KINGSVILLE, ONTARIO, and MOREHEAD, KY - Mastronardi Produce and AppHarvest are teaming up to construct a high-tech greenhouse in Morehead, Kentucky. The new facility is expected to bring an infusion of jobs and award-winning produce to the Appalachian states.
“The 60-acre, state-of-the-art facility will be one of the most sustainable, efficient, and technologically advanced greenhouses of its kind,” said Paul Mastronardi, President and CEO, and the fourth-generation family member to lead Mastronardi Produce. “This is a significant milestone for Kentucky’s farming and food sectors.”
The new facility is in-line with Phase One of AppHarvest’s Founder and CEO Jonathan Webb’s vision to stoke the region’s economy, which took a major hit with the decline of coal, according to a press release. In fact, the Morehead location was chosen with both Mastronardi and AppHarvest's strong commitment to developing communities in mind.
“Situated in the heart of America, the facility is within one day’s drive of 70% of the U.S. population in a region known for its hard work, ingenuity, and tenacity,” said Webb. “This greenhouse will be a source of opportunity, optimism, and prosperity for the entire Appalachian region.”
The facility is also expected to be one of the largest high-tech cucumber greenhouses in the U.S. and will help increase year-round access to locally-grown SUNSET® tomatoes and cucumbers.
“We believe everyone should be able to buy fresh vegetables,” added Mastronardi. “Thanks to this partnership, consumers in Kentucky and surrounding states—Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, to name a few—can look forward to flavorful SUNSET® produce arriving at stores within hours of being hand-picked. And increasing the availability of local produce will continue to be a priority for us.”
Look for delicious, Kentucky-grown SUNSET® products hitting stores in 2020!
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