BrightFarms, a greenhouse-based local produce grower, broke ground on the BrightFarms Chicagoland Greenhouse in Rochelle, IL. This project is a partnership with Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc. (Roundy's), a leading grocer in the Midwest. Slated for completion in early 2016, it will provide produce for Roundy’s stores. It is being built in partnership with Clean Feet Investors..jpg)
"This greenhouse farm will allow Roundy’s to provide its customers with year-round produce that is not only garden fresh, but that conserves land and water, eliminates agricultural runoff and reduces greenhouse gas emission," said BrightFarms CEO Paul Lightfoot.
The BrightFarms Chicagoland greenhouse will be 160,000 square feet and grow over 1,000,000 pounds of salad greens, herbs and tomatoes per year.
According to BrightFarms, the greenhouse will use 80 percent less water, 90 percent less land and 95 percent less shipping fuel than conventional produce companies and, on average, 64 percent less energy to grow its products than the items it replaces on supermarket shelves. All produce will be pesticide-free.
"We're thrilled that our stores will be able to deliver consumers the freshest, most local greens, herbs and tomatoes possible," said Bob Mariano, CEO and chairman of Roundy's. "BrightFarms is a model for the future of food and we look forward to exemplifying, together with them, what that future should look like."
In the photo, from left to right: Abby Prior (Vice President of Business Development, BrightFarms), Robert Mariano (Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc.), Paul Lightfoot (Chief Executive Officer of BrightFarms), Steve Jarzombek (VP of Produce Merchandising at Roundy's), Justin Heffernan (Director of Produce Procurement and Merchandising at Roundy's).
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