AppHarvest Foundation receives major donation

"We're thankful to Hort Americas for supporting development of a regional ecosystem with this AgTech Education Program investment for our communities, neighbors, and youth in Central Appalachia," says AppHarvest Foundation Director and AppHarvest Vice President of Community Amy Samples. "Hort Americas was an early supporter of the AgTech Education Program, first by donating horticultural lights for the high-tech mobile greenhouse and now with a contribution to the AppHarvest Foundation. Their support of education and workforce development in this rapidly expanding sector benefits both youth and their local communities."

Through a collaborative effort known as AppLit, Hort Americas and Current (formerly, GE Current a Daintree company) produce LED grow lights for AppHarvest at its manufacturing facility in Hendersonville, NC. The AppHarvest projects helped create approximately 20 U.S. jobs.

"The work AppHarvest and the AppHarvest Foundation are doing to create an AgTech hub in Central Appalachia begins with education and is vital to the burgeoning CEA industry in the region," says Hort Americas President Chris Higgins. "We hope our donation will help influence others to invest in and support the important mission of creating good jobs in Appalachia through more sustainable farming as it works on community and workforce development."

AgTech Education Program

The AppHarvest Foundation AgTech Education Program supports hands-on agricultural programs at Appalachian high schools centered around farming operations in shipping containers retrofitted with high-tech equipment where students grow fresh salad greens to distribute to their classmates and those in need in their communities.?The program's AgTech curriculum focuses on topics such as high-tech hydroponic growing, supply chain and food production analysis, and an introduction to local food systems.

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Photo Courtesy of AppHarvest

Source: Greenhouse Grower