NEW YORK, NY - In a partnership with Roundy’s Supermarkets, BrightFarms has officially broken ground on the BrightFarms Chicagoland Greenhouse in Rochelle, IL. The BrightFarms Chicagoland greenhouse will be 160,000 square-feet and grow over 1,000,000 pounds of fresh produce exclusively for the Roundy’s chain.
“Consumer demand for local is growing exponentially—and for good reason: long distance produce hurts the environment and compromises freshness, quality and taste,” said BrightFarms Chief BrightFarmer (CEO), Paul Lightfoot. “This greenhouse farm will allow Roundy’s to provide its customers with year-round produce that is not only garden-fresh, but that conserves land and water, eliminates agricultural runoff, and reduces greenhouse gas emission."
Slated for completion in early 2016, the company expects the greenhouse to become the most productive farm in the Chicagoland market, the most sustainable source of year-round baby greens and tomatoes in the state, and among the most productive salad greens farms, per square foot, in the world. According to a press release, it's expected to create permanent green collar jobs, significantly reduce food miles, and improve the environmental impact of the food supply chain.
The BrightFarms Chicagoland greenhouse will provide salad greens, herbs, and tomatoes using 80 percent less water, 90 percent less land, and 95 percent less shipping fuel than conventional produce companies and, on average, 64 percent less energy to grow its products than the items it replaces on supermarket shelves. Furthermore, all produce will be pesticide-free.
"We're thrilled that our stores will be able to deliver consumers the freshest, most local greens, herbs and tomatoes possible,” said Bob Mariano, CEO and Chairman of Roundy's Supermarkets. “BrightFarms is a model for the future of food and we look forward to exemplifying, together with them, what that future should look like."
Rochelle Mayor Chet Olson also chimed in about BrightFarms’ new development, saying the city is honored to be involved with the project. Olson also revealed that by 2016, the project will have created over 23 local green collar jobs and over 100 local construction jobs, meaning more dollars for the Rochelle community.
