09.25.2024

Today’s Forecast

80º | 69% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:00 a.m. | Sunset 7:01 p.m.

🍓 Plenty to celebrate

Plenty opens indoor vertical farm in Chesterfield

RICtoday_PlentyOpening_YoungkinKukutai_Chester

Governor Glenn Youngkin and other state and local leaders were present at the opening celebration. | Photo by RICtoday

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 yesterday.

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.

Two farmers work in a vertical farm plant. — Leafy greens are the most common form of produce for vertical farms.
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Photo via Plenty Unlimited Inc.

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.

RICtoday_PlentyGroundbreaking_Chester — State and local leaders signed a beam in August 2023 to mark the groundbreaking of the Plenty campus, which is now open.
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Photo by RICtoday

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 this week, 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.”

Quiz

Which of the following companies is NOT present at Meadowville Technology Park?

A. Niagara Bottling
B. LEGO
C. Amazon
D. PepsiCo

Chesterfield's in business

Events

Wednesday, Sept. 25

Taylor McCall | Wednesday, Sept. 25 | 7 p.m. | Richmond Music Hall | $15 | The country artist will play with Pet Moose Project.

Thursday, Sept. 26

Flowers After 5 | Thursday, Sept. 26 | 5-8 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $20 | Join country rockers Main Street Station for a night of tunes in the Garden.
Virginia Labor Law and Workplace Discrimination | Thursday, Sept. 26 | 6-7:30 p.m. | RPL Main Branch | Free | This informative workshop will take you through federal and state labor laws, worker’s rights, and recent changes.

Friday, Sept. 27

Richmond Folk Festival | Friday, Sept. 27-Sunday, Sept. 29 | Times vary | Downtown Richmond Riverfront | Free entry | With six stages and over 30 different genres of music, the Folk Fest offers something for everyone.
Kevin Hart: Acting My Age | Friday, Sept. 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Altria Theater | $75+ | The comedian will bring the Acting My Age Tour to the River City.

Saturday, Sept. 28

Birding with FBC RVA | Saturday, Sept. 28 | 9 a.m. | Pocahontas State Park | Free | Join the local Feminist Bird Club for a morning of birding on National Public Lands Day.
Oktoberfest | Saturday, Sept. 28 | 4-7 p.m. | The Smoky Mug | Cost of purchase | Sample mini pretzels, smoked jagerwurst, kielbasa, and pork steak, and German-style sides at this family-friendly fest.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Civic

City Council has declared that evictions without legal representation are a public crisis. The resolution was passed at its Monday meeting. Council also approved several grants to help build 1,000+ new affordable housing units. (VPM)

Closing

This Sunday, Sept. 29 will be your last opportunity to dine at Sincero. The Jackson Ward restaurant announced earlier this month that it was closing. Sincero started as a pop-up and was one of the first vendors at Hatch Local food hall before opening the restaurant last year. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Eat

TBT El Gallo has closed its doors on Cary in order to shift its operations to a full-service restaurant up the street. The taco spot is moving into the former Kreggers at Hand building. There’s no opening date yet.

Biz

TowneBank is acquiring Village Bank in a deal worth approximately $120 million. The acquisition still needs approval from Village Bank shareholders and regulators, but is expected to go through in 2025. (Richmond BizSense)

Arts

Are you ready for artoberVA? The annual celebration of all things local arts returns next month. Join the kickoff block party on Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. at 1906 N. Hamilton St. There will be food, drinks, and music by Sweet Potatoes, plus art activities and vendors.

Jobs

The Richmond Fire Department is in the midst of a campaign to find more firefighters. There will be two open houses this Saturday, Sept. 28 from 2 to 5 p.m., one at Station 1 and another at Station 17. All experience levels are welcome.

Awards

Several Virginia authors were lauded at the 27th Annual Virginia Literary Awards, which took place over the weekend at the Library of Virginia. See the winners for the nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and children’s literature honors. (Richmond Magazine)

Cause

Help a family in need by donating spare formula, diapers, wipes and more at all Virginia Physicians for Women locations through Nov. 12. Donations will be given to families at VPFW’s Prince George Mama and Baby Supplies Drive & Giveaway on Nov. 14. See the items they need.*

Fun Fact

Did you know? The Virginia Lottery sold its first ticket in September 1988 + this month, it turns 36. A lot has changed since the ‘80s, but the Lottery remains focused on supporting K-12 public education and delivering a wide variety of games for Virginians 18+ to play.*

Finance

Did you know some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster? (Yes, it sounds pumpkin-spice bananas. But it’s true.) The secret: Find a credit card with a “0% intro APR” period for balance transfers. Here are hands down some of the best.*

Number

$527. That’s a real flight deal from Richmond to Rome this year. Sign up for Going’s two-week free trial + never miss a great deal again.*

Civic

💸 People’s Budget accepting ideas

How to get involved with the Richmond People’s Budget

Submit your ideas for projects the city should fund. | Photo via Richmond People’s Budget

How would you improve your neighborhood?

That’s how leaders of the Richmond People’s Budget have been starting conversations. $3 million of the city’s budget next year will be determined by Richmonders.

Each district will be get at least $200,000. The other $1.2 million will be allocated to support more projects in more underserved areas.

Proposals will be developed in November, then voted on in April. City residents 14 years and up can vote.

Get involved

The project has entered its idea collection phase. Submit your ideas online or by filling out a comment card at City Hall or your local library branch.

The online survey prompts participants with examples of capital project ideas, including things like building a new park, installing public art, and upgrading sidewalks. The team says it has already collected over 400 ideas.

Click the button below to share your ideas.

My neighborhood needs...

The Buy

Shop the best shoes to pair with your fall wedding guest look, from Nordstrom’s “Wedding Guest” selection:

🥿 Save your ankles with sparkly Betsey Johnson flats.
👡 Choose champagne or silver for this five-star rated sandal.
💎 Add a touch of sparkle to your outfit with jeweled slingbacks.
👠 Go for style + function with a kitten heel on pointy-toe pumps.

More worth The Buy

The Wrap

Robin Schwartzkopf in a red button down shirt

Today’s edition by:
Robin

From the editor

I’ve got my calendar marked for tomorrow’s 12 p.m. Transit Talk, which is all about GRTC’s 10 Year Strategic Plan. We covered the start of the planning process last year — I’m looking forward to hearing what’s been happening since then.

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