On Tuesday, November 10, we’re putting shovels in the ground in Mankato.
It’s a moment our team has been working toward for more than a year, and we don’t want to celebrate it alone. We’re marking the start of construction with the people who made it possible: our neighbors, our partners, and the community we’re proud to be joining. Here’s what’s coming, and how you can be part of the day.
A new kind of food facility for southern Minnesota
Our Mankato facility will grow certified organic microgreens and oyster mushrooms indoors, year-round. Every growing room will be precisely controlled, so the season, the weather, and the calendar won’t decide what’s fresh. That means chefs, distributors, and specialty food buyers will be able to count on the same quality in January as in July, grown right here in Minnesota instead of shipped across the country.
Why Mankato
We looked at several different locations around Minnesota and Mankato kept rising to the top: a region with deep agricultural roots, a community that shows up for new ideas, and partners who wanted to build this with us, not just for us. APX Construction Group is building our headquarters and first facility in Mankato and has been a true partner from the first conversation. Greater Mankato Growth and the City of Mankato have welcomed us every step of the way.
The groundbreaking
We’ll gather at Verdánt’s groundbreaking site, beginning at 2:00 p.m. for a short ceremony that will include Mayor Najwa Massad, City Manager Susan Arntz, Greater Mankato Growth and its Ambassadors, and the APX team. Then, with November in Minnesota in mind, we’ll head next door and move the celebration indoors for a reception.
Andrew Zimmern joins us
We’re thrilled to be joined by chef, author, and television personality Andrew Zimmern, who has been part of the Verdánt story from early on as an advisor and investor. Andrew has spent his career championing great ingredients and the people who grow them, and he’ll share a few words about why this project matters to him.
Mankato’s next chefs take on microgreens
The reception will feature small bites created by culinary students from South Central College. Student teams are developing their own recipes featuring microgreens, with feedback from Andrew along the way. At the event, guests will taste each team’s creation and vote for their favorite. It’s exactly the kind of collaboration we hoped to find in Mankato, and we’ll share the students’ recipes here on The Grow Room after the event.
Join us
- Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
- Time: 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
- Groundbreaking: 1761 Energy Drive, Mankato, MN 56001
- Reception: 1021 Elevate Lane, Suite 300, Mankato, MN (next door)
- RSVP: RSVP on LinkedIn or on the Facebook event
Food is part of the celebration, so please RSVP to help us plan for the right headcount.
Whether you’re a neighbor, a chef, a grower, or simply curious about where your food comes from, we’d love to see you there. This is the first chapter of Verdánt in Mankato and we’re glad to be writing it together.