Land purchased for mass-production greenhouse in Rowan County

MOREHEAD, Ky. (WTVQ) – AppHarvest purchased property for the site of a mass-production greenhouse that could bring up to 300 jobs to Rowan County, according to the Morehead News.

The land is in the KY 801 community near Sharkey, across from the Airport Road entrance, according to the report.  The cost for the 366.177 acres was $3.5 million, according to the newspaper.

AppHarvest says it plans to grow non-GMO, chemical-free tomatoes that will be sold to top U.S. grocers.

The project is expected to cost $85 million, financed in part by “Hillbilly Elegy,” author J.D. Vance’s investment group, according to the Morehead News.

The company originally planned to build the greenhouse in Pikeville’s industrial park, but after two years of delays, started looking elsewhere and settled on Rowan County.

There is not a specific timetable for completion of the project.