US (MN): Aquaponics farm planned on 12 acres in Wellston
Glenn Ford, of InCity Farms, this month closed on the purchase of about 12.5 acres from the St. Louis County Port Authority for the venture, a $325,000 sale that has been in the works for over a year.
Ford said his goal is to build the urban farms in communities where unemployment is high, and the $20 million, 175,000-square-foot Wellston facility will be the first. One of his partners, Norman Harrington, grew up in St. Louis and is the son of Melvyn Harrington, a founder of one of the city’s first black-owned banks.
Ultimately, Ford hopes to employ about 130 people at the site, many of whom will be able to learn on the job with little to no experience. While some positions will require more advanced skills, Ford said unskilled workers will start at $33,000 with the opportunity for a $4,000 bonus.
The goal is to sell fish and produce grown in a closed system to grocery stores, restaurants and others in the food industry. With fish populations under stress around the world, and demand rising for clean, locally produced food, he expects buyers from beyond the region to source their food from the St. Louis County facility.
Read more at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Jacob Barker)