In April 2022, Bowery Farming partnered with The Nature Conservancy to shine a light on Rewilding for Earth Month. This “Rewild the Land” initiative supported conservation efforts in restoring ecosystem biodiversity and raised awareness about the Rewilding movement, which returns retired farmland and other degraded land to Mother Nature.
Bowery utilized its shelf space in more than 1,000 grocery stores and its social media reach on Instagram and Twitter to spread the word about the conservation and preservation work led by The Nature Conservancy, including their Plant a Billion Trees Initiative. Bowery also pledged to restore 50 acres in the U.S., including two focal points: the Mississippi Alluvial Valley and Longleaf Pine Forests.
This work took two main forms. First, Bowery updated packaging to feature cutouts of six animals that are residents of Longleaf Pine Forests and the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. This pack takeover included animals like the Louisiana Black Bear, which has been recently delisted as an endangered species thanks to conservation efforts. The packs included a QR code which connected consumers to information on how to take action to support conservation. And second, Bowery supported the pack takeover with eye-catching social media posts.
The specific goals of this project were: 1. Raise awareness about Rewilding and The Nature Conservancy’s preservation work and 2. Prompt a dialogue about how conservation can take new and interesting forms. With vertical farming – when we can grow inside, we can restore outside.
To maximize impact this past Earth Month, Bowery partnered with The Nature Conservancy, a global nonprofit working to address land conservation and the climate crisis. The missions of both organizations overlapped in this initiative, as Rewilding and indoor vertical farming are both part of the solution to global challenges from climate change to feeding growing populations.
In 2022, conservation and preservation look different, and Bowery sought to be a leader in expanding the dialogue around these topics. Our country (and our planet) need creative solutions in order to address issues like food system resiliency and the impact of climate and extreme weather on crops. While some observers may not automatically make the connection between vertical farming and Rewilding, Bowery sought to spotlight how controlled environment agriculture (CEA) can play a significant role in restoring degraded land.
The impact of Rewilding is extensive: ecosystem biodiversity returns, forests can act as a carbon sink, and once endangered species can thrive again in their natural habitats. Bowery envisions a future where technology can help to make the world a better place; by growing inside (and turning non-arable land into farmland), we can allow Mother Nature to heal outside.
Bowery executed this plan in several steps. First, Bowery engaged a creative team; Phillip Nessen of Nessen Co. designed the pack takeover, bringing memorable, original, and innovative designs to the packs. The animal cutouts including a woodpecker, fox, and butterfly were all whimsical and eye-catching, drawing the attention of consumers at the shelf.
Once the packs had a customer’s attention, Bowery took this engagement a step further with a QR code. By scanning the code, customers could connect to information to take action to 1. Learn about rewilding 2. Support The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign 3. Attend Bowery’s Earth Day Festival in NYC and 4. Donate time or money.
Key features beyond the packs themselves included blog posts, social media posts, and Earth Day event announcements. All of these initiatives included opportunities for readers to dig deeper into Rewilding and learn more about the movement. The project was brought to life with images of black bear cubs and threatened species like the Gopher Tortoise; striking photographs of the ecosystems Bowery’s pledge sought to restore; and animations that brought the “wild” in Rewild to life.
This work is unique because it is changing the conversation around preservation. It displays leadership in utilizing shelf space to promote awareness for a movement like Rewilding and expands the potential for causes that a vertical farming company like Bowery can support. Sustainability has always been core to Bowery’s mission, and in celebration of Earth Month, we took that dedication one step further to spotlight a key solution for the future of our planet’s health.
Bowery, the largest vertical company in the U.S., brought our “Rewild the Land” pack takeover to more than 1,000 grocery stores in all our retail partners including Whole Foods Market, Giant Food, and Walmart. Metrics including units sold, QR code scans, social media engagement, and attendance at our Earth Day event in New York City all exceeded expectations. In Q2 2022, Bowery revenue grew 75% vs. Q2 2021.
Earth Month can be a challenging time to make a splash with an environmental initiative, but Bowery succeeded in connecting with consumers during a crowded time by getting creative with the visuals, providing actionable steps to get involved or donate, and sharing thought-provoking information that was of value to consumers.
Exposing many thousands of customers to the Rewilding movement and its potential to do good for the planet is a proud moment for Bowery. In our everyday work, we are striving to democratize access to fresh food and reinvent the fresh food supply chain; with this initiative Bowery Farming added another layer to the impact that one company with a mission can achieve.
