RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock is highly speculative and involves a significant degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below and elsewhere in this prospectus, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. Our business faces significant risks and the risks described below may not be the only risks we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may materially affect our business, results of operations, or financial condition. If any of these risks occur, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business

We have a history of losses, expect to continue to incur losses in the near term and may not achieve or sustain profitability in the future, and as a result, our management has identified and our auditors agreed that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

We have incurred significant losses since our inception. We have experienced net losses of approximately $2.081 million for the period March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 and $2.345 million in the six months ended June 30, 2021. We expect our capital expenses and operational expenses to increase in the future due to expected increased sales and marketing expenses, operational costs, and general and administrative costs and, therefore, our operating losses will continue or even increase at least through the near term. Furthermore, to the extent that we are successful in increasing our customer base, we will also incur increased expenses because costs associated with generating and supporting customer agreements are generally incurred up front, while revenue is generally recognized ratably over the term of the relationship. You should not rely upon our recent revenue growth as indicative of future performance. We may not reach profitability in the near future or at any specific time in the future. If and when our operations do become profitable, we may not sustain profitability.

The report of our independent registered public accounting firm that accompanies our audited consolidated financial statements contains a going concern qualification in which such firm expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result if we are unable to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, holders of our securities might lose their entire investment. Although we plan to attempt to raise additional capital through one or more private placements or public offerings, the doubts raised relating to our ability to continue as a going concern may make our shares an unattractive investment for potential investors. These factors, among others, may make it difficult to raise any additional capital and may cause us to be unable to continue to operate our business.

We currently operate our flagship facility pursuant to an arrangement with our predecessor and the lessor of the land instead of a lease.

We currently do not have a formal lease to the land on which our flagship facility, in Belvidere, New Jersey, is built. We are currently party to an ongoing arrangement with our predecessor company, Edible Garden Corp., whereby we make lease payments of approximately $15,300 per month to the lessor of the land on which our flagship facility is built and for which our predecessor company is the lessee. We do not have a lease in place directly with the lessor of the property that gives us the right to operate the property. Accordingly, we are subject to the risk that we will lose access to the property if the lessor were to evict us from the facility and property. If we were unable to access the property and continue operations in Belvidere, New Jersey, we may lose the ability to continue growing as great a quantity of herbs and lettuce and may be unable to continue our business. If those risks occur, you could lose the entire value of your investment in us.

We may need to raise capital in addition to this offering, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all, and which may cause dilution to holders of our common stock, restrict our operations or adversely affect our ability to operate and continue our business.

If we need to raise additional funds due to unforeseen circumstances or material expenditures or if our operating results are worse than expected, we cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain additional financing on favorable terms, if at all, and any additional financings could result in additional dilution to holders of our common stock. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions such as incurring additional debt, expending capital, or declaring dividends, or which impose financial covenants on us that limit our ability to achieve our business objectives. If we need additional capital and cannot raise it on acceptable terms, we may not be able to meet our business objectives, our stock price may fall and you may lose some or all of your investment.

We have a relatively short operating history, which makes it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects.

We have a relatively short operating history, which makes it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects. While the predecessor business has existed since 2013, our company has been in existence only since March 2020. We have encountered, and will continue to encounter, risks and difficulties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly changing industries, including those related to:

If we do not manage these risks successfully, our business and financial performance will be adversely affected.

We earned approximately 58% of our revenue from two customers during the six months ended June 30, 2021 and approximately 34% of our revenue from one customer in the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, and if we lose any of these customers or if we are unable to replace the revenue through the sale of our products to additional customers, our financial condition and results from operations would be materially and adversely affected.

During the six months ended June 30, 2021, two customers accounted for approximately 58% of our total revenue, and during the period from March 28, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, one of our customers accounted for approximately 34% of our total revenue. This concentration of customers leaves us exposed to the risks associated with the loss of one or more of these significant customers, which would materially and adversely affect our revenues and results of operations. If these customers were to significantly reduce their relationship with us, or in the event that we are unable to replace the revenue through the sale of our products to additional customers, our financial condition and results from operations could be negatively impacted, and such impact would likely be significant.

The loss of one or more of the Company’s customers, or a reduction in the level of purchases made by these customers, could negatively impact the sales and profits of the Company.

