What’s going on with Vertical Harvest?
Source: VFD.com
After years of delays, legal disputes, and growing community speculation, Vertical Harvest's massive hydroponic greenhouse is finally producing food in Westbrook — though the facility remains far from full capacity. Inside the greenhouse On June 22, I toured the Vertical Harvest facility in Westbrook, where employees offered a glimpse into a greenhouse that is still growing into its full potential.
Though built on just one acre of land, the vertically stacked hydroponic growing systems allow the greenhouse to produce the equivalent of about 250 acres of traditional farmland. After years of planning and construction, the flagship facility officially opened in Jackson in 2016, serving as a model for combining sustainable agriculture with workforce inclusion.
The Westbrook operation, located at the intersection of William Clarke Drive and Mechanic Street, is approximately four times larger than the Jackson greenhouse and contains roughly 20 times more growing space. Nigeria: UN-backed hydroponic fodder training reaches conflict-affected communities in Borno State Australia: University students lead greenhouse project and gain industry experience Central Wyoming College positions CEA program as state's workforce and food innovation hub US (MT): Researchers aim to autonomously eliminate plant-killing bacteria from hydroponic systems Morgan State students granted acceptance to NSF I-Corps program to accelerate technological development US (KS): UMKC student-staff duo hopes to scale hydroponic lettuce to help solve food insecurity Purdue engineer receives major USDA AFRI Award for hydroponic project International student team wins Urban Farm Challenge with hydroponic and vertical growing proposal Related Articles St.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
