COVINGTON, Ga. — A nationally-known vertical farming company will create 150 new jobs after it opens in northeast Covington and begins distributing to retailers by early 2023.
The company, called 80 Acres Farms, will invest $120 million in its Covington plant that seeks to meet "consumer demand for locally grown fresh produce to address food insecurity and achieve a healthier, more sustainable food supply," a city government news release stated.
Eighty Acres Farms operates "super-efficient vertical farms" that produce up to 300 times as much food per square foot as traditional agriculture, use 95% less water per pound of produce and minimizes food waste and miles traveled.
The company's new facility is already under construction in Covington on Industrial Park Boulevard with expected completion by August, said city spokesman Ken Malcom.
"This new farm allows us to give consumers in the Atlanta region what they truly want — fresh, local, pesticide-free food.”
Covington Mayor Steve Horton said the city "continues to be at the forefront for business success, and we are honored to partner with 80 Acres Farms, another environmentally sustainable business joining our community.”
"Many thanks to our development authority, NOW Covington.”
The economic development arm of the city of Covington, NOW Covington, sought to attract environmentally sustainable businesses to the city, said NOW Covington Chairperson Kim Carter.
”With their emphasis on sustainable agriculture, 80 Acres Farm is the perfect addition to our community landscape, where green technology, clean energy, conservation, and innovation are central to how we grow,” Carter said.
“By integrating traditional farming with cutting edge technology, 80 Acres Farm is the perfect expression of our past and our future in Newton County.”
The city government was integral in working with 80 Acres Farms for establishing in Covington, said William Smith, the city's economic development manager.
“Covington’s agriculture history makes 80 Acre Farms a perfect fit. Our utilities directors have been vital to our partnership," Smith said.
"Most exciting is partnering with a company that can address both the food insecurity and the food as healthcare movements” he said.
The facility will distribute to retailers by early 2023 and will generate four times as much food as the company’s current largest and most productive farm in Hamilton, Ohio, when fully operational, a news release stated.
It will be capable of growing leafy greens, microgreens, vine crops, and fruits year-round, the release stated.
“It’s no coincidence that our first next-generation production farm outside the Midwest will be in the heart of Georgia,” said 80 Acres Farms CEO Mike Zelkind. “We went looking for another community where government officials and business leaders were prioritizing the future of farming, and we found that in Covington."
Vertical farming is the agricultural process in which crops are grown on top of each other, rather than in traditional, horizontal rows, according to information from the company Bowery Farming Inc.
"Growing vertically allows for conservation in space, resulting in a higher crop yield per square foot of land used," according to the company's website." Vertical farms are mainly located indoors, such as a warehouse, where they have the ability to control the environmental conditions for plants to succeed."
Products from 80 Acres Farms — salads, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and microgreens — can be found at at Kroger, Whole Foods and The Fresh Market in the Atlanta area as well as key national foodservice distributors, including Sysco and US Foods, the release stated.
As the farm’s opening date approaches, the company will be hiring across a variety of roles, from hourly growing and harvesting jobs to salaried management positions to support functions in finance, sales, and more, the company said in the release. Those interested can learn more at www.80AcresFarms.com.
“We are excited to welcome 80 Acres Farms to Georgia as we continue finding new, exciting ways to support and grow our state's No. 1 agriculture industry,” said Gov. Brian Kemp. “I look forward to seeing the difference that 80 Acres Farms will make in Covington as they employ hardworking Georgians and pour into in the local community and surrounding region.”