The Company sells its products to national and local supermarket chains. If sales to one or more of the Company’s largest customers are reduced, this reduction may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and financial condition. These customers make purchase decisions based on a combination of price, product quality, consumer demand, customer service performance, desired inventory levels and other factors that may be important to them at the time the purchase decisions are made. Changes in these customers’ strategies or purchasing patterns may adversely affect the sales of the Company. For example, the customers may face financial or other difficulties, which may impact their operations and cause them to reduce their level of purchases, which could then adversely affect the Company’s results of operations. Any bankruptcy or other business disruption involving one of the Company’s significant customers also could adversely affect the results of operations as well.

Our relationships with customers are based on purchase orders rather than long-term purchase commitments.

We are subject to uncertainty because our relationships with customers are based on purchase orders rather than long-term purchase commitments. To ensure availability of our products, in some cases we start sowing our products in advance of receiving purchase orders for those products. Inaccuracies in our estimates of customer demand and product mix could negatively affect our ability to supply product to our customers and operating results. Our customers can cancel purchase orders or defer the shipments of our products under certain circumstances with little or no advance notice to us. If we grow more products than we are able to sell to our customers, we will incur losses and our results of operations and financial condition will be harmed.

Our secured indebtedness could have important consequences to you.

Our secured indebtedness could have important consequences to you. For example, it could:

Our secured indebtedness, held by Sament and Evergreen, is secured by a security interest in all of our assets. If we were to default on our obligations under the Sament Notes and Evergreen Note, Sament first, and then Evergreen, would have the right to our assets. We could be required to dispose of material assets or operations to meet our debt service and other obligations, and the value realized on such assets or operations will depend on market conditions and the availability of buyers. Accordingly, any such sale may not, among other things, be for a sufficient dollar amount. If we were to otherwise attempt to sell material assets or operations, the foregoing encumbrances may limit our ability to dispose of material assets or operations. In the event that Sament and Evergreen enforced their rights to our assets, we may have to discontinue our business, and our investors could lose all or a part of their investment in us.

We have a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, which if left unremediated could materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

As of December 31, 2020 and June 30, 2021, we did not maintain effective controls over the control environment, including our internal control over financial reporting. Because we are a small company with few employees in our finance department, we lacked the ability to have adequate segregation of duties in the financial statement preparation process. Further, our Board of Directors does not currently have any independent members and no director qualifies as an audit committee financial expert as defined in Item 407(d)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K. Since these entity level controls have a pervasive effect across the organization, management has determined that these circumstances constitute a material weakness. If we are unable to remediate this material weakness as a newly public company, our financial reporting may not be reliable and the market price of our common stock may be adversely affected.

The Company’s performance may be impacted by general and regional economic volatility or an economic downturn.

An overall decline in economic activity could adversely impact the Company’s business and financial results. Economic uncertainty may reduce consumer spending as consumers make decisions on what to include in their food budgets. Economic uncertainty could also result in changing consumer preference. Shifts in consumer spending could result in increased pressure from competitors or customers that may require the Company to increase promotional spending or reduce the prices of some products, which could then lower revenue and profitability.

Additionally, the Company is subject to regional economic volatilities since the Company’s growing operations are located in a few areas, including Belvidere, New Jersey; Half Moon Bay, California; Hilliard, Florida; Francesville, Indiana; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Berlin, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; and Hixton, Wisconsin. The Company’s use of hydroponic farming requires that it rely on local disease-free water sources and growing materials. Accordingly, any change in the availability of these local raw materials could adversely affect the Company’s operating results.

Our business would be adversely affected by the departure of members of our management team.

Our success depends, in large part, on the continued contributions of James E. Kras and Michael James. Although we have employment agreements in place for each of these executives, we cannot assure you that each will remain with us for a specified period. Although we have additional personnel that contribute to our business, the loss of either of these executives could harm our ability to implement our business strategy and respond to the rapidly changing market conditions in which we operate.

If we are unable to attract, train and retain qualified personnel, especially our management and sales personnel, we may not be able to effectively execute our business strategy.

Our future success depends on our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, including our management, sales and marketing, operational, transportation, finance and administration personnel. For example, we currently have a limited number of personnel for our picking, packing and shipping group and greenhouse floor operations. We do not know whether we will be able to hire sufficient workers for these positions to meet our production goals or, if hired, retain all of these personnel as we continue to pursue our business strategy. The loss of the services of one or more of our key employees, or our inability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

The costs of our operations may exceed our estimates due to factors outside of our control, such as labor shortages or external price increases, and we may be unable to pass those costs to our customers, which would negatively impact our financial results.

