New Springfield Indoor farm nearly operational
Jul. 19—A climate-controlled indoor farm built on the grounds of the Gordon Food Service's Springfield distribution center will hire 25 to 30 local farmers and package 2.4 million packages of fresh herbs and leafy greens annually.
The products produced at the farm, which will consist of various units that constitutes its own growing system, will be exclusively sold and distributed to institutions and stores throughout the region, including in the Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati areas.
The indoor farm itself will be able to grow seven different types of vegetables and be a fully self contained hydroponic farm. The structure is fully built and ready to go. Almost all of the farmers that will work at the site have been hired, said Robert Plaisier, director of warehouse for Gordon's Springfield facility.
The new indoor farm is a result of a partnership between indoor farming company Square Roots and large food distributer Gordon Food Service. The 11,200 square foot facility will be located on the property of Gordon's existing food distribution center on Gateway Blvd.
"We do not own Square Roots, we partner with them. They have use of our facility and shipping docks," Plaisier said.
The farm itself will consist of approximately 20 containers, with each farmer being assigned a container. Additional employees will be responsible for monitoring and other responsibilities such as shipping produce, Plaisier said.
Square Roots began the hiring process for the indoor farm in May and construction wrapped up in June, according to information provided by Plaiser during a presentation for the Springfield Rotary Club on Monday.
The indoor farm will be able to grow food year round and is expecting its first harvest by the end of the summer or early fall. An official ribbon cutting ceremony will be held in September.
Indoor farming has gained traction in recent years, particularly in urban areas, as it doesn't require much land space. It can simulate climate conditions that allows for year-round growing by using different light sources, balancing nutrients and creating a water source.
Cox Enterprises, the News-Sun's parent company, owns BrightFarms, an indoor farm operation in Wilmington.
Representatives of Square Roots and Gordon Food Service have not publicly disclosed how much it cost to build the indoor farm in Springfield or how much money will be invested in that growing operation in the future.
However, depending on how successful the operation is, it can increase the amount of food being distributed out of Gordon's food distribution center in the area as produce grown at the indoor farm will also be distributed to regional grocery stores.
It will be the only food growing operation at the distribution center, which employs hundreds.
"The new farm we've announced with Square Roots in Springfield accelerates our shared vision to build more indoor farms together across the continent," said Rich Wolowski, president and CEO of Gordon Food Service. "Together, we are enabling local food at a global scale, meeting the rising demand for produce that is fresher, responsibly grown, and traceable from seed to shelf."
