Macon Magazine

February/March 2026 | maconmagazine.com 55 LEFT BrightFarms lettuce gets picked and packaged for distribution. ABOVE Finished boxes and salad kits are ready to head from Macon to their destinations. "Seeing the impact firsthand reminds me why we do this work." BrightFarms. "Later that afternoon, they delivered 874 pounds of lettuce to the food bank," McCollum recalled, thinking back to that October day. "They made a substantial contribution from day zero." Since opening the facility in June 2025, BrightFarms has donated 44,000 pounds of lettuce and salad kits, the equivalent of about 36,000 meals. The impact extends beyond Central Georgia. Through Cox Farms' partnership with Feeding America, BrightFarms helps fight food insecurity across the country by donating fresh produce through a network of more than 200 food banks. "Seeing the impact firsthand reminds me why we do this work," said Davis. "These partnerships allow us to give back to local communities, reduce food waste, and make nutritious greens accessible to those who need them most." What started as a high-tech farming operation has grown into something rooted in the community. From new jobs and economic development to fresh food for families who need it most, the BrightFarms greenhouse reflects a new kind of agriculture taking shape in Middle Georgia. BrightFarms plans to continue growing in Macon — and not just lettuce. The company plans to expand the site to more than 1.5 million square feet, creating more than 250 jobs in the process. As BrightFarms continues to expand in Macon, that growth means more leafy greens with a longer shelf life and the opportunity to make an even longer- lasting impact on the community. Show off your salad-loving recipes by tagging @maconmagazine with your most colorful, crunchy meals. See our behind-the-scenes seed to salad outtakes on our social media platforms. them what we were doing. This is the future; this is not just a distribution center. It wasn't another 'normal' use of property," Bradley said. "It was a big deal for them to say, 'This is one of our last remaining parcels, and we want to make sure this industry is a good one.'" Giving Back Before the first shipment left the Macon greenhouse — and even before it was built —BrightFarms was already planting seeds in the community in a different way. "I think the biggest positive impact we will have on this world is the fact that we can make more fruits and vegetables accessible to people," Bradley said. Accessibility is a key part of the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank's mission. While enough food for people in the community is the ultimate goal, the organization also works to ensure families have access to healthy options. "When we look at purchasing food, we look at nutritional value, because we know that people who are food insecure may also have health conditions or want to eat healthier, just like the rest of the population," said Kathy McCollum, President and CEO of the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank. "We know they may need to limit sodium intake or sugar, or choose foods that help them become healthier." McCollum and her team were invited to attend BrightFarms' groundbreaking ceremony in 2023. It marked not only the beginning of construction for the greenhouse, but also the start of an important relationship between the food bank and

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