We depend on our employees and contracted grow operations teams to grow and distribute our products to our customers. We rely on access to competitive, local labor supply, including skilled and unskilled positions, to operate our business consistently and reliably. Any labor shortage, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic or other factors, and any disruption in our ability to hire workers would negatively affect our operations and financial condition. If we experience a sustained labor shortage, we may need to increase wages to attract workers, which would increase our costs of growing our products. Furthermore, if the prices of our raw materials, utilities or distributing our products were to increase, including due to inflationary pressures, we may be unable to pass those increased costs on to our customers. If we are unable to do so, our gross margin would decline, and our financial results would be negatively impacted.

We may implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business.

As an early-stage company, we may implement new lines of business at any time. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products and services, we may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and/or new products or services may not be achieved, and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. We may not be successful in introducing new products and services in response to industry trends or developments in technology, or those new products may not achieve market acceptance. As a result, we could lose business, be forced to price products and services on less advantageous terms to retain or attract clients, or be subject to cost increases. As a result, our business, financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected.

Damage to our reputation could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our reputation and the quality of our brand are critical to our business and success in existing markets, and will be critical to our success as we enter new markets. Any incident that erodes consumer loyalty for our brand could significantly reduce its value and damage our business. We may be adversely affected by any negative publicity, regardless of its accuracy. Also, there has been a marked increase in the use of social media platforms and similar devices, including blogs, social media websites and other forms of internet-based communications that provide individuals with access to a broad audience of consumers and other interested persons. The availability of information on social media platforms is virtually immediate as is its impact. Information posted may be adverse to our interests or may be inaccurate, each of which may harm our performance, prospects or business. The harm may be immediate and may disseminate rapidly and broadly, without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction.

The Company is subject to risk of product contamination and product liability claims.

The sales of our products involve the risk of injury to consumers. Such injuries may result from tampering by unauthorized personnel, product contamination or spoilage, including the presence of foreign objects, substances, chemicals, or residues introduced during the growing, packing, storage, handling or transportation phases. The Company cannot be sure that consumption of its products will not cause a health-related illness in the future or that it will not be subject to claims or lawsuits relating to such matters. Even if a product liability claim is unsuccessful, the negative publicity surrounding any assertion that the Company’s products caused illness or injury could adversely affect the Company’s reputation with existing and potential customers and its brand image.

We may incur substantial costs enforcing or acquiring intellectual property rights and defending against third-party claims as a result of litigation or other proceedings.

We may incur substantial costs enforcing or acquiring intellectual property rights and defending against third-party claims as a result of litigation or other proceedings. In connection with the enforcement of our own intellectual property rights, the acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights or disputes related to the validity or alleged infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, including patent rights, we may be subject to claims, negotiations or complex, protracted litigation. Intellectual property disputes and litigation may be costly and can be disruptive to our business operations by diverting attention and energies of management and key technical personnel, and by increasing our costs of doing business. If we fail to prevail in any future litigation and disputes, it could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Third-party intellectual property claims asserted against us could subject us to significant liabilities, require us to enter into royalty and licensing arrangements on unfavorable terms, prevent us from assembling or licensing certain of our products, subject us to injunctions restricting our sale of products, cause severe disruptions to our operations or the marketplaces in which we compete or require us to satisfy indemnification commitments with our customers, including contractual provisions under various license arrangements. In addition, we may incur significant costs in acquiring the necessary third-party intellectual property rights for use in our products. Any of these could seriously harm our business.

If we are unable to obtain patent protection for our products or otherwise protect our intellectual property rights, our business could suffer.

Our success depends, in part, on our ability to obtain patent protection for or maintain as trade secrets our proprietary products, technologies and inventions and to maintain the confidentiality of our trade secrets and know‑how, operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others and prevent others from infringing upon our business proprietary rights. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, it is possible that competitors or other unauthorized third parties may obtain, copy, use or disclose our technologies, inventions, processes or improvements. We cannot assure you that any of our existing or future patents or other intellectual property rights will be enforceable, will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or will otherwise provide us with meaningful protection or any competitive advantage. In addition, our four pending patent applications may not be granted. If our patents do not adequately protect our technology, our competitors may be able to offer products similar to ours. Our competitors may also be able to develop similar technology independently or design around our patents, and we may not be able to detect the unauthorized use of our proprietary technology or take appropriate steps to prevent such use. We may need to enter into intellectual property license agreements in the future, and if we are unable to obtain these licenses, our business could be harmed. Any of the foregoing events would lead to increased competition and lower revenues or gross margins, which could adversely affect our operating results.

