Introducing Better Future Farms
John McMahon got into CEA around eight years ago after a career in finance. Schuyler Greens, his first company, set out to find its niche in a competitive market.
Today, along with business partner David Drescher, McMahon is evolving the business with a new company: Better Future Farms. The Schuyler Greens facility McMahon says, is about half an acre. When completed in 2024, the Better Future Farms facility will feature around 13 acres of growing space.
The greens grown at Better Future Farms will be sold under Taylor Farms’ Earthbound label. The product will be labeled as greenhouse-grown, but won’t feature any information about Better Family Farms.
The reason for that, McMahon says, is simple.
“It’s expensive to build a brand,” he says. By serving as a supplier and not a public facing business, McMahon says they can remain lean and rely on a “monster” company like Taylor Farms who already has a robust retail presence. There’s only so much space, Drescher adds, on the shelf for new brands entering the space.
“This is another step in the evolution of our 28-year journey to provide fresh, high-quality produce to customers across North America,” said Bruce Taylor, Chairman and CEO. “We look forward to bringing local, greenhouse grown lettuce to Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region.”
The facility is located in Louisa, Virginia – roughly an hour west of Richmond and 30 minutes east of Charlottesville. The facility, McMahon and Drescher say, will be highly automated and under glass. Funding (in the “tens of millions,” Drescher says) comes from Generate Capital. They’ve also received a $200,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, which Louisa County will match with local funds.
There’s also support coming from Virginia – a state that has embraced CEA and vertical farming business recently. In 2022, Plenty announced a $300 million vertical farming campus in Virginia and AeroFarms expanded its facility in the state. Other leading companies, including Gotham Greens, BrightFarms and Soli Organic, have a have presence in the state.
“I want to thank Better Future Farms and Generate Capital for making this important investment in Virginia,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “I commend them on the new jobs and fresh, local produce this project will provide to consumers in the Commonwealth and beyond.”
“This investment in controlled environment agriculture helps boost the Commonwealth’s position as a leader in the next generation agricultural sector,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. “I am pleased that the Commonwealth could partner with Louisa County through the Governor’s AFID Fund to secure this exciting win for Virginia.”
https://producegrower.com/news/better-future-farms-taylor-farms-virginia-hydroponic-greens/