AeroFarms’ new indoor vertical farm in Danville, Virginia is expected to meet the increasing consumer demand for more flavourful produce
Image: AeroFarms to build new indoor farm in Virginia. Photo: Courtesy of AeroFarms.
AeroFarms, a vertical farming company, has announced plans to invest $42m for the construction of an indoor vertical farm in the Cane Creek Centre, a joint industrial park for the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
AeroFarms claims that its aeroponic growing technology enables year-round local commercial production with over 390 times more productivity for leafy greens on a per-acre basis vs. field farming while using up to 95% less water and no pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.
The new indoor vertical farm will create up to 92 new jobs
AeroFarms co-founder and CEO David Rosenberg said: “We are excited to expand to Virginia, an incredible state with a strong farming tradition, and we have been honoured by the amazing reception at all levels.
“We want to thank everyone for helping bring our 10th farm to life to create new jobs and increase access to healthier foods with better flavour that top chefs like native Virginian David Chang have embraced.
“With the property developer RealtyLink, we are building out the largest, most advanced indoor vertical farm of its kind with our next generation of growing technology. Locating in the Danville area also specifically highlights how our innovative indoor growing approach works in both rural and urban environments.”
Rosenberg further added: “At 150,000 square feet, our new farm more than doubles the size of our last major commercial farm in New Jersey that will help us meet the strong consumer demand for safely grown produce that delivers peak flavour always.
“We are also excited about the future collaboration opportunities with The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) to build on our Strategic Partnership work with Fortune 100 companies to solve broader ag-related supply chain issues.”
Headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, AeroFarms has disrupted traditional supply chain to supply communities with locally-grown, sustainably-sourced, pesticide-free produce, which is touted to be high in nutrition and flavour, all year round.
The company has grown more than 800 different varieties by creating better conditions for healthy plants to thrive, taking agriculture to a new level of precision and productivity with minimal environmental impact and virtually zero risk.
AeroFarms also claims to be using specialised growing algorithms leveraging LED lighting and precision plant nutrition, calibrated to the needs of each plant, for producing baby leafy greens and microgreens that can be grown in up to a third of a time, compared to a regular field.