Backyard Farms turns 1, expands (New England's largest commercial greenhouse)

[jpak]

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/4487770.html

MADISON -- Backyard Farms today marks its first anniversary as a mega-greenhouse tomato grower in New England, announcing the company will pursue a planned expansion that could represent an additional $125 million investment in Maine.

Paul Sellew, a founder of the company, said the Madison-based grower of vine-ripened "Backyard Beauties" plans to look at growing other crops as it expands production facilities, but tomatoes will remain a mainstay of the operation.

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Long-term plans over the next few years could include building up to three additional production greenhouses, a research and development facility and a clean biomass co-generation plant, said Sellew.

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"With produce flown over from Europe, trucked in from Mexico and the western United States -- from thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of miles away -- we are the local greenhouse to New England, only three hours from Boston," he said.

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