Can you share more about your partnership with Taylor Farms? How will this collaboration help you reach more customers? The focus of the investment and all our innovations is to do that as efficiently as possible.
At the end of the day, our job is to be a sustainable business that grows lettuce at the right price. I see automation is a tool in our toolbox. The goal of automation is not to replace employees, but to automate the tasks that are repetitive and do not add value, freeing up employees to perform more important tasks. This decision was influenced by owning and operating a smaller greenhouse for years and recognizing the repetitive tasks that are present in greenhouse operations. I would say that we’re investing a significant portion of our capital in automation – in the greenhouse, pack line, and growing system. I’ve been a grower for about 10 years now, so I tend to be a bit cynical when it comes to making big claims. What will differentiate Better Future Farms from other greenhouse/indoor operations?
And, of course, Virginia itself is a great choice since it puts the facility within a day’s drive of a large population base. The state is very enthusiastic about the future of CEA and government agencies and organizations like the V irginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Servicesand the Virginia Economic Development Partnershipwere very supportive and helpful. Leveraging our existing relationships in the CEA industry in Virginia also played a role. We also wanted to build our first project in our own backyard in Virginia, as we’re from the area and didn’t want to be on a plane every week. We looked at several different counties and once we talked to Louisa County about the project and what it entailed, they were incredibly supportive and became great partners throughout the process. The local support was another key factor. This site had that and the right infrastructure in place in terms of electrical capabilities, natural gas, and proximity to large freeways and distribution logistics. In central Virginia it’s hard to find the flat terrain needed for a greenhouse facility. My business partner David Drescher and I both live in the Charlottesville area, and Louisa County is the next county over. The decision was driven by both the site and infrastructure. What led to the decision to build the new greenhouse and processing facility in Louisa County? What factors made this location the best choice for Better Future Farms?
In this month’s CEA Q&A, John McMahon, co-founder/chief operating officer of Better Future Farms and founder of Schuyler Greens,shared insights on their decision to locate in central Virginia’s Louisa County, their sustainability initiatives and long term goals for the company. Backed by funding from Generate Capital,a sustainable infrastructure investment and operating platform and a distribution partnership with Taylor Farms, a leading North American producer of salads and healthy fresh foods, the facility is set to come online in 2024. Earlier this month, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that Better Future Farms, Inc.will build a new hydroponic greenhouse and processing facility on a 61-acre site in the Louisa County Industrial Air Park.
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