VB starts phase 1 for MightyVine Tomatoes in Rochelle IL
30-05-2015In Rochelle IL a state-of-the-art complete greenhouse is being built for MightyVine Tomatoes. VB is responsible for the complete greenhouse design and general contract management.
The greenhouse infrastructure is designed for 30 acres of which 7.5 acres are currently under construction. It is the mission of MightyVine Tomatoes to grow great-tasting tomatoes year round for the local market. In order to achieve this goal, they have partnered with the best in the industry. MightyVine’s Dutch greenhouse partners include Havecon, PB Techniek and Priva.
On the distribution end MightyVine Tomatoes works closely with two partner companies who are likewise dedicated to improving the way the City of Chicago is being supplied with local fresh food:
- Local Foods Grocer and Distributor - Chicago’s first and only distributor and retailer of exclusively local foods from the Midwest’s finest farmers. www.localfoods.com
- HandCut Foods – providing superior food, service and management to Chicago schools and businesses, prepared from scratch and using whole ingredients that are minimally processed and responsibly sourced. www.handcutfoods.com
Together MightyVine, Local Foods, and HandCut Foods are revolutionizing the way Chicago eats, focused on health, nutrition, quality and education. They work every day to close the gap between farmers and consumers, driving innovation in the production, distribution and preparation of food.
In order to supply the best tomatoes MightyVine partnered with Royal Pride from the Netherlands. Royal Pride is one of the most technologically advanced companies in the greenhouse industry. Based in Middenmeer, The Netherlands, the company specializes in the production and packing of varied tomato cultivars. In 2011, Royal Pride partnered with Mighty Vine Tomatoes to bring Dutch greenhouse technology to the US. Since that year, both companies have explored various locations around the Greater Chicago area to begin production of vine ripened fresh tomatoes for the local market, resulting in the selection of Rochelle, IL for their first 7.5 acre greenhouse.
While MightyVine’s daily growing operations will be managed by an experienced head grower on site, Royal Pride management will also have remote access to the greenhouse climate control system, allowing them to monitor and advise on how to optimize the growing process. It is Royal Pride’s mission to provide all the knowledge that is needed between seed and shelf, integrating 30 years of experience into the processes of growing, harvesting, packing, distributing and marketing of the tomatoes. Beyond remotely monitoring the greenhouse, Royal Pride will train key MightyVine employees at their headquarters in The Netherlands and conduct frequent on site visits to strengthen communications between US and Dutch growers.
Phase 1 planting date is set for early August 2015