Food insecurity is rising and at the same time, access to fresh, nutritious produce remains one of the biggest gaps in hunger relief. That’s why Fork Farms is proud to partner with Rockwell Automation and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin on a bold, first-of-its-kind initiative called Clock Tower Farms.
Located on the fourth floor of Rockwell Automation’s Milwaukee headquarters, Clock Tower Farms will become a year-round source of fresh food for the neighboring communities. When fully operational, the farm will house 72 Flex Acres, producing hundreds of thousands of pounds of leafy greens and other crops annually. This fresh food will all be grown indoors, just steps away from distribution.
Rockwell is donating the space, hydroponic growing systems, and produce to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin at a critical time. Food pantries across Eastern Wisconsin are experiencing some of the highest demand in over a decade. For neighbors facing hunger, the impact of this collaboration will be immediate and tangible. Fresh food will move directly from harvest to distribution, traveling directly from the Clock Tower Farms dock to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s trucks, eliminating long-term storage, transportation delays, and therefore loss of freshness. The result is food that’s not only nutritious, but also dignified, accessible, and reliable for families who need it most.
At the heart of Clock Tower Farms are the 72 Flex Acres in 7,300 square feet which use nutrient-infused, recirculated water to nourish plant roots and optimize growth. Paired with Rockwell’s PlantPAx® system, the hydroponic farm continuously monitors and automatically adjusts nutrients, pH, and water levels based on the specific crops being grown.
Rockwell Automation and Fork Farms also partnered to develop the Acre Command, a new integrated control system designed alongside the Flex Acre to simplify the complexity of managing indoor environments at scale. Acre Command combines HVAC, power, and plumbing into a single, fully integrated solution that recaptures energy and water within the space. This technology reduces the need for costly facility upgrades, lowers capital investment, and accelerates installation timelines.
The Acre Command system also enables multiple crops with different environmental needs to be grown simultaneously, unlocking new efficiencies and expanding what can be produced within a single footprint. We are proud to introduce this new farming technology that will have a long-lasting impact on how we grow food and preserve the planet.
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What’s the Impact?
Once complete, Clock Tower Farms is expected to deliver meaningful results for people and the planet alike:
- 200,000 pounds of fresh produce harvested each year — enough for a side salad for more than 38,500 people every week
- 5.9 million gallons of water saved compared to traditional farming
- 5.5 acres of conventional farmland conserved.
Most importantly, Clock Tower Farms will strengthen Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s hunger relief network by expanding access to nutrient-dense foods that support long-term health, aligning closely with the Feeding America’s NourishRx “Food as Medicine” approach.
Clock Tower Farms is currently under construction and is expected to be fully operational in the back half of 2026.
For Fork Farms, this project represents what’s possible when technology, purpose, and partnership come together. By reimagining how and where food is grown, we can build more resilient food systems and ensure that fresh food is not a luxury, but a given, even during times of growing need.
You’ll be seeing more about Clock Tower Farms in the news in the coming months, so look out for this innovation. Contact Fork Farms today to learn more about how your organization can follow suit to make a significant impact on food security, health and the environment.
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