Posted September 11, 2020

Sonny Perdue is on a mission to replace the limp lettuce and tasteless tomatoes often found on grocery store shelves with fresh, locally grown produce while reducing America’s reliance on Mexico for much of that food.

A new Agriculture Technology Center planned for rural Hampton County is a big step in that direction, said Perdue, the U.S. agriculture secretary in President Donald Trump’s administration.

The $314 million ag-tech center, announced last week, will combine 200 acres of greenhouses with an on-site packaging facility and a 150,000-square-foot distribution center — all on 1,000 acres — so pesticide-free tomatoes, lettuce, berries and other produce can be grown 365 days a year in a controlled environment, packaged next door and then shipped directly to stores throughout the region.

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