8News: New greenhouse in Goochland County opens with innovative operation

Oct 29, 2021
Agriculture
In the News

8NEWS, NICOLE DANTZLER

State and county leaders came together to celebrate the grand opening of a new indoor hydroponic greenhouse in Goochland County Friday morning.

Governor Ralph Northam, Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger and other government officials toured the 77,000 square foot facility which houses a hydroponic farm.

The indoor greenhouse grows leafy greens in water instead of soil and it uses an automated system with natural sunlight designed to produce 3.7 million pounds of greens over the next three years.

“Agriculture is a dynamic industry here in the state. As I mentioned, when you think about how it’s changed over time innovation has been part of it from the very beginning,” said Bettina Ring, the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry in Virginia.

Carl Gupton, president of Greenswell Growers, said the company is partnering with Goochland County High School’s Career and Technical Education Center and the school district to provide internship opportunities.

They’re also donating five percent of their production to area food banks.

“It’s just amazing seeing what we can do here, the sustainability that we’ve got with our group,” he said.

Governor Northam said this can help combat food insecurity in Virginia.

“For Greenswell to work with our local food banks and make sure that everybody has access to good nutrition to fresh nutrition is a big, big deal,” he said.

Greenswell Growers invested $17 million in the project and secured a $130,000 grant from the Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, which the county’s board of supervisors matched.

Northam said the company will initially create 27 jobs and over the next three years they plan to expand further.

Recent Posts


Oct 30, 2024
Healthcare

Spanberger Seeks Additional Answers from DEA, FDA on Efforts to Stop Ongoing ADHD Medication Shortages

The Congresswoman Has Consistently Pressed the Federal Government to Take Additional Steps to Protect Access to ADHD Medications & Work with Manufacturers to Prevent Future Shortages WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger is urging the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide additional answers on their work to end […]



Oct 30, 2024
Infrastructure

Spanberger Announces More Than $9.6 Million for Infrastructure Upgrades at FBI Academy in Quantico

These Federal Grant Dollars — Made Possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — Will Upgrade Infrastructure & Increase Energy Efficiency at FBI Academy Dormitory WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a total of $9,615,430 for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to make […]



Oct 29, 2024
Infrastructure

Spanberger Announces $380 Million for Virginia Port Authority to Fund Zero-Emissions Equipment & Infrastructure at Port of Virginia

These Federal Grant Dollars — Made Possible by the Inflation Reduction Act — Will Help the Virginia Port Authority Fund Electric Cargo Handling Equipment, Charging Infrastructure, & Battery Energy Storage System WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a total of $380 million for […]