We are excited to present another Sussman Shank LLP client spotlight: Forward Greens. Our team recently had the chance to tour the local Forward Greens facility located in Vancouver, WA. This company is an indoor vertical farm, producing baby and micro greens with a passion for sustainability.
Forward Greens is improving how we grow our food by using 95% less water, 97% less land, and 100% less pesticides than traditional outdoor agriculture.
You can find their greens in Portland and Vancouver at Whole Foods Market, New Seasons Market, Chuck’s Produce and Street Market and Zupan’s Markets. Forward Greens products can also be found in Seattle, WA, at Whole Foods and Metropolitan Market.
Our Connection
Sussman Shank LLP has assisted Forward Greens with a variety of business and legal services, including, private placement offerings, trademarks, buy-sell agreements, corporate maintenance, general business work and employment matters.
“We are proud to represent Forward Greens, and it is rewarding to see their growth and success as a startup company. We admire their sustainability practices, vision, and entrepreneurial spirit, and have enjoyed learning a whole new way of farming,” says Darin Honn, a Sussman Shank partner.
About Forward Greens
Sustainable, Local & Grown Vertically, Forward Greens is a cosmopolitan, indoor farm that specializes in growing micro greens and baby greens. They took a farm and tilted it up, growing fields-worth of greens in a small warehouse space. Using air, water, light, and a lot of care, Forward Greens is growing the best food, while preserving our precious resources. Despite their current innovations, the relative novelty of indoor farming means that their practices to produce our food are still in constant development and refinement. That improvement takes time, effort, and a little bit of adventure. Being local has many advantages when it comes to food.
Their environmental focus doesn’t only apply to water and land savings. After reviewing a life cycle analysis, they’ve ditched the clamshells packaging that most greens and salads come in for packaging that requires much less plastic, to reduce the amount of single-use plastic that their product generates.
Forward Greens is also intentional about being a model member of its community. They are very interested in hiring local talent to work for them, which has included looking outside of the normal pool of applicants. Currently, Forward Greens is working with a local nonprofit to provide employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. They have been coordinating and planning with the nonprofit to be intentional about not creating a divisive or segregated environment, and each employee that was hired through the nonprofit works different days, different shifts and in different roles alongside their co-workers. Forward Greens also gives back by donating to other local causes, including weekly food donations to a nonprofit to provide free Chef-driven meals to those in need of food, nourishment, care and community.
Forward Greens was recently featured in Forbes as well as the Vancouver Business Journal, and KATUPortland.
Sussman Shank LLP. Our clients, our priority.
Throughout the firm’s history, we’ve been fortunate to represent clients who exemplify success in their sectors of the business community, both here in Portland, Oregon, and in many other locations. They include individuals, private and public entities, for-profit and not-for-profit enterprises, entrepreneurs, family-owned businesses, larger corporations with international reach, and businesses with a local or regional focus.
The backgrounds, business objectives, successes, and future goals of our clients are varied. One common thread is that they have all chosen Sussman Shank LLP to represent their interests and help drive their success. We value that trust and those relationships, and are pleased to turn the spotlight on a small sampling of our many successful clients.