A $60 million investment 80,000 sq ft robotics enabled facility on Gladstone Road which will be able to grow up to two million pounds of produce annually is getting the green light this year according to the principals of Eeden Farms.
Lincoln Deal II, co-founder of Eeden Farms said that significant funding has been raised for the project. Deal assured that he and Eeden Farms co-founder, Carlos Palacious, are moving forward with the initiative this year. Palacious’ firm BRON Ltd is carrying out the architectural and and site planning work for the facility. Although which will move forward this year.
“We started with Eeden Farms at the height of the pandemic. We actually brought the first container in during the the lockdown and so we’re going on our third year with this vertical farming model. I think the pandemic really heightened the need for purchasing consistently fresh produce. Providing a quality product consistently we have found to be the recipe for success. Since we came to market we have seen that there is a huge need for fresh produce. There is a lot of pent up demand from the wholesalers and retailers,” said Deal.
According to Deal Eeden Farms currently utilizes three repurposed shipping containers equivalent to 15 acres of farmland and offers fresh organic produce year-round. Its farm system was created by Boston-based Freight Farms, the world’s leading manufacturer of container farm technology. Deal noted that the company’s current staff is comprised primarily of young women with degrees in areas such as biodiversity, chemistry and sustainability.
“Since 2021 we have been focusing on our second phase which is Eeden Acres which is a 80,000 sq ft facility on Gladstone Road. We will be able to grow up to two million pounds of produce on a yearly basis. That will be a vertical farm, with artificial intelligence and some of the best technology on the market. It’s pretty exciting. Our joint venture partners we have been working with us for almost two years now trying to ensure that everything is ready and the market is ripe. Wee have met with so many industry stakeholders. There is general excitement for what’s coming. I think we would be the first in the region to introduce an indoor facility of this scale,” said Deal.
English