November 5, 2024

HANOVER TWP. — Upward Farms co-founder and CEO Jason Green said the company’s newest facility in Hanover Twp. will be the largest organic vertical farm in the world.

Green joined state and local officials and officials from NorthPoint Development on Thursday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of Upward Farms’ 250,283-square-foot indoor farm on Tradeport Road.

The facility combines modern vertical farming with the ancient farming practice of aquaponics, which uses fish to fertilize plants.

Work continues inside the building and Upward Farms officials said they expect the aquaponics portion to be finished early next year and the agriculture portion to be completed late next year.

The Brooklyn, New York based organic aquaponic vertical farming company, founded in 2013, offers a portfolio of fresh and nutritious products.

The company’s microgreens products are sold in 21 Whole Foods Markets and six Westside Markets throughout the New York metropolitan area. Its hybrid-striped bass is sold through Greenpoint Fish & Lobster in Brooklyn, New York.

“Upward Farms was conceived through some unique technical insights on how we use built environments to drive better performance for biology and we combine that with deep feelings for tastier and more responsible foods,” Green said.

Green says the company’s goal is to fix the broken food system and solve many problems across climate, supply chain and food security.

He pointed out that 40% of all food is wasted within the American supply chain and 40% of the world’s land is destroyed due to the excessive use of chemicals.

“Agriculture is the largest consumer of fresh water in the world and one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases,” he said. “At the same time, more consumers are involved in where their food comes from now than ever before. Consumers are demanding solutions that are better for people and better for the planet.

Green said Upward Farms officials believe that “creating real things that people need where they need them is the opportunity we’re thinking about not just this decade, but this century.”

Upward Farms operates three vertical farms and Green said he believes there is more to come.

Brian Stahl, vice president of development for NorthPoint Development, said Upward Farms’ new facility in the development called Tradeport 164 marks an investment of more than $200 million in construction and interior buildout.

NorthPoint Development officials estimate that the investment in the indoor farming facility is expected to generate more than $3.63 million in annual revenue.

Stahl said he is grateful that Upward Farms has been successful in restoring the land that was injured by the mine in Hanover Twp. in productive use.

“Upward Farms offers solutions for food production of the highest standards so that everyone can nourish their bodies, their families and the planet,” he said.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, speaking at the ceremony, said the project will create more than 125 jobs in addition to about 400 construction jobs.

“That’s how big this thing is,” Redding said. “It’s great for Pennsylvania. It’s great for agriculture. It’s great for consumers.”

Sen. John Yudichak, I-14, Swoyersville, said the development “marks another milestone for a new generation of Northeastern Pennsylvania families who will continue to have many, many opportunities to build a prosperous future in economy right here in Luzerne County.”

He pointed out that Upward Farms’ ranking as the number 1 most sustainable indoor farming business in the FoodTech 500 in 2020 and 2021 highlights that Upward Farms is “not just about creating jobs.”

“It’s about creating a more environmentally sustainable food supply chain that protects the quality of our environment,” Yudichak said.

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