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Richmond selected as site for world’s largest vertical farm

The world’s largest indoor vertical farming complex is coming to Richmond, Virginia.

Plenty Unlimited, Inc. said Thursday that it acquired 120 acres of land near Richmond that will serve as the facility’s site to grow produce beginning next winter.



The $300 million campus plans to host several large-scale vertical farms that could potentially yield more than 20 million pounds of produce across multiple crops each year, including strawberries, leafy greens and tomatoes.

“Plenty’s decision to establish its first major east coast vertical farming campus in Virginia shines a spotlight on the advantages that make the Commonwealth the best location in the nation for companies growing our food safely and sustainably indoors,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin in Plenty’s news release.

“This transformational project further bolsters Virginia’s agriculture and technology industries and positions the Commonwealth as a leader in this next generation of agriculture,” the governor continued.

The company said its first batch of produce — Driscoll’s strawberries — will be available to purchase throughout the northeast by winter 2023-24. The new vertical farm is expected to bring up to 300 jobs to the Chesterfield County area.

Trump announces a $22.5B makeover of Dulles airport that will eliminate the ‘people movers’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal. In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029. Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial. But of all the construction projects Trump is pursuing, the renovations at Dulles could prove to be his most popular and benefit the greatest number of people. The airport, the area’s primary international airport, served roughly 29 million passengers over the past year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
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