Vertical Harvest (VH) will soon begin hiring full-time employees to operate the latest hybrid farm in Westbrook, Maine, that's still under construction but set to open by the end of 2024.
Co-founders Nona Yehia and Caroline Estay will fill about half of those positions with people who have intellectual and physical disabilities. Their goal is to help people that often encounter barriers to meaningful work have increased opportunities for economic independence. For more on VH and its employees, watch the documentary Hearts of Glass.
Recently, The Portland Food Map had the chance to join a tour and see the building with co-founder Caroline Estay to hear how plans for Westbrook and VH overall are progressing. It's an impressive building and an even more impressive initiative. When it goes online in 2024, the 52,000-square-foot indoor farm will produce more than 2,000,000 pounds of lettuces and greens a year.
The lettuces and microgreens VH grows will be sold through distributors like Native Maine and Sodexo, as well as at Hannaford and to hospitals, corporate cafeterias, and schools across the state. There may also be a Vertical Harvest retail shop in Westbrook.
Read the entire article at Portland Food Map