Rockwell’s Indoor Farm Will Supply Fresh Produce to Feeding America
Clock Tower Farms, housed in company's headquarters, plans to be operational later this year.
Rockwell Automation, 1201-1251 S. 2nd St. Photo by Mariiana Tzotcheva
Clock Tower Farms, housed in Rockwell Automation‘s Milwaukee headquarters, is expected to be fully operational later this year, the company announced on May 1.
First announced in August 2023, the project will install 72 hydroponic growing systems on the fourth floor of the building at 1201 S. 2nd St., converting underutilized space into an indoor urban farm expected to produce up to 200,000 pounds of leafy greens annually.
Rockwell is collaborating with Fork Farms on the venture, which combines technology from both companies to optimize growth and efficiency.
Flex Acre systems from Fork Farms use nutrient-infused, recirculated water to nourish plant roots, with a modular design to lower costs and maximize yields, according to the company. Rockwell’s PlantPAx technology will monitor and automatically adjust nutrient, pH and water levels based on crop needs.
“Clock Tower Farms demonstrates how industrial automation can solve real-world challenges at scale and meaningfully impact our communities,” said Patricia Contreras, Rockwell’s vice president of community impact, in a statement.
Rockwell is donating the space and growing systems for Clock Tower Farms to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, which joined the collaboration earlier this year.
“Since the idea of Clock Tower Farms was initially announced, Rockwell had been searching for the perfect partner to make use of the space and to have the greatest impact in the community,” Dwyer Williams, chief marketing officer at Fork Farms, told Urban Milwaukee in an email. “Rockwell found that partner in Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.”
The hunger relief organization will serve as the farm manager while overseeing logistics and distribution, said Cameron Wengrzyn, director of marketing and communications for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. While the farm will initially focus on leafy greens, Wengrzyn said its produce could diversify based on feedback from pantry partners and the residents they serve.
“Reliable access to fresh, nutritious food is critical to health and well-being,” said Patti Dew, interim president and CEO of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. “Clock Tower Farms strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality produce efficiently to pantry partners across our network, expanding access to foods that support long-term health for neighbors throughout Eastern Wisconsin.”
The partnership comes at a critical time, as Feeding America said in October 2025 that it has seen a 30% rise in demand across its network since the fall of 2022.
“For neighbors facing hunger, the impact of this collaboration will be immediate and tangible,” Rockwell said in the news release. “Fresh food will move directly from harvest to distribution, traveling from the Clock Tower Farms dock to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s trucks with no long-term storage, delays or unnecessary handling.”
The farm is also touted as environmentally friendly, claiming to save 5.9 million gallons of water compared to traditional growing methods and conserve 5.5 acres of conventional cropland.
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