HENDERSONVILLE, NC - BrightFarms, a leader in locally grown salads for supermarkets, broke ground on a new 280,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse in Hendersonville County, North Carolina. Once complete, the facility will be one of the largest greenhouses for leafy greens in the state.
“We are thrilled to bring our model of fresh, pesticide-free, and sustainable greens to the Carolinas,” Steve Platt, CEO, commented. “The region is one of the fastest-growing population centers in the U.S., and this greenhouse will accelerate our growth next year.”
According to the press release, the new greenhouse will add to BrightFarms’ growing network of local, sustainable greenhouse farms that will reach thousands of supermarkets between Maine and Georgia.
BrightFarms chose the Asheville region for its central location to leading retailers in the Southeast. The company has existing greenhouse farms in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois.
“We have longstanding relationships with customers that have a strong footprint in North Carolina and the surrounding states,” said Abby Prior, SVP Sales and Marketing, crediting the expansion was due to the growing demand from existing customers. “With more consumers seeking out clean, safe, and responsibly grown produce, our expansion into the state will allow us to fill a crucial demand for retailers.”
BrightFarms plans to begin shipping from its Hendersonville greenhouse in early 2021. The farm will grow the company’s core lineup of products, including: Spinach, Spring Mix, Arugula, Sunny Crunch (a BrightFarms exclusive), and Baby Butter. As one of the few companies growing local spinach in the controlled environment sector, BrightFarms is anticipating record demand for its best-selling local baby spinach.
While BrightFarms breaks ground for its new facility, AndNowUKnow will continue to bring breaking news, so keep a tab open for the latest in fresh produce.
