WILMINGTON, OH – In an effort to expand its operations—and continue providing a steady supply of consistently priced produce to local retailers year-round—BrightFarms announced today that it will build a new 160,000-square-foot greenhouse in the Buckeye State.
“Wilmington is blessed to have cutting-edge agriculture locate here,” said local Mayor John Stanforth. “This is a great example of the farm-to-table supply chain, which ensures fresh foods.”
Slated for completion in late 2017, the new facility will provide 1,000,000 pounds of salad greens, herbs, and tomatoes each year and create 30 permanent green collar jobs, according to a company press release. BrightFarms aims to make its new greenhouse the most sustainable source of local, year-round, greenhouse-grown produce in the state of Ohio. The facility will significantly reduce food miles and improve the food supply chain’s overall environmental impact.
“The nation’s best supermarkets are responding to consumer demand for fresher, tastier, and more sustainable produce,” said CEO Paul Lightfoot, “and so demand for local produce like ours continues to grow extremely quickly.”
The company describes its new facility as a “cutting-edge, scalable solution to Americans’ increasing demand for local and sustainable food.” The facility will use 80 percent less water, 90 percent less land, 95 percent less shipping fuel than traditional forms of farming, and grow exclusively non-GMO, pesticide-free produce.
The company’s sustainable, fresh, and local fruits and veggies, produced on a commercial scale, have already found favor with its customers, and this new expansion hopes to bring the same crowd-pleasing fresh food even further into homes and kitchens.
“My restaurant, Bar Dumaine, relies on fresh, local ingredients,” said local chef Anne Kearney, “so it’s great that BrightFarms is opening a greenhouse in Wilmington to provide just that right in our backyard.”
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