WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU.

>> AND MANY CHICAGO RESTAURANTS

AND GROCERY STORES ARE GETTING

FRESH PRODUCE FROM HERE IN

ILLINOIS.

IT'S PART OF A GROWING TREND TO

OBTAIN FARM FRESH TOMATOES AND

GREENS FROM GREENHOUSES INSTEAD

OF SHIPPING THEM THOUSANDS OF

MILES.

WE VISITED FOR A LOOK AT THE

LOCAL GREENERY.

>> A HOT HOUSE JUNGLE OF TOMATO

PLANTS FILLS A SEVEN-AND-A-HALF

ACRE GREENHOUSE IN ROCHELLE

ILLINOIS 80 MILES WEST OF

CHICAGO.

AND MIGHTY VINE TOMATOES IS IN

THE PROCESS OF DOUBLING THEIR

SPACE TO 15 INDOOR ACRES.

WE MET MIGHTY VINE'S HEAD GROWER

WHO BRINGS A FAMILY TRADITION.

>> MY FATHER WAS A TOMATO GROWER

AND BOTH MY GRANDFATHERS WERE IN

HOLLAND.

I WAS BORN IN A GREENHOUSE.

WE HAVE TWO MAIN VARIETIES ONE

IS A THROUGH OUNCE TOMATO AND

THE OTHER IS A CHERRY TOMATO.

THE SMALLER AND SWEET.

AND NO BANANAS.

MIGHTY VINE WANTS THE BEST

TASTING TOMATOES AND WE WILL DO

THIS YEAR.

SO WE BUILD A GREENHOUSE TO GROW

THE TOMATOES IN THE WINTER AND

THE SUMMER, YEAR-ROUND SO WE

DON'T NEED TO WAIT UNTIL AUGUST

UNTIL THE BACKYARD TOMATOES

RIPEN.

>> MOST WINDUP IN 150

RESTAURANTS IN CHICAGO INCLUDING

RICK BAYLESS' RESTAURANTS AND

WHOLE FOODS.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IS WE

PICK OUR TOMATOES WHEN THEY ARE

VINE RIPE.

SO TOMATO STAYS BETTER IF THEY

RIPE ESPECIALLY ON THE VINE

OTHER PICKED WHEN THEY ARE GREEN

AND SIT IN THE TRUCK FOR THREE

DAYS.

BUILDING THE GREENHOUSE ALLOWS

US TO COMBINE THE ART OF GROWING

WITH THE SCIENCE OF A

GREENHOUSE.

>> A FEW MILES AWAY, BRIGHT

FARMS HAS THE SAME IDEA FOR

THEIR NEWLY OPENED GREENHOUSE

WHICH GROWS TOMATOES BUT

SPECIALIZES IN GREENS.

>> IT IS 160,000 SQUARE FEET

WHICH IS IT SEEMS MASSIVE BUT

THE AMOUNT OF LAND THAT WE WOULD

HAVE TO USE TO GROW THIS MANY

GREENS IS FAR MUCH MORE THAN

160,000 SQUARE FEET.

WE ARE DEFINITELY USING LESS

LAND AND LESS WATER AND BECAUSE

OF THE WAY WE DISTRIBUTE AND

PARTNER WITH SUPERMARKETS TO

BRING THEM THE MOST LOCAL

FRESHEST GREENS WE ARE ABLE TO

GET IT TO MARKET RIGHT AWAY AND

TO BE INVOLVED AND BECAUSE IT'S

GROWN IN A GREENHOUSE THERE IS

NO RUNOFF COMING FROM OTHER

FARMS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO WE ARE ABLE TO CONTROL WHAT

IS GOING IN.

WE ARE NOT USING ANY PESTICIDES.

WE ARE ALL NON-GMO.

SO IT'S REALLY HIGH QUALITY

LOCAL FRESH SALAD GREENS.

>> LIKE MIGHTY VINE

SUSTAINABILITY IS KEY TO BRIGHT

FARMS PHILOSOPHY.

>> OUR GREENHOUSE HAS A SMALLER

CARBON FOOTPRINT THAN AN INDOOR

FARM WHERE IT'S ALL LED'S 24/7

BECAUSE THEY ARE BURNING A LOT

OF ENERGY TO KEEP THAT GOING.

WE USE AS MUCH NATURAL SUNLIGHT

AS POSSIBLE AND SUPPLEMENT WITH

THE LIGHT IN THE WINTERTIME.

AND WATER FOR EXAMPLE, A HEAD OF

LETTUCE GROWN IN THE FIELD CAN

TAKE 40 GALLONS FOR ONE HEAD.

AND A HEAD OF LETTUCE IN THE

SETTING TAKES ONE GALLON.

IN A FIELD THE HALF EVAPORATES

AND TO YOUR 0% DOES NOT REACH

THE ROOT ZONE.

>> OUT HERE WE HAVE FLOATING ON

WATER BABY GREENS.

WE HAVE ARUGULA AND SPINACH OVER

THERE.

AND BABY KALE.

CHOI.

DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF FRESH

LOCAL LETTUCE FOR YOU TO ENJOY

AND THE WAY WE GROW IS

HYDROPONICLY.

EVERYTHING HERE IS FLOATING ON

WATER.

YOU CAN SEE THE BOARDS THEY COME

UP.

AND JUST UNDERNEATH THERE IS ALL

WATER.

SO SUPER AWESOME WAY OF GROWING

AND JUST REALLY THE FUTURE OF

FARMING.

>> THEY INTRODUCE BEES TO HELP

POLLENATE THE TOMATOES.

THE VALUE OF THE FARMS OF THE

FUTURE HAS CAUGHT THE ATTENTION

OF THE LOCAL STATE

REPRESENTATIVE.

>> I THINK IT SHOWS WHEN YOU

OPEN TO NEW INDUSTRIES AND

INNOVATIONS YOU CAN FIND UNIQUE

TAