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Nature Fresh Farms breaks ground on 180-acre Ohio greenhouse project

Under clear and sunny skies Friday, April 10, Nature Fresh Farms along with key state and local officials broke ground on Phase I of the company’s new 180-acre Delta, OH, greenhouse facility.NFF Ohio Logo Blue

“We are extremely delighted to be here today to put the first shovels in the ground for Phase I of our Delta Greenhouse Project,” said Peter Quiring, president and chief executive officer.

Surrounded by more than 150 people from the local community along with local, state and congressional representatives, Quiring went on to explain how the project would evolve starting with Phase I of 15 acres to a total of 12, 15-acre phases over the next seven years.

“This project is about cooperation and partnership,” said Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, who took part in the event.NatureFreshFarms Logo no tagline Taylor also noted that the project was going to create more than 300 jobs for Ohio.

With the project structured to be built in 12 phases over seven years, the Delta greenhouse will be a state-of-the-art facility with a high degree of automation. The facility will also be using special High Pressure Sodium lights to grow throughout the winter months. Long-term plans for the project call for a partnership with neighbour North Star BlueScope Steel to use its waste heat and CO2 to help heat the greenhouse and reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

“Nature Fresh will provide good paying jobs and will attract more people to our community," said Dan Miller, mayor of Delta. Earlier in the week, more than a dozen local businesses in Delta had their storefront windows painted and decorated by the Delta High School art club welcoming Nature Fresh to the community.

“Seeing this type of community support with personal messages on storefront windows welcoming us to their town is extremely humbling,” Quiring said in a press release.

Positioned as a backdrop to the ground-breaking area were massive earthmovers, bulldozers and excavators from Carpenter Construction, which is expected to start levelling the project area this week. “We are looking forward to kicking off this project, this is going to be a great project,” Adam Carpenter, president, said in the press release.

Nature Fresh expects to pick its first crop of tomatoes in late December 2015 and will provide fresh locally grown Ohio tomatoes to Midwest grocery stores year-round.

More about the project is available at www.naturefresh.ca/OhioFresh.

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