Confidentiality agreements with employees and third parties may not prevent unauthorized disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information, and our inability to maintain the confidentiality of that information, due to unauthorized disclosure or use, or other event, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

In addition to the protection afforded by patents, we seek to rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary know-how that is not patentable or that we elect not to patent, processes for which patents are difficult to enforce, and any other elements of our product discovery and development processes that involve proprietary know-how, information, or technology that is not covered by patents. Trade secrets, however, may be difficult to protect. We seek to protect our proprietary processes, in part, by entering into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, advisors, contractors and collaborators. Although we use reasonable efforts to protect our trade secrets, our employees, consultants, advisors, contractors, and collaborators might intentionally or inadvertently disclose our trade secret information to competitors. In addition, competitors may otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or independently develop substantially equivalent information and techniques. Furthermore, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent or in the same manner as the laws of the United States. As a result, we may encounter significant problems in protecting and defending our intellectual property both in the United States and abroad. If we are unable to prevent unauthorized material disclosure of our intellectual property to third parties, or misappropriation of our intellectual property by third parties, we will not be able to establish or maintain a competitive advantage in our market, which could materially adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our business could be negatively impacted by cyber security threats, attacks and other disruptions.

We face advanced and persistent attacks on our information infrastructure where we manage and store various proprietary information and sensitive/confidential data relating to our operations. These attacks may include sophisticated malware (viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs) and phishing emails that attack our products or otherwise exploit any security vulnerabilities. These intrusions sometimes may be zero-day malware that are difficult to identify because they are not included in the signature set of commercially available antivirus scanning programs. Experienced computer programmers and hackers may be able to penetrate our network security and misappropriate or compromise our confidential information or that of our customers or other third-parties, create system disruptions, or cause shutdowns. Additionally, sophisticated software and applications that we produce or procure from third-parties may contain defects in design or manufacture, including “bugs” and other problems that could unexpectedly interfere with the operation of the information infrastructure. A disruption, infiltration or failure of our information infrastructure systems or any of our data centers as a result of software or hardware malfunctions, computer viruses, cyber-attacks, employee theft or misuse, power disruptions, natural disasters or accidents could cause breaches of data security, loss of critical data and performance delays, which in turn could adversely affect our business.

Security breaches of confidential customer information or confidential employee information may adversely affect our business.

Our business requires the collection, transmission and retention of large volumes of customer and employee data, and other personally identifiable information, in various information technology systems that we maintain and in those maintained by third parties with whom we contract to provide services. The integrity and protection of that customer and employee data is critical to us. The information, security and privacy requirements imposed by governmental regulation are increasingly demanding. Our systems may not be able to satisfy these changing requirements and customer and employee expectations, or may require significant additional investments or time in order to do so. A breach in the security of our information technology systems or those of our service providers could lead to an interruption in the operation of our systems, resulting in operational inefficiencies and a loss of profits. Additionally, a significant theft, loss or misappropriation of, or access to, customers’ or other proprietary data or other breach of our information technology systems could result in fines, legal claims or proceedings.

Risks Related to Our Industry

Failure to obtain necessary permits or otherwise comply with USDA regulations and requirements could result in a ban or temporary suspension of our ability to grow, manufacture or market our products as organic, and thus could materially adversely affect our business.

As a producer and distributor of food products, we are subject to the laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where our facilities are located and where our products are distributed. In particular we are subject to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011 (the “FSM Act”), which is enforced by the FDA. The FDA has the authority to regulate the growing, harvesting manufacture, including composition and ingredients, processing, labeling, packaging import, distribution and marketing and safety of food in the United States. The FSM Act significantly enhances the FDA’s authority over various aspects of food regulation. For example, the FSM Act granted the FDA mandatory recall authority when the FDA determines there is a reasonable probability that a food is adulterated or misbranded and that the use of, or exposure to, the food will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals. While the FDA has been active in implementing the requirements of the FSM Act through issuance of regulations designed to result in a reduction of the risk of contamination in food manufacturing, the full impact of the FSM Act is not yet known, and we cannot assure you that it will not materially impact our business. Regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions have similar authority to address the risk of contamination or adulteration, and to require that contaminated products be removed from the market. The failure to comply with these laws and regulations in any jurisdiction, or to obtain required approvals, could result in a ban or temporary suspension on the production of our products or limit or bar their distribution, and affect our development of new products, and thus could materially adversely affect our business and operating results. In addition, the United States Department of Agriculture (the “USDA”), regulates the import and export of certain fruits and vegetables into and from the United States, and the USDA also imposes growing, manufacturing and certification requirements for certain products labeled with organic claims. Failure to obtain necessary permits or otherwise comply with USDA regulations and requirements could result in a ban or temporary suspension of our ability to grow, manufacture or market our products as organic, and thus could materially adversely affect our business.

