Hydroponic Produce Growing in Jackson, Wyoming
In the winter of 1985, I was ski bumming in a place that has become very near and dear to my heart-Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The town of Jackson is very close to Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone Park and the National Elk Refuge. Up the road a piece is Jackson Hole Ski Resort in Teton Village. Recently, this destination area has become famous for not only great outdoor activities but also for a company called Vertical Harvest.
Jackson Hole is an area that has not only great skiing but also a ton of great restaurants like Stiegler's Austrian Restaurant and Bar, The Blue Lion and Nora's Fish Creek Inn. Procuring fresh produce and herbs in this remote part of the west became challenging, expensive and sometimes impossible during the winter months. Two locals came up with an idea and Vertical Harvest was born. Penny McBride, a food-waste consultant and Nona Yehia, an architect, worked together to build this vertical greenhouse. This public/private partnership sits on a 4,500 square foot lot in downtown Jackson.
Essentially these entrepreneurs filled a void and are supplying not only the area restaurants but also the local grocery stores with hydroponically grown fresh local produce and herbs. They grow baby arugula, baby romaine, basil, sweet mix and rebel tomatoes. This small undertaking proved to be challenging not only politically but also structurally. It took years to woo detractors as well as to cut through bureaucratic red tape to get to the groundbreaking stage. Once the shovels broke ground, the challenges kept on coming. This 13,500 square foot greenhouse is a steel and glass superstructure built on poured concrete foundation. This greenhouse had to be built three stories high and had to withstand harsh winters and significant snow loads. The town of Jackson sits 6,237 feet above sea level.
The venture has turned out to be a significant success. 95 percent of the planned production has been earmarked in purchase agreements. Local employment also includes 20 area residents with intellectual disabilities. Locally grown produce can be harvested year round. The re-circulating hydroponic growing system in place alleviates any negative impacts of pesticides and runoff. This project has been featured in Fast Company, as well as Discovery News.
It is great to see stories where municipalities work with the private sector to create business that benefits the local community, and yet still satisfy a demand. I applaud Vertical Harvest as well as the town of Jackson for creating an environment of sustainable produce production.
Fred Huberlie
National Accounts Manager, Rochester
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Fred Huberlie is a National Accounts Manager based in the Rochester, N.Y. office, and has been with the Allen Lund Company for 13 years. Huberlie has 26 years experience in sales and marketing. A graduate of Hartwick College, Oneonta, N.Y., Huberlie majored in Management and Political Science.
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About Allen Lund Company: Specializing as a national third-party transportation broker with nationwide offices, the Allen Lund Company works with shippers and carriers across the nation to transport dry, refrigerated (specializing in produce), and flatbed freight; additionally, the Allen Lund Company has an international division, which is licensed by the FMC as an OTI-NVOCC #019872NF, and a logistics and software division, ALC Logistics.
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