HAZLE TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — On Thursday, Governor Tom Wolf announced Crop One will be opening a vertical farm in Hazle Township.
“The commonwealth’s competitive edge provided us with an advantage over other states for this expansion project, and I`m very pleased to welcome Crop One to Pennsylvania,” Governor Wolf said.
According to the press release, the vertical farm will grow romaine and spring mix lettuce and serve to food service providers and retailers close to the facility.
The release says the project is Crop One’s third operation in the United States and received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a loan of up to three million dollars through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA.)
Like Upward Farms in Hanover Township, the vertical farm is meant to provide locally grown produce while not taking up as much land as traditional farms.
“As Crop One looked to expand into new geographies, Pennsylvania quickly emerged as a natural next step,” said Craig Ratajczyk, Chief Executive Officer at Crop One.
DCED and Crop One worked with the Pennslyvania Department of Agriculture and CAN DO, a Hazleton based economic development organization, to pave the way for this project, according to the release.
“CAN DO is proud to add Crop One to the wide array of industries located within Humboldt Industrial Park,” said Joseph Lettiere, President and CEO of CAN DO.
The project was coordinated by the Governor Action Team (GAT) and is anticipated to open in the next couple of months.
