A decommissioned army base named for Union Army General Charles Devens is now a residential and business community that is home to a small company helping New Englanders eat fresh, locally grown greens year-round.
“It’s an automated system,” explained founder and CEO Paul Sellew.
It’s a massive greenhouse where green leaf, red leaf, and arugula are neatly planted in gutters. They are irrigated with rainwater collected from the roof, and an automatic shading system on the roof makes sure it doesn’t get too hot.
With a farming background (he also created Backyard Tomatoes from Maine), Sellew built a massive greenhouse back in 2015. His goal was to provide New England shoppers with an alternative to produce that’s shipped from the west coast.
“They were relying on stuff that’s grown in California that is trucked across the country and by the time we get it, it’s 10 days old,” he said.