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“ To reach that goal , we have to take advantage of the technologies to achieve that . It doesn ’ t mean leaving traditional agriculture or small farms by the wayside . In fact , it adds to diversity of the community of farmers producing food ,” says Ken Ayars , chief of the state Department of Environmental Management ’ s Division of Agriculture and Forest Environment . “ It allows us to take advantage of the fact that Rhode Island is surrounded by 50 to 60 million people between Boston and New York .”
Certainly , the state ’ s proximity to a population-dense corridor has attracted a handful of CEA companies currently considering an expansion here , says Julianne Stelmaszyk , Director of Food Strategy for the state , who oversees Relish Rhody .
“ They run the gamut from traditional hydroponic , vertical farming to a circular economy approach with an anaerobic digester and solar to offset the energy costs of growing year-round .” These companies are also interested in the state ’ s position on CEA — looking for “ a shared mission around building a more sustainable and regional food economy with a social-impact focus ,” she says .
The state has two ongoing CEA operations : Gotham Greens and Agcore Technologies , occupying industrial land in Providence and Cranston , respectively .
Opened in 2019 , Gotham Greens ’ urban farm is the sixth of nine in six states spanning both coasts . In winter ’ s early evening darkness , its 100,000-squarefoot greenhouse is lit with vistas of piercing green . In the nursery , seeds of nine different leafy greens nestle in rows of peat pots , like little golden eggs in nests . The air is temperate and scented with basil , spreading its rounded leaves languidly in optimized growing conditions . Year-round , workers hand-harvest and pack millions of heads of butter , romaine and other varieties of greens to be dis-
28 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l FEBRUARY 2022