Better Future Farms Opens Greenhouse With Advanced Automated Technology
September 25, 2024 Van der Hoeven announced the official opening of the Better Future Farms facility in Virginia on September 23, 2024. Located on a 61-acre site, this semi-closed greenhouse, which is dedicated to leafy greens, features full automation from seeding to packaging.
The greenhouse production area is equipped with advanced technology such as automated seeding, transplanting, harvesting, climate control, processing, and packaging.
This new Better Future Farms facility ensures a year-round supply of fresh, high-quality leafy greens, meeting the increasing demand for fresh produce in Virginia while minimizing labor requirements.
As part of its commitment to long-term sustainability and operational efficiency, Van der Hoeven will continue to provide ongoing support to Better Future Farms, ensuring smooth operations and ongoing optimization to maximize the facility’s profitability.
Key Partnerships Drive Success
Better Future Farms partnered with Generate Capital, a leading sustainable investment and operating platform, to drive the infrastructure transition. Generate believes that scalable, sustainable solutions for agriculture will play a critical role in future-proofing communities. Van der Hoeven provided the engineering, procurement and construction for this project. This led to the creation of an innovative, state-of-the-art greenhouse, demonstrating how Van der Hoeven can meet the growing United States demand for fresh, locally grown food.
A Step Towards a Sustainable Future
“Van der Hoeven is proud to play a key role in advancing sustainable horticulture in the United States,” said Bas Duijvestijn, Chief Commercial Officer of Van der Hoeven. “This state-of-the-art facility is a significant milestone and highlights our commitment to delivering innovative solutions that meet the demand for fresh, locally grown vegetables. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Better Future Farms and supporting the future of farming.”
Stronger Together
This project is a significant undertaking in partnership with Hortiplan, a market leader in Mobile Gutter Systems (MGS). Both Hortiplan and Van der Hoeven are part of Arvesta, the full-service partner for farmers and horticulturists. Arvesta places a strong emphasis on innovation, sustainability, and knowledge sharing. By combining expertise, these partners have developed the most advanced leafy greens-growing greenhouses in the world, using automated systems to optimize operations from seeding to harvesting.
Positive Customer Response
“The Virginia facility is one-of-a kind and amazing to see how it all came together. The lettuce looks and tastes fantastic. Initial customer feedback has been extremely positive. We look forward to providing locally grown lettuce to our customers year-round for years to come and appreciate the hard work of Van Der Hoeven and Hortiplan,” said David Drescher, CEO of Better Future Farms.