The Company’s improper use of hydroponic farming methods may significantly impact the Company’s ability to maintain its operations and may adversely affect its financial results.

The Company’s improper use of indoor hydroponic farming techniques may adversely impact its operating results. For example, hydroponic farming commingles the use of water and electricity in close proximity which, if combined, may cause an electric shock or a power outage. As the nutrients supply in a hydroponic garden is powered by electricity, an outage could be detrimental to the garden. If an outage occurs, and lasts for a considerable period of time, the plants may die out if a supplementary system of nutrition is not implemented.

Hydroponic farming also necessitates proactive disease management practices to protect against pests and other natural conditions, outside of the control of the Company, from spreading through water sources. If the Company fails to properly manage its hydroponic farms, its operations and financial results may be adversely affected.

The Company is subject to fluctuations in market price and demand for agricultural products.

Fresh produce is highly perishable and generally must be brought to market and sold soon after harvest. The selling price received for the Company’s products may depend on a variety of factors, including timing of the sale, the availability and quality of the produce item in the market, and the availability and quality of competing produce.

In addition, general public perceptions regarding the quality, safety, or health risks associated with particular food products could reduce demand for some of the Company’s products. Food safety warnings, advisories, notices, and recalls, such as those administered by the FDA, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, other federal/state government agencies, could also reduce demand. To the extent that consumers evolve away from products that the Company produces for health, food safety or other reasons, and the Company is unable to modify the product or to develop products that satisfy new consumer preferences, there will be a decreased demand for the Company’s products.

The Company’s results may vary from quarter to quarter depending on seasonal fluctuations related to the sale of the Company’s products.

Earnings may be affected by seasonal factors, including the availability, quality, and price of raw materials, the timing and effects of ripening and perishability, the ability to process perishable raw materials in a timely manner, the leveraging of certain fixed overhead costs during off-season months, and the slight impacts on consumer demand based on seasonal and holiday timing. Because we grow our products, the expenses incurred to meet consumer demand are often incurred in advance of the revenue earned by selling the herbs and lettuce. For example, we begin sowing our longest-growing crop 13 to 14 weeks in advance of delivery . The impact of seasonal demand and the sales cycle for our products may cause our results to vary from quarter to quarter, which may make an investment in us less attractive to some investors.

Increases in commodity or raw product input costs, such as fuel, packaging materials, could increase costs significantly.

The Company’s costs are determined in part by the prices of fuel and packaging materials. The Company may be adversely affected if sufficient quantities of these materials are not available. Additionally any significant increase in the cost of these items could also materially and adversely affect the Company’s operating results.

Specifically, the Company requires significant quantities of fuel for delivery vehicles and thus is exposed to the risks associated with fluctuations in the price for fuel. The price and supply of fuel can fluctuate significantly based on international, political, and economic circumstances, as well as other factors outside of the Company’s control.

Government policies and regulations specifically affecting the agricultural sector and related industries could adversely affect the Company’s operating results.

As a manufacturer of consumable products, the Company’s operations are subject to extensive regulation by various federal government agencies, including the FDA, the USDA and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), as well as state and local agencies, such as the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, with respect to production processes, product attributes, packaging, labeling, storage, and distribution. Under various statutes and regulations, these agencies prescribe requirements and establish standards for safety, purity, and labeling. In addition, the advertising for the Company’s products is subject to regulation by the FTC, and the Company’s operations are subject to certain health and safety regulations, including those issued under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Failure to comply with existing or modified regulations promulgated by these agencies may adversely affect the Company’s operating results.

We face intense competition that could prohibit us from developing or increasing our customer base.

The indoor agriculture industry is highly competitive. We may compete with companies that have greater capital resources and facilities. More established companies with much greater financial resources which do not currently compete with us may be able to more easily adapt their existing operations to our line of business. Our competitors may also introduce new and improved products, and manufacturers may sell equipment direct to consumers. We may not be able to successfully compete with larger enterprises devoting significant resources to compete in our target market. Due to this competition, there is no assurance that we will not encounter difficulties in increasing revenues and maintaining and/or increasing market share. In addition, increased competition may lead to reduced prices and/or margins for products we sell.

Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of our Securities

Investors in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of their investment.

The public offering price will be substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding shares of common stock. As a result, investors in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $ per share based on the assumed public offering price of $ per share. Investors in this offering will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds the book value of our assets after subtracting our liabilities. See “Dilution” for a more complete description of how the value of your investment will be diluted upon the completion of this offering.

