DANVILLE, Va. – AeroFarms officially opened its doors to the public on Monday. The Danville facility is the biggest indoor vertical farm in the world, and it spans a total area of 140,000 square feet.
David Rosenberg, co-founder and chief executive officer of AeroFarms, said that his business is something the community can be proud of.
“They’re inspired by the innovation in their backyard, they’re inspired by people coming from all over the world to see the innovation in their backyard. They’re going to be proud of what they’re helping us build,” Rosenberg said.
A state-of-the-art facility is used by the company to cultivate the product. Vertical farming is exactly what it sounds like: crops are grown vertically, or on shelves stacked one on top of the other, using artificial light and controlled temperatures.
“Controlled environment agriculture, the growing of food inside, is really the future of the industry. For a company like AeroFarms to choose Virginia, to choose Danville and Pittsylvania County, it’s just a great win for the Commonwealth and great for this area,” said Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr.
The company has said that it will employ more than 158 people.
So far, 80 individuals have been brought on board, the majority of whom are from Pittsylvania County.
“The quality of people we are hiring is fantastic. People that understand manufacturing. People that understand how to be professional, show up. People who are curious about what we do and people who are passionate about adding to society,” Rosenberg added.
More than 550 different types of leafy greens have been successfully cultivated by AeroFarms, and their produce can be found in food shops such as Whole Foods Market.
So far, 80 individuals have been brought on board, the majority of whom are from Pittsylvania County.
“The quality of people we are hiring is fantastic. People that understand manufacturing. People that understand how to be professional, show up. People who are curious about what we do and people who are passionate about adding to society,” Rosenberg added.
More than 550 different types of leafy greens have been successfully cultivated by AeroFarms, and their produce can be found in food shops such as Whole Foods Market.
