Utamatisi wokuqala ovela ku-flagship ye-AppHarvest, i-greenhouse yamahektha angu-60 e-Morehead, eKentucky, yaqala ukuvela emashalofini ezitolo ngoJanuwari 2021, kodwa lokho akulutho uma kuqhathaniswa nalokho inkampani enethemba lokuthi kuzothunyelwa ekupheleni kuka-2022.
Ezinye izindlu zokugcina izithombo ezintathu zisakhiwa esifundazweni. I-greenhouse ephindwe kabili e-Richmond, eKentucky, izophinda kabili i-acreage yenkampani yamatamatisi. I-greenhouse engamahektha angu-15 eBerea izomila amaqabunga aluhlaza. I-greenhouse engamahektha angu-30 e-Somerset yenzelwe ukutshala ama-strawberry.
Naphezu kwalokho kwanda kokukhiqizwa komkhiqizo, isikhulu esiphezulu uJonathan Webb uthe inkampani inethemba lokuthi izosebenzisana nabanye abalimi bezithelo nemifino base-US, kunokuba balwe. Uhlose ukumema abanye abalimi kanye nabalimi bezinhlobo ezintsha zemikhiqizo, ezikhungweni esikhathini esizayo.
“Ngithanda njalo ukuzama amaphrofayili ahlukahlukene wokunambitha kanye nama-flavour futhi ngibone ukuthi abalimi benzani ezweni lonke, futhi ngethemba ukuthi njengoba i-COVID iqala ukwehlisa umoya, singaqala ukumema abanye balabo balimi bemifino eKentucky kanye nathi, sibabonise lokho esikwenzayo. bayakwenza, futhi ufunde kubo futhi ubone ukuthi benzani. Kodwa sihlezi sizama ukusebenzisana sibone ukuthi sizozikhulisa kanjani lezi zibalo.”
Ukusebenza ndawonye
Engxoxweni abe nayo neVegetable Growers News, uWebb uthe akaqondile ukuncintisana nabanye emakethe. Ukholelwa ukuthi kungenzeka ukukhulisa isidingo sabathengi sezithelo nemifino kakhulu - kuphindwe kabili, noma kuphindwe kathathu.
“Oyedwa kwabayishumi baseMelika udla izithelo nemifino eyanele. Lokhu akuphathelene nokuncintisana nabanye abalimi bemifino; kumayelana nokuthi siyitshala kanjani imakethe yezithelo nemifino lapho abantu bedla ukudla okunempilo futhi benokukhetha ukudla okusha okunempilo. Kuyamangaza ukucabanga ukuthi uma abantu baseMelika abathathu kwabayi-10 bedla izithelo nemifino eyanele, imakethe yezithelo nemifino ingaphindeka kathathu e-US.
“Masenze imakethe yase-US yezithelo nemifino ngokuphindwe kane,” eqhubeka. “Akukaze kube khona ngempela ubisi oluthi 'Got Milk?' umkhankaso (womkhiqizo), futhi singo-2021,” esho, ebhekise embonini yobisi eyimpumelelo, umzamo kazwelonke wokumaketha kazwelonke wamashumi eminyaka owaqalwa yizinkampani zobisi zaseCalifornia.
I-AppHarvest isanda kugwaza emkhankasweni wayo wabathengi, i-Fight the Food Fight, noma i-FTFF. Umkhankaso obheke abathengi uhambisane nokwethulwa kwesitolo sewebhusayithi ye-e-commerce, appharvest.com, esidayisa ama-salsa enziwe ngotamatisi wawo.
"Siyaqaphela ukuthi ukwenza ushintsho ngempela kulesi sikhala kuzodinga inhlangano yabathengi, futhi inhlangano yabathengi izoqala ngemfundo, ngakho-ke kithi, i-FTFF iyinkundla yethu yokuphuma futhi siqale ukuba nalezo zingxoxo," kusho okhulumela i-AppHarvest uTravis Parman. “Siqale ngeloli lokudla kanye ne-greenhouse engumahamba nendlwana ukuze sikwazi ukukhombisa abantu ukuthi kumayelana nani ukulima kwe-hydroponic hi-tech.” Banxuse abathengi ukuthi babandlulule imikhiqizo futhi “bavote ngamadola enu” ukuze bathole umkhiqizo otshalwe ekhaya, osezingeni eliphezulu.
Mayelana nokusebenza nabanye abalimi, inkampani isivele inesiqalo ekusebenzisaneni okunjalo. Ngo-August 2021, i-AppHarvest kanye ne-Mastronardi Produce Ltd. basayina incwadi yenhloso engabopheli ukwakha ibhizinisi elihlanganyelwe, elibizwa ngeFarmCo, lokwandisa ukuhlinzekwa kwezithelo nemifino okuhlanganisa nemifino eluhlaza ekukhangiseni nasekusatshalalisweni kwemikhiqizo emisha ye-Mastronardi.
