DANVILLE, Va. – The future of agriculture is planting roots in Southside.
Monday marked the ribbon cutting of AeroFarms. At 140,000 square feet, the facility in Danville is the world’s largest indoor vertical farm.
AeroFarms Co-founder and CEO David Rosenberg said his company is something the community can be proud of.
“They’re inspired by the innovation in their backyard, they’re inspired by people coming from all over the world to see the innovation in their backyard. They’re going to be proud of what they’re helping us build,” Rosenberg said.
The company grows produce in a state-of-the-art facility. True to its name, vertical farming grows crops up on layers of shelves under artificial light and temperature.
“Controlled environment agriculture, the growing of food inside is really the future of the industry. For a company like AeroFarms to choose Virginia, to choose Danville and Pittsylvania County it’s just a great win for the Commonwealth and great for this area,” said Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr.
The company said it will employ more than 158 employees.
80 people have been hired so far, many from Pittsylvania County.
“The quality of people we are hiring is fantastic. People that understand manufacturing. People that understand how to be professional, show up. People who are curious about what we do and people who are passionate about adding to society,” Rosenberg added.
AeroFarms has grown more than 550 varieties of greens, and their products are available in grocery stores including Whole Foods Market.