Crop One Holdings, an indoor vertical farming company, announced Wednesday it will locate a second farm in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania.
The new vertical farm is located in an area that would allow Crop One to reach up to 50 million consumers within a 200-mile radius, including consumers in New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, the company said. The facility will occupy more than 316,000 square feet and is projected to produce 7 tons of product per day when it becomes operational in 2024. Company officials estimate the farm will create 40 jobs, including managerial roles.
“For more than half a decade, Crop One has perfected its growing operations, delivering local, safe, and sustainable produce to consumers in the Northeast U.S. and Middle East. With this expansion into Pennsylvania, we’re able to reach a new audience as we scale our business and execute on our ambitious five-year growth plan,” said Craig Ratajczyk, CEO at Crop One. “This new farm will enable us to meet growing retailer demand while simultaneously introducing new consumers across the tristate area to the benefits of hydroponically grown produce.”
Officials said the farm will grow romaine lettuce and spring mix that will be sold to retailers, food service providers, and other partners near the facility to ensure freshness.
“Controlled agriculture systems like Crop One help to diversify Pennsylvania’s $132.5 billion ag industry,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “These new job opportunities feed our economy and bring people with different abilities and skills to the table, putting climate-smart technology to work to feed consumer demand for fresh, local produce.”
Crop One has been in operation since 2015 at its farm headquarters in Millis, Mass. Earlier this year, the company announced the opening of the largest vertical farm in the world, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates – a 330,000-square-foot facility spanning 175 yards in length and producing over 2 million pounds of leafy greens each year.