Jul 14, 2022

Hort Americas Donates to AppHarvest Foundation

Hort Americas has donated $10,000 to the AppHarvest Foundation to support its AgTech education program that introduces high school students to controlled environment agriculture (CEA) to help grow the next generation of farmers and futurists by teaching entrepreneurship and high-tech agriculture in hydroponic farm classrooms.  

“We’re thankful to Hort Americas for supporting development of a regional ecosystem with this AgTech Education Program investment for our communities, neighbors and youth in Central Appalachia,” said Amy Samples, AppHarvest Foundation director and AppHarvest vice president of community. “Hort Americas was an early supporter of the AgTech Education Program first by donating horticultural lights for the high-tech mobile greenhouse and now with a contribution to the AppHarvest Foundation. Their support of education and workforce development in this rapidly expanding sector benefits both youth and their local communities.”  

Through a collaborative effort known as AppLit, Hort Americas and Current (formerly, GE Current a Daintree company) produce LED grow lights for AppHarvest at its manufacturing facility in Hendersonville, N.C. The AppHarvest projects helped create approximately 20 U.S. jobs.  

“The work AppHarvest and the AppHarvest Foundation are doing to create an AgTech hub in Central Appalachia begins with education and is vital to the burgeoning CEA industry in the region,” said Hort Americas President Chris Higgins. “We hope our donation will help influence others to invest in and support the important mission of creating good jobs in Appalachia through more sustainable farming as it works on community and workforce development.” 

To learn more about the AppHarvest Foundation and its AgTech Education Program, visit www.appharvestfoundation.org.