AppHarvest announced that its first harvest of Tomatoes on the Vine from its indoor farm is shipping to Kroger grocery stores this week. This harvest marks the second tomato variety to be distributed to grocery stores since the controlled environment ag company first harvested Beefsteak tomatoes in January. The Morehead facility has planted half of the facility’s acreage in the Beefsteak variety and the other half in the tomatoes on the vine variety, which are delivering on schedule.
The tomatoes on the vine first will be available in Kroger stores this week with pricing expected to be comparable to standard tomatoes. Tomatoes on the Vine are sold with the vine still attached, which allows the fruit to absorb additional nutrients from the plant as it continues to ripen.
“Our Beefsteak tomatoes have been a hit with customers since launching in grocery stores this past January, and we expect our Tomatoes on the Vine to be just as in-demand,” said Jonathan Webb, CEO & Founder of AppHarvest. “This harvest also has proved the team can handle the production ramp-up at our Morehead facility as we are now using all grow space at the high-tech farm. We’re making good on our mission to build a resilient domestic supply of delicious, nutritious and affordable tomatoes grown sustainably while creating good jobs in an area that needs them.”
Additionally, the company is currently building two additional high-tech controlled environment agriculture facilities in Central Appalachia: a 15-acre facility in Berea, Ky., that will focus on growing leafy greens, and a 60-acre facility outside Richmond, Ky., expected to grow tomatoes.
AppHarvest