US (GA): Cornucopia seeks 80-acre expansion for hydroponic lettuce

A company that develops organic hydroponic farms in the Southeast United States has proposed developing an 80-acre site in Murray County, with the potential to bring more than 100 high-paying, high-tech jobs and an estimated $20 million annual economic impact to the area.

Executives from Cornucopia Farms, a limited liability corporation headquartered in Marietta, recently made a presentation to the Murray County Industrial Development Board (IDA) outlining the proposed project.

The development board has now begun the process of working with other local Murray County entities to fully assess the project details and make recommendations on what is needed to move forward, according to Illya Copeland, director of economic development for the IDA. Local leaders have been working with Cornucopia for months to bring the project proposal to city, county and state officials.

"This project would create the largest organic hydroponic food production facility in Georgia, and it represents a new step forward in technology and agribusiness for the state," said Maurizio Giabbai, one of the principal investors in Cornucopia Farms. The company already has scouted prospective sites across Murray County, he acknowledged.

Read more at The Chatsworth Times (Chuck Hamby)