Mucci Farms announces two-year expansion plan

In a press release, Mucci Farms announces that is expanding in both Kingsville, Ontario, Canada and the Huron, Ohio.

Per the release, the grower will be adding 206 acres of production space between the two locations over the next two years.

“Demand for greenhouse grown produce is growing rapidly as consumers continue to put pressure on the food industry to prioritize food safety, sustainability, responsible growing practices and clean growing environments,” said Bert Mucci, the company’s CEO, said per the release.

Year one of the expansion will include bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and strawberries. The second year will be entirely dedicated to bell pepper production with 100 acres dedicated to the crop.

“We have seen a strong rise in demand for locally grown peppers in recent years and expanding our own supply reduces our reliance on partner growers and imports,” Mucci said, per the release. “We are currently trialing lit culture grow lights for our pepper program which will be a game changer that allows us to grow local peppers 365 days a year.”

The exact breakdown is as follows:

• 25 acres of tomatoes on-the-vine in Huron, Ohio, the third and final phase of the 75-acre project.
• 30 acres of multiple varieties of bell peppers in Kingsville.
• 36 acres of Smuccies Sweet strawberries in Kingsville, doubling the current acreage to a total of 72 acres.
• 15 acres of mini-cocktail cucumbers, branded as the award-winning CuteCumber Poppers.
• 100 acres of multiple varieties of bell peppers at a new site in Kingsville with construction beginning in 2022.