"Official ribbon cutting scheduled for October"

An idea to transform greenhouse horticulture in the United States and specifically, the surrounding Appalachian communities near the northeastern Kentucky town of Morehead, is coming to life. AppHarvest, a two-year old start up, is building a 60-acre glass greenhouse to supply Kentucky-grown tomatoes and cucumbers year-round. The first crop of tomatoes will be planted late this summer, and the official ribbon cutting is scheduled for October.

AppHarvest will integrate progressive agricultural technology, which combines Philips horticulture LED lighting from Signify, and traditional greenhouse high pressure sodium lighting, with smart new ideas to reduce water consumption, to provide fresh produce to consumers faster, up and down the eastern seaboard and central United States.

Jonathan Webb, founder and CEO of AppHarvest, looked to the Netherlands for agricultural ideas. “We are using the ecosystem we see in the Netherlands,” Webb said in a recent interview. “That country is a world leader in agriculture and bringing those ideas to Eastern Kentucky made sense. We wanted to take proven technologies and deploy them at scale.”

“This is a great place to build a large indoor produce hub and retool our food system in America. We can get to 70% of the United States in a day’s drive.” Webb estimated that this would reduce diesel fuel consumption 80-90% compared to traditional trucking routes. 



The facility will comprise of two 30-acre greenhouses and a central packing and distribution warehouse. It is expected to employ more than 275 people and ship 45 million pounds of fresh produce annually.

AppHarvest is partnering with Equilibrium, a leading greenhouse investment firm. Dalsem Complete Greenhouse Projects, which is overseeing construction of the greenhouse, will install the LED toplighting grow lights. 

“We’re very excited about our collaboration with AppHarvest and Equilibrium,” said Bill Bien, CEO of Signify Agriculture Lighting. “It’s great to work with partners just as committed to sustainable horticulture as we are, and we’re looking forward to helping them increase growth predictability, crop quality and yields, while improving their energy efficiency.” 

Philips LED toplighting compact

Philips horticulture LEDs deliver a light spectrum that is specifically tailored to optimize plant growth. The LEDs provide up to 40% more energy-efficient lighting compared to traditional greenhouse lighting, and emit considerably less radiant heat. Low heat radiation allows growers to separately manage two important crop inputs, heat and light, enabling complete control of the greenhouse climate.

With the features of Philips LED lighting that include crop specific light spectrum, lower radiant heat, and increased energy efficiency, growers will benefit with better growth predictability, higher yields, reduced energy costs, and sustainable production. 

For more information:
AppHarvest  
www.appharvest.com  

Signify
www.signify.com