“Sibe nenhlanhla lapha ukuthi u-Paul Mastronardi wakholelwa enjongweni yenkampani kusenesikhathi futhi ithimba lakhe e-Mastronardi landizela phansi okuqukethwe izikhathi eziningi ngenqubo yasekuqaleni lapho lokhu bekuwumqondo nje, futhi sikujabulele kakhulu sebenzisana nabo ukuze sikhiphe umkhiqizo wethu omusha eshalofini futhi udlulele kumapuleti aseMelika. Sicabanga ukuthi lo mkhakha uqina ngokubambisana.”
Ukukhula kusasa
I-flagship greenhouse hydroponically ikhulisa utamatisi hhayi nje ngokuzenzakalelayo emisebenzini eyisisekelo ye-greenhouse efana nokukhanyisa, kodwa ngeso elibheke ekuvuneni. UWebb uthe i-AppHarvest isebenze eduze namaDashi kanye nabalingani abaningi baseNetherlands ukusiza ukwenza isu layo eKentucky. Futhi, i-AppHarvest ngo-Ephreli 2021 yathola i-Root AI, futhi kwafika isivuni samarobhothi, i-Virgo, esingalungiselelwa ukukhetha izitshalo ezahlukene ezinjengotamatisi, upelepele, ukhukhamba kanye, inkampani isishilo, izithelo ezintekenteke kakhulu njengamasitrobheni. Futhi yize i-automation egcwele ingakafiki ngezinga lezentengiselwano, uWebb uthe kuseduze nje kunokuhlala amashumi eminyaka. Kuthathwa njengengqikithi, i-greenhouse enkulu isivele isezingeni eliphezulu lokuzenzekelayo.
"Isikhulu sethu sezobuchwepheshe (kanye nomsunguli we-Root AI), u-Josh Lessing, uthanda ukuchaza indawo ebamba ukushisa njengerobhothi elingamahektha angu-60 ngoba lizishintshashintsha kakhulu," kusho uWebb.
Abasebenzi abanekhono bayakha inkampani. NgoJulayi 2021, inkampani yamemezela ukuqashwa kukaMark Keller, umakadebona wase-Amazon. Manje usebenza njengesekela likamongameli omkhulu wenkampani, inkundla yezinhlelo zokusebenza zesoftware.
"Izinto zikaMark ezakhiwe ezinyangeni ezimbili lapha e-AppHarvest imboni engakaze ibonwe yakhiwe kule minyaka engu-20 edlule," kusho uWebb. "Sikhuthazeke kakhulu ngenqubekelaphambili esiyibonile ngethimba lezobuchwepheshe futhi empeleni ukuthola izingqondo ezihlakaniphile ezivela emhlabeni wonke ukuthi zibhalisele ukubhekana nalo mzamo."
Yinkampani enesifiso sokuvelela, futhi u-2022 uhlelelwe ukuba ube matasa ngomsebenzi.
“Sijabulile ukuthi singagcini nje ngokuba umlimi omkhulu katamatisi, kodwa, ekupheleni konyaka ozayo, sibe abalimi abakhulu bezinhlobo eziningi zezithelo nemifino ezizobe zisemashalofini ezitolo,” kusho uWebb. “Futhi ngethemba, yiba ngumdlali weqembu nomkhakha omkhulu ukuze uzame ukukhulisa imakethe iyonke futhi uthole abantu abadla ukudla okunempilo okunempilo, futhi uthole lezo zinketho ezindlini zabantu. (Ngo-2022), kithina, sizizwa sengathi sizosondela kulokho inguqulo yangempela egcwele yokuthi i-AppHarvest ibukeka kanjani, okusho ukuthi, singaphezu kwenkampani katamatisi.”
- UStephen Kloosterman, umhleli ohlangene; Isithombe phezulu: NgeNtwasahlobo ka-2021 i-AppHarverst yathola i-Root AI kanye nesivuni sayo sendawo yonke esiyirobhothi, i-Virgo. Yize i-Virgo ingasebenza ngaphakathi noma ngaphandle, irobhothi ligxile kwezolimo ezilawulwa yimvelo. Eminyakeni embalwa, i-Virgo iqoqe isethi yedatha enkulu yezithombe zikatamatisi ezisiza ukuthi zibone izinhlobo futhi zinqume ukuthi zivunwa nini. Isithombe: AppHarvest