Greenhouse Vegetable Grower Breaks Ground on 50-Acre Expansion Project

Posted by Brian Sparks|September 22, 2019

Bushel Boy Farms, a Minnesota-based greenhouse vegetable producer, is expanding. The company recently broke ground on a new 50-acre facility in Mason City, IA. The $35 million investment in the new facility will increase current production by 50% and is expected to bring approximately 50 full-time jobs to the city. Tomatoes will be the initial crop.

VB Greenhouse Projects from the Netherlands was awarded the contract for this modern greenhouse complex to be built in Northern Iowa. The groundbreaking commences phase one of a three-phase project and entails development of a 16.5-acre high-tech greenhouse with a modern packhouse and technical installations building. The project is scheduled for completion in October of 2020, with the first harvest expected in December of that year.

The Iowa expansion does not affect Bushel Boy’s continued commitment to its Owatonna, MN, operations, as construction is currently underway on a 4.5-acre research and development greenhouse also built by VB Greenhouse Projects. This state-of-the-art expansion will both increase production at its flagship facility and increase the variety of tomato offered. The construction phase of this R&D project is already set for completion in December 2019 with production starting in early 2020.

Once both projects are complete, Bushel Boy will have 48 acres of greenhouse space, with infrastructure in place for 33 more acres. These projects will provide the company an enhanced ability to offer a wide variety of locally grown, premium fresh produce to the upper Midwest.

“These expansions will not only allow us to serve our existing customer base, but will provide us the opportunity to seek new business relationships and expand existing partnerships with retailers, wholesalers, and food service distributors,” said Steve Irland, President of Bushel Boy Farms.