Rockwell Automation, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Fork Farms Launch Clock Tower Farms
Innovative indoor farm at Rockwell’s Milwaukee headquarters begins regular operations, expanding access to fresh produce across Eastern Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced that Clock Tower Farms is fully operational and beginning regular food production and distribution in partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Fork Farms. Located at Rockwell’s Milwaukee headquarters, the first-of-its-kind indoor farm combines advanced hydroponic growing systems and industrial automation technology to produce fresh, nutritious food year-round for communities across Eastern Wisconsin.
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Alex Tyink, CEO, Fork Farms; Blake Moret, Chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automation; and Monique Kelley, President and CEO, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, at the grand opening of Clock Tower Farms.
Rockwell employees have been volunteering to help build, clean, and prep the growing systems and will continue to support the farm through regular operations. At max capacity, Clock Tower Farms will feature 72 energy-efficient Fork Farms Flex Acre hydroponic systems capable of growing approximately 200,000 pounds of leafy greens and other produce annually, helping meet the growing demand for fresh, healthy food across the region.
The harvested produce will be distributed through Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s network of nearly 600 hunger-relief partners serving 35 counties.
“Clock Tower Farms is a great example of how Rockwell Automation technologies can be used to help simplify complex challenges and create meaningful impact in our communities,” said Blake Moret, Chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automation. “By combining Rockwell’s automation expertise with Fork Farms’ growing technology and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s distribution network, we’re creating a scalable model that delivers fresh food where it’s needed most and makes our community stronger.”
“Clock Tower Farms represents a new approach to strengthening local food systems and expanding access to nutritious produce,” said Monique Kelley, President and CEO,Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. “The ability to receive freshly harvested greens grown right here in Milwaukee helps us provide healthier food options to neighbors facing hunger while reducing the time and distance between harvest and distribution.”
“We designed our technology to make fresh food production possible in places where it can have the greatest impact,” said Alex Tyink, CEO,Fork Farms. “Seeing Clock Tower Farms move from vision to operation demonstrates what’s possible when organizations come together around a shared commitment to food access, sustainability, and community well-being.”
From seed to harvest: How Clock Tower Farms will grow food year-round
Clock Tower Farms uses controlled-environment agriculture and automation technology to grow fresh produce through a streamlined, year-round process:
- Seed: Within approximately two weeks of being planted, the seeds germinate and develop into healthy seedlings.
- Grow: Seedlings are transferred into Fork Farms’ Flex Acre growing systems, where nutrient-rich recirculating water feeds the roots and energy-efficient LED lights power photosynthesis. Rockwell’s PlantPAx® control system helps monitor and automatically adjusts nutrients, pH, and water levels based on the crops being grown, creating optimal conditions for production.
- Harvest: After around three weeks, the greens are ready for harvest. After being cut, they go directly to distribution. The food travels from the Clock Tower Farms dock to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s trucks with no long-term storage, delays, or unnecessary handling.
- Impact: With 72 energy-efficient Flex Acre systems, Clock Tower Farms is designed to grow approximately 200,000 pounds of fresh produce each year.
Strengthening access to nutritious food
Clock Tower Farms was created to help address food insecurity while demonstrating how industrial automation and controlled-environment agriculture can support community needs. By moving fresh produce directly from the farm to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s distribution network, the collaboration creates a direct connection between each harvest and the community it serves.
Rockwell employees have been volunteering with Fork Farms to get Clock Tower Farms up and running. Take a look at additional media resources to see how it all came together.
About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries as of fiscal year end 2025. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.
About Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is the largest hunger relief organization in Wisconsin, with food banks in Milwaukee and Appleton. Founded in 1982 by the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, the organization is a locally led and independently operated member of the national Feeding America network of food banks. In collaboration with nearly 600 hunger relief partners and trusted community-based programs, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin provides nutritious, high-quality, and culturally relevant food to neighbors facing hunger across 35 counties in Eastern Wisconsin. Committed to building stronger, healthier communities, the organization works to address the root causes of hunger through education, strategic partnerships, and innovative community-centered solutions. Learn more at FeedingAmericaWI.org.
About Fork Farms
Fork Farms is a food access technology company helping build the future of fresh food infrastructure. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the company develops indoor hydroponic farming technology and digital tools that enable organizations to grow fresh, nutritious food year-round in almost any environment.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261111638559/en/
Rockwell Automation media contact:
Ed Moreland
Head of Government Affairs and Corporate Communications
+1 571-296-0391
[email protected]
Rockwell Automation Investor Relations contact:
Aijana Zellner
Head of Investor Relations and Market Strategy
+1 440-289-8439
[email protected]
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin media contact:
Cameron Wengrzyn
Director of Marketing and Communications
+1 920-238-2755
[email protected]
Fork Farms media contact:
Krista Koranda
Fork Farms Corporate Communications
303-596-1220
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Wisconsin Illinois
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Technology Philanthropy Food/Beverage Other Philanthropy Agriculture Natural Resources Retail Software Foundation Hardware Food Tech
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| Alex Tyink, CEO, Fork Farms; Blake Moret, Chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automation; and Monique Kelley, President and CEO, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, at the grand opening of Clock Tower Farms. |
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| Clock Tower Farms was created to help address food insecurity while demonstrating how industrial automation and controlled-environment agriculture can support community needs. |
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