The public offering price of our common stock may have little or no relationship to the historical book value of our common stock or the implied value of our common stock in prior financing transactions.

Prior to the listing of our common stock, our shares have not been listed on any stock exchange or other public trading market, but we have issued options, SAFEs, warrants and convertible notes that are exercisable for or convertible into shares of our common stock. However, our historical book value and the exercise or conversion prices of the options, SAFEs, warrants and convertible notes may have little or no relation to broader market demand for our common stock and thus the public offering price in this offering and the public trading price of our common stock on the Nasdaq once trading begins, provided that our common stock is approved for listing on Nasdaq. As a result, you should not place undue reliance on these historical prices as they may differ materially from the public offering price in this offering.

Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the proceeds we receive in this offering and might not apply the proceeds in ways that increase the value of your investment.

Our management will have broad discretion over the use of our net proceeds from this offering, and you will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of these proceeds. Our management might not apply our net proceeds in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment. We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering for the construction and/or acquisition of existing greenhouses, working capital, organizational build out, including the hiring of a chief operating officer, chief marketing officer, head of sales, and support and operational staff, debt repayment, transaction bonuses for our executive officers and general corporate purposes. Our management might not be able to yield a significant return, if any, on any investment of these net proceeds. You will not have the opportunity to influence our decisions on how to use our net proceeds from this offering.

Concentration of ownership among related parties, including our existing executive officers and directors, may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.

Currently, our executive officers and directors collectively own 71.2% of our outstanding shares of common stock. Sament, an affiliate of our predecessor and one of our creditors, owns 20% of our outstanding common stock.

Upon completion of this offering based on the assumed offering price, our executive officers and directors will beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately % of our outstanding shares of common stock, with Mr. Kras and Mr. James owning approximately % each, and Sament owning approximately       %. As a result, these stockholders will be able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendment of our certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions. These stockholders acquired their shares of common stock for substantially less than the price of the shares of common stock being sold in this offering, and these stockholders may have interests, with respect to their common stock, that are different from those of investors in this offering. The concentration of voting power among these stockholders may have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock. In addition, this concentration of ownership might adversely affect the market price of our common stock by:

This concentration of ownership among related parties, including our existing executive officers and directors, will make the approval of certain transactions difficult or impossible without the support of these stockholders.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and a “smaller reporting company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including (1) not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (2) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this prospectus and our periodic reports and proxy statements, (3) exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved, and (4) an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. Additionally, we may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations as a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.

After we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we expect to incur additional management time and cost to comply with the more stringent reporting requirements applicable to companies that are deemed accelerated filers or large accelerated filers, including complying with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

We have not and do not expect to declare any dividends to our stockholders in the foreseeable future.

We have not and do not anticipate declaring any cash dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, investors may need to rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment. Investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase our common stock.

We may seek to raise additional funds, finance acquisitions or develop strategic relationships by issuing securities that would dilute your ownership. Depending on the terms available to us, if these activities result in significant dilution, it may negatively impact the trading price of our shares of common stock.

Any additional financing that we secure may require the granting of rights, preferences or privileges senior to, or pari passu with, those of our common stock. Any issuances by us of equity securities may be at or below the prevailing market price of our common stock and in any event may have a dilutive impact on your ownership interest, which could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. We may also raise additional funds through the incurrence of debt or the issuance or sale of other securities or instruments senior to our shares of common stock, which may be highly dilutive. The holders of any securities or instruments we may issue may have rights superior to the rights of our common stockholders. If we experience dilution from the issuance of additional securities and we grant superior rights to new securities over holders of our common stock, it may negatively impact the trading price of our shares of common stock and you may lose all or part of your investment.

The price of the shares of our common stock and other terms of this offering have been determined by us along with our underwriter.

If you purchase our shares of common stock in this offering, you will pay a price that was not established in a competitive market. Rather, you will pay a price that was determined by us along with our underwriters. The offering price for our shares of common stock may bear no relationship to our assets, book value, historical results of operations or any other established criterion of value. The trading price, if any, of our common stock that may prevail in any market that may develop in the future, for which there can be no assurance, may be higher or lower than the price you paid for our shares of common stock.

Shares eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market price of our common stock if the shares are successfully listed on Nasdaq or other stock markets, as the future sale of a substantial number of outstanding shares of common stock in the public marketplace could reduce the price of our common stock.

