AJ Willner Auctions to liquidate former Bowery Farming facility

AJ Willner Auctions has announced its upcoming liquidation of Bowery Farming’s vertical farming facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Bowery Farming, one of the largest vertical farm companies in the U.S., shuttered the doors of all its facilities, located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and New York, in late 2024. According to published reports, the company was once valued at more than $2 billion.

The auction will be conducted online-only, with bidding closing June 26. On-site previews will be available by appointment at the Bethlehem location.

The facility features 150,000 square feet of climate-controlled grow space, with automated racking systems, LED grow lights, hydroponic and fertigation components, robotics and more.

Items to be sold include modular racking and vertical grow towers, Fluence LED lighting systems, water filtration and recirculation systems, HVAC and dehumidification systems, conveyors, packing equipment and food-grade workstations, material handling, warehouse fixtures and office equipment.

“This is a rare opportunity to purchase high-quality, gently-used equipment from a world-class indoor farming operation,” said Harry Byrnes of AJ Willner Auctions. “Whether you're expanding your current ag-tech operation or entering the space for the first time, this sale offers tremendous value.”

For complete auction details, catalog and registration, click here.

Editor's note: Read more from Editorial Director Kelli Rodda about the closure of Bowery Farming last year:

The New York-based company, founded in 2015, had big plans, access to big capital and the ear of big-time celebrities like Justin Timberlake. In 2017, Bowery raised $20 million from a group of investors, including General Catalyst, GGV Capital and GV (formerly Google Ventures).

In 2021, Bowery secured $325 million in Series C funding, led by Fidelity Management & Research Company. The following year, it received a $150 million credit facility led by private credit accounts managed by KKR. The company expanded from its home base of New York and neighboring New Jersey facilities and opened high-tech farms in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Nottingham, Maryland.

But the growth strategy wound up being too aggressive, and additional funding wasn’t available. The company terminated plans to build two new facilities in Arlington, Texas, and the Atlanta metro area in 2023.