Plenty Unlimited

Challenge

Plenty Unlimited Inc., a California-based company committed to growing vertically farmed crops, contacted the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) in June 2021 to assist in site selection for a large-scale, high-tech food manufacturing facility. VEDP tapped the Greater Richmond Partnership for assistance. Plenty’s needs included at least 25 acres, 15+ megawatts of power and access to natural gas and water.

Partners

GRP partnered with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Chesterfield County and Dominion Energy to secure the project for Virginia.

Competition

Five other states were considered for the project. Virginia won thanks to its location and infrastructure as well as its access to market.

Solution

In September 2022, Plenty announced its plans for a new vertical farm at Meadowville Technology Park in Chesterfield County.

“At Plenty, we’re on a mission to sustainably grow fresh food for everyone, everywhere,” said Plenty CEO Arama Kukutai. “This campus will raise the bar on what indoor vertical farming can deliver. The scale and sophistication of what we’re building here in Virginia will make it possible to economically grow a variety of produce with superior quality and flavor. We look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with the government of Virginia as we endeavor to rewrite the rules of agriculture.”

At Plenty, we’re on a mission to sustainably grow fresh food for everyone, everywhere. This campus will raise the bar on what indoor vertical farming can deliver. The scale and sophistication of what we’re building here in Virginia will make it possible to economically grow a variety of produce with superior quality and flavor. We look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with the government of Virginia as we endeavor to rewrite the rules of agriculture. Arama KukutaiCEO, Plenty Unlimited

Using vertical towers and a control light, water and nutrient system, the indoor farm will yield 350x more crops per acre, utilizing a fraction of the land and water compared to conventional farms.

Results

With construction underway, Plenty’s Chesterfield County location plans for:

• $300 million in capital investment
• 120 acres of land
• 300 full-time jobs
• 100 percent carbon neutral by 2040

Next steps

Plenty plans to complete its campus in multiple phases over the next six years. The first farm is due to open in winter 2023-2024 where it will grow strawberries for the Driscoll’s brand. Designed to grow more than 4 million pounds annually, it will be the first in the world to grow indoor, vertically farmed berries at scale.