There will soon be strawberries growing year-round in Chesterfield. Two years after announcing it was coming to Central Virginia, Plenty has opened its indoor vertical farming campus at Meadowville Technology Park.
State and local leaders as well as representatives from Plenty, Driscoll’s, and Walmart were present at an opening event on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
The agritech company will grow Driscoll’s strawberries at the facility, promising to produce peak-summer flavor all year long. The opening day event included demonstrations from the science and engineering teams on the many benefits of indoor farming.
During the remarks, several speakers lauded Virginia’s efforts to become a leader in Controlled Environment Agriculture.
“This has really become ground zero for CEA development,” Plenty CEO Arama Kukutai said.
The facility is the first indoor vertical farm in the world to grow strawberries at scale. The berries will grow on 30-foot-tall towers, each monitored with precise technology that can give farmers information down to the individual berry.
Although berries were the talk of the town at the event, the future of the farm campus could include other foods. Tomatoes are expected to be next on the agenda. The company’s research and development team, which is based out of Wyoming, has been working to develop over 50 crops.
Plenty is also looking for local talent. The current facility supports over 60 jobs, but Plenty’s plans for expansion could include over 300 positions as it builds out its campus.
Current offerings — including management positions, technicians, and administrative roles — can be found on the Virginia-specific hiring website. Future openings such as supervisors, associates, and engineering employees are also listed.
The first farm may have opened today, but hints at future farms were brought up several times during the event.
“Farming is a long-term commitment business,” Kukutai said. “This is just the beginning.”
