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BUSINESS Wednesday 20 January 2021
High-tech indoor farmer AppHarvest starts shipping tomatoes

By DEE-ANN DURBIN of the largest single-story
AppHarvest — an indoor buildings in the world. Its
farming company backed tomato plants will be har-
by Martha Stewart — thinks vested continually and can
the agriculture sector is ripe grow to 45 feet high, help-
for disruption. And now, its ing achieve 30 times the
tomatoes are ripe for eat- yield of a traditional farm.
ing. Founder and CEO Jona-
The Morehead, Kentucky- than Webb, a Kentucky
based company said Tues- native, said Appalachia is
day it has begun shipping ideal because of its heavy
beefsteak tomatoes to rainfall. AppHarvest uses
Kroger, Walmart, Publix and only recycled rainwater to
other grocers. Eventually, water its plants.
AppHarvest plans to ship 45 But Webb said AppHarvest
million pounds of tomatoes is also keen to invest in an
each year from its 60-acre economically depressed
indoor farm in Morehead. region which has long de-
AppHarvest is one of many pended on coal. Webb
players in the fast-growing said the Morehead farm's
field of indoor farming. Oth- 350 employees all make
ers include New York-based at least $15 per hour and
Gotham Greens, which has This Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 photo provided by AppHarvest shows tomatoes being grown in their have health benefits. The
eight urban greenhouses Morehead, Ky. facility. company received more
across the U.S., and Plenty, Associated Press than 10,000 applications for
a vertical farming startup in those spots, he said.
San Francisco. In a recent versity who heads its indoor food, Stewart said. Ap- our families, for our friends." In addition to Stewart,
global survey, Agritecture agriculture program. Falling pHarvest uses no chemical Stewart also wants organic "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D.
Consulting — which works costs for LED lighting have pesticides and says its to- produce to be more af- Vance is a member of Ap-
with urban farmers — found also helped decrease the matoes are bred for flavor, fordable and accessible. pHarvest's board. Vance's
that at least 74 indoor farm- cost of operating indoor not long-haul travel, unlike She said she was shocked venture capital fund,
ing companies were found- farms, he said. tomatoes grown in Mexico. when she went to the gro- Narya, is an investor in Ap-
ed in 2020 alone. Greenhouses have been "We know how flavorless cery last Saturday and had pHarvest, which plans a
The industry is getting a around for decades, but and devoid of nutrients to pay $98 for a small cart public stock listing this year.
boost from high-tech farm- not until recently have they tomatoes are when they full of organic vegetables. AppHarvest is currently
ing techniques developed grown into such large-scale are picked a month ago," AppHarvest says its More- building a 60-acre facility in
in the highly profitable can- facilities. At the same time, said Stewart during a video head greenhouse, which Richmond, Kentucky, and
nabis industry, said Evan Lu- consumers are increasingly news conference Tuesday. houses 720,000 tomato a 15-acre facility to grow
cas, an assistant professor looking for better-tasting, "I think that we all need and plants over the equivalent leafy greens in Berea, Ken-
at Northern Michigan Uni- sustainably produced want better food for us, for of 45 football fields, is one tucky. q

Stores drop MyPillow after CEO pushes election conspiracies

NEW YORK (AP) — The rent inventory and not buy House and praised him ef-
founder of MyPillow, a vo- additional/future inventory fusively.
cal and in the past few in the brand. " Retailers during the Trump
weeks very visible sup- Lindell has continued to administration have wres-
porter of President Don- push bogus claims of elec- tled with an extremely divi-
ald Trump, says a back- tion fraud since Trump's sive political environment,
lash against the company loss to President-elect Joe risking the loss of business
has begun after a mob Biden in the presidential from one side or the other.
stormed the U.S. Capitol race. Among the first brands to
this month. That has led to extensive get a public pink slip was
Mike Lindell, the company pressure on social media Ivanka Trump clothing,
CEO and also the face for outlets carrying MyP- which Nordstrom stopped
of the brand, said major illow, based in Chaska, carrying in early 2017.
retailers like Bed Bath & Minnesota, southwest of The company, like those
Beyond and Kohl's have Minneapolis, to drop the dropping MyPillow, cited
dropped his products re- brand. steadily declining sales but In this March 30, 2020 file photo, My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell
speaks about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White
cently. Other companies have it was boycotted none- House in Washington.
Both companies confirmed been caught in the cross- theless by Trump support- Associated Press
the decision to cease car- fire as once-loyal custom- ers. President Trump com-
rying the brand Tuesday, ers are repulsed by the plained on Twitter that Nor- Broadcasting Network, feeling pressured by social
but cited flagging sales support of some execu- dstrom treated his daugh- which is best known for media campaigns.
rather than Lindell's actions tives for Trump. ter "so unfairly." its live stream coverage "I told them, you guys
or his support for Trump. Many households purged Other retailers dropped of Trump rallies on its You- come back any time you
"There has been decreased their pantries of Goya the brand, however, and it Tube channel, Lindell said want," he said in a video
customer demand for products after the CEO of closed for business a year this week that Bed Bath & released on YouTube. "It's
MyPillow," Kohl's said in an the company appeared later. Beyond and Kohl's were not their fault that they're
email. "We will sell our cur- next to Trump at the White Speaking with Right Side good companies but were scared." q