The market price of our shares could decline as a result of sales of substantial amounts of our shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur. In addition, these factors could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of our common stock. An aggregate of 25,000,000 shares will be issued and outstanding before the consummation of this offering all of which, except those held by management and holders subject to lock-up agreements, are or will be freely tradable immediately upon effectiveness of this registration statement. All of the shares sold in the offering will be freely transferable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. The remaining shares will be “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144. These shares may be sold without registration under the Securities Act to the extent permitted by Rule 144 or other exemptions under the Securities Act. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.” 

A possible “short squeeze” due to a sudden increase in demand of our shares of common stock that largely exceeds supply may lead to price volatility in our shares of common stock.

Following this offering, investors may purchase our shares of common stock to hedge existing exposure in our shares of common stock or to speculate on the price of our shares of common stock. Speculation on the price of our shares of common stock may involve long and short exposures. To the extent aggregate short exposure exceeds the number of shares of our common stock available for purchase in the open market, investors with short exposure may have to pay a premium to repurchase our shares of common stock for delivery to lenders of our shares of common stock. Those repurchases may in turn, dramatically increase the price of our shares of common stock until investors with short exposure are able to purchase additional common shares to cover their short position. This is often referred to as a “short squeeze.” A short squeeze could lead to volatile price movements in our shares of common stock that are not directly correlated to the performance or prospects of our company and once investors purchase the shares of common stock necessary to cover their short position the price of our common stock may decline.

Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could discourage a change in control, or an acquisition of us by a third party, even if the acquisition would be favorable to you, thereby adversely affecting existing stockholders.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may have the effect of making more difficult or delaying attempts by others to obtain control of our Company, even when these attempts may be in the best interests of our stockholders. For example, our certificate of incorporation authorizes our Board of Directors, without stockholder approval, to issue one or more series of preferred stock, which could have voting and conversion rights that adversely affect or dilute the voting power of the holders of common stock. These provisions and others that could be adopted in the future could deter unsolicited takeovers or delay or prevent changes in our control or management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then-current market prices. These provisions may also limit the ability of stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in their best interests.

General Risk Factors

Public health outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics, including the global COVID-19 pandemic, have disrupted and may continue to disrupt, our business and could materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic and resulting worldwide economic conditions have affected, and may continue to affect, our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the global economy, disrupted global supply chains and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. For example, government imposed mandatory closures and restrictions across various key markets of ours resulted in volatile supply and demand conditions, primarily due to reduced demand in the food service distribution channel. As a result, product in the industry was redirected to the retail channel and in some cases this led to an increased supply and lower pricing. While demand in our retail channels for certain products has increased due to the impact of COVID-19, there is no guarantee that this increased demand will continue. While these effects were pronounced to varying degrees throughout fiscal year 2020, the future extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our financial performance, including our ability to execute our strategic initiatives, is still uncertain and will depend on future developments, including the duration and spread of the pandemic, related government restrictions and the success of vaccines and other treatments for COVID-19. Additionally, as the global economic impacts of COVID-19 continue, fluctuate and/or change, the pandemic’s impact on our operating results may change or be prolonged.

In addition, our ability to continue to supply our products is highly dependent on our workforce, including our workers involved in the growing, harvesting, transportation, processing and distribution of our products. Our ability to maintain the safety of our workforce may be significantly impacted by individuals contracting or being exposed to COVID-19, and our operations and financial results may be negatively affected as a result. While we are following the requirements of governmental authorities and taking additional preventative and protective measures to ensure the safety of our workforce, we cannot be certain that these measures will be successful in ensuring the health of our workforce. Workforce disruptions related to COVID-19 may significantly impact our ability to maintain our operations and may adversely affect our financial results. Throughout the pandemic governments have restricted travel and transportation generally, and while these restrictions have not significantly impacted our ability to supply our products to date, there is no guarantee that future restrictions will not have a significant impact on our business. We also incurred costs in relation to safety precautions undertaken in our shipping operations and there can be no assurances that we would not be required to incur such costs or similar costs in the future.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operating results can also impact our ability to meet our financial obligations. Our operating results have been and may continue to be impacted by the pandemic, and we cannot predict whether future developments associated with the COVID-19 pandemic will materially adversely affect our long-term liquidity position. In the event of a continued sustained market deterioration or further delayed recovery, we may need additional liquidity which would require us to evaluate available alternative strategies such as seeking additional debt or equity capital, which may be unsuccessful.

A prolonged economic downturn, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our business.

Uncertain global economic conditions, in particular in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our business. Negative global and national economic trends, such as decreased consumer and business spending, high unemployment levels and declining consumer and business confidence, pose challenges to our business and could result in declining revenues, profitability and cash flow. Although we continue to devote significant resources to support our brands, unfavorable economic conditions may negatively affect demand for our products.

Increases in costs, disruption of supply or shortage of raw materials could harm our business.

We may experience increases in the cost or a sustained interruption in the supply or shortage of raw materials. For example, the tariffs currently imposed for importing goods from China has significantly increased. Any such an increase or supply interruption could materially negatively impact our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results. We use various raw materials in our business including aluminum. The prices for these raw materials fluctuate depending on market conditions and global demand for these materials and could adversely affect our business and operating results. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials increase our operating costs, and could reduce our margins if we cannot recoup the increased costs through increased prices for our products and services.

Litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

From time to time in the normal course of our business operations, we may become subject to litigation involving intellectual property, data privacy and security, consumer protection, food safety, commercial disputes and other matters that may negatively affect our operating results if changes to our business operation are required. We may also be subject to claims involving health and safety, hazardous materials usage, other environmental impacts, or service disruptions or failures. The cost to defend such litigation may be significant and may require a diversion of our resources. There also may be adverse publicity associated with litigation that could negatively affect customer perception of our business, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether we are ultimately found liable. As a result, litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, insurance may not cover existing or future claims, be sufficient to fully compensate us for one or more of such claims, or continue to be available on terms acceptable to us. A claim brought against us that is uninsured or underinsured could result in unanticipated costs, thereby adversely affecting our results of operations and resulting in a reduction in the trading price of our stock.

An active, liquid and orderly trading market for our common stock may not develop, the price of our stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

The trading price of our common stock may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. Our stock price could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a variety of factors, which include:

In addition, during the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Broad market and industry factors may seriously affect the market price of companies’ stock, including ours, regardless of actual operating performance. These fluctuations may be even more pronounced in the trading market for our stock shortly following this offering. In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

Our failure to meet the continuing listing requirements of Nasdaq could result in a delisting of our securities.

If we fail to satisfy the continuing listing requirements of Nasdaq, such as the corporate governance, stockholders equity or minimum closing bid price requirements, Nasdaq may take steps to delist our common stock. Such a delisting would likely have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our common stock when you wish to do so. In the event of a delisting, we would likely take actions to restore our compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our common stock to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our securities, prevent our common stock from dropping below the Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements.

We will incur increased costs and demands upon management as a result of complying with the laws and regulations affecting public companies, which could adversely affect our operating results.

As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting and corporate governance requirements. These requirements include compliance with Section 404 and other provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as rules implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and Nasdaq. In addition, our management team also has to adapt to the requirements of being a public company. We expect complying with these rules and regulations will substantially increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly.

The increased costs associated with operating as a public company will decrease our net income or increase our net loss, and may require us to reduce costs in other areas of our business or increase the prices of our products or services. Additionally, if these requirements divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, they could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

As a public company, we also expect that it may be more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our board of directors or as our executive officers.

As a public company, we are obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting. We may not complete our analysis of our internal control over financial reporting in a timely manner, or these internal controls may not be determined to be effective, which may adversely affect investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the value of our common stock.

We will be required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for the first fiscal year beginning after the effective date of the IPO. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting.

We are in the early stages of the costly and challenging process of compiling the system and processing documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404. We may not be able to remediate future material weaknesses, or to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion. During the evaluation and testing process, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal controls are effective. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which would have a material adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

If our shares of common stock become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.

The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not retain a listing on Nasdaq and if the price of our common stock is less than $5.00, our common stock will be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.

If we were to dissolve, the holders of our securities may lose all or substantial amounts of their investments.

If we were to dissolve as a corporation, as part of ceasing to do business or otherwise, we may be required to pay all amounts owed to any creditors before distributing any assets to the investors. There is a risk that in the event of such a dissolution, there will be insufficient funds to repay amounts owed to holders of any of our indebtedness and insufficient assets to distribute to our other investors, in which case investors could lose their entire investment.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our stock adversely, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If any of the analysts who may cover us change their recommendation regarding our stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

In making your investment decision, you should understand that we and the underwriters have not authorized any other party to provide you with information concerning us or this offering.

You should carefully evaluate all of the information in this prospectus before investing in our company. We may receive media coverage regarding our company, including coverage that is not directly attributable to statements made by our officers, that incorrectly reports on statements made by our officers or employees, or that is misleading as a result of omitting information provided by us, our officers or employees. We and the underwriters have not authorized any other party to provide you with information concerning us or this offering, and you should not rely on this information in making an investment decision.