydroponic system for a grower in Tennessee. What started as a way to optimize our own farm had real value for others. Sharing our journey on social media led to a whole new business!

Year 8 – Large Scale Production Installation
We completed a turn-key installation of our Commercial Production Racks for growers in Canada and have several installations scheduled for 2025!

03/26/2025

Greens on greens on greens! This rack of baby greens are about halfway through their growth cycle. One more week and they will be ready to harvest

11/27/2022

Urban Greens shared a post on Instagram: "We remember what life was like before we discovered reusable media. No more time wasted mixing and screening soil. No more buying ingredients every month. These grow mats have been used dozens, if not hundreds of times • • • • • ...

04/27/2022

Greens on greens on greens 🌱

02/07/2022

Harvest Day at UG 🌱
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01/17/2022

Beautiful dish created by from ! We are delighted to see our greens used by such high quality culinary artists 🌱 @ Big Grove Brewery

12/02/2021

Greens in Bay 2 ready to harvest

11/29/2021

Harvesting is so satisfying

11/26/2021

Pulling some channels and preparing the greens for harvest 🌱

10/18/2021

08/09/2021

Taking a little time off Urban Greens to experience some natural beauty

06/09/2021

Get them while you can!

It's our second week of special anniversary deals! This week, get a package of Urban Greens for $3.50 (normally $4.99), now through next Tuesday!

03/29/2021

At Urban Greens we custom design and construct all our own grow racks. Here’s a look at our most recent LED light fixture that will provide the light needed to grow our greens in our new warehouse space! Warehouse progress pictures coming soon.....

03/12/2021

Got some beautiful Lolla Rosa lettuce growing. Just a few more weeks and they’ll be ready to harvest. Lolla Rosa is not only one of the many lettuce varieties in our Lettuce Medley, but it’s also going on the burgers at Tiki Tacos ‘n Burgers ‘n Wings. Be sure to check it out when the open on April 2!

02/26/2021

Anyone looking for some air conditioners + coolbot system

https://iowacity.craigslist.org/grd/d/iowa-city-coolbot-set-up-with-ac-units/7282596237.html

Like new Coolbot controller with LG 24,000 Btu air conditioner Model LW2516ERY7 & LG 18,000 Btu air conditioner Model LW1816ER (purchased as a spare). The Coolbot and 24,0000 Btu AC only used...