US (OH): Nature Fresh Farms plans 175-acre greenhouse

According to an article on toledoblade.com, Nature Fresh Farms has plans to build a 175-acre greenhouse just outside of Delta in Fulton County, Ohio. Construction on the project’s first phase is expected to begin as soon as the weather breaks this spring, and officials say they hope to ship their first cases of tomatoes by the end of the year.

Nature Fresh Farms started in 1999, when founder and greenhouse designer Pete Quiring decided to build a high-tech, 10-acre greenhouse as a sort of proof-of-concept that his design could help revolutionize the industry.

The company expects to invest as much as $200 million in the Delta site over the next seven years, creating up to 300 full-time jobs and a growing operation that can ship out fresh produce year-round.

Matt Gilroy, executive director of the Fulton County Economic Development Corp., said the company told county officials the jobs would pay an average wage of $17 an hour. Total payroll is expected to reach nearly $12 million annually by 2022.

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