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Attended by Newark Mayor Baraka, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture, Douglas F. Fisher, and New Jersey Acting Governor, Kim Guadagno, a host of dignitaries, investment partners, and members of the Ironbound Community, AeroFarms broke ground today on its 69,000 square foot, vertical, urban farm and corporate headquarters. Utilizing a proprietary aeroponic growing system, AeroFarms will produce two million pounds of leafy greens per year. 78 new, direct, permanent, quality jobs will be created, with over 50% employing local community residents. Lauded as an innovative, clean industry, it replaces decades of industrial polluters in the area, the remnants of which continue to be remediated.

Jim Howard, CEO of DV Community Investment, which contributed $10 million of New Markets Tax Credit allocation, was in attendance, as well as Margaret Anadu from Goldman Sachs and Ommeed Sathe of Prudential, financial partners in the transaction. The site is being developed by Ron Beit of the RBH Group, an innovator in Newark’s redevelopment efforts, including Teachers Village.

To see a video of the groundbreaking, please click here or you can take a virtual tour of AeroFarms here.