AppHarvest breaks ground on new facility to produce strawberries

PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - A major new growing operation is coming to southern Kentucky.

AppHarvest will bring a major fruit-growing facility to Pulaski County:

This comes on the heels of another AppHarvest facility that just opened in Morehead.

At the facility Pulaski County facility, which will be near Shopville in the Somerset area, AppHarvest will use its technology and innovative growing techniques to produce strawberries.

It will be a similar facility to the 58-acre indoor growing operation in Morehead and grows enough tomatoes to provide the Eastern seaboard.

AppHarvest CEO Jonathan Webb says all of this comes from the idea to bring fruit production back to the United States and for this country to provide its own food.

“Had this idea that we can bring fruit and vegetable production back to the US, we can use this technology and grow a lot more food with a lot less resources,” Webb said.” And, more importantly, we could do it right here in the eastern part of Kentucky, where we have some of the hardest working men and women in the country.”

Somerset Mayor Alan Keck says this is a $60 million investment and could provide 200 jobs.

“Hundreds of jobs. I’ve always said President Reagan said it best, the best social welfare program is a job When Mom and Dad, aunts and uncles have a job, families do better,” Keck said.

Local officials hope this is just the beginning of Kentucky becoming the Ag tech capital of the world.

Production is expected to start sometime in 2023. The plant will use the same recycling of rainwater and LED lighting used in Morehead.

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