Plenty Unlimited has just broken ground on a $300 million campus in Chesterfield County, Virginia, which is expected to become the world’s largest indoor vertical farming facility. The site will be Plenty’s first strawberry farm, created in partnership with berry supplier Driscoll’s.
While Plenty is known as a producer of leafy greens to communities across the East Coast, this new facility outside of Richmond should pave the way toward increasing year-round access to regionally-grown fruits and vegetables, as well as creating roughly 300 jobs in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Plenty CEO Arama Kukutai was on location with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matt Lohr, and Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick to mark Monday’s groundbreaking.
“Virginia and Plenty are leading the way in the new age of agriculture,” Youngkin said in a statement.
Plenty has been growing Driscoll’s strawberries at its plant science research facility in Wyoming, but the Virginia operation is the first full-scale farm for the product. Plenty is utilizing Driscoll’s proprietary genetics and berry expertise alongside its own advanced, indoor farming technology and plant science expertise to grow the berries. Leveraging the massive amounts of growing data generated by its platform, Plenty uses proprietary data analytics, machine learning and customized lighting to consistently deliver what it says are yields 150 to 350 times greater per acre than the field.
Plenty plans to construct 30-foot towers inside the facility, which uses technology to simulate the perfect spring day, helping the company achieve its high yields.
“The Northeast is the largest berry consumption region in the US, with a dense population of berry-loving consumers,” Kukutai said. “Our partnership with Driscoll’s, coupled with Plenty’s optimized technology platform, ensures we can consistently grow premium berries closer to where these consumers live, providing fresh, consistent quality.”
The Chesterfield County campus is planned to be developed in multiple phases over the next six years but the Driscoll’s berry farm is expected to be complete by winter 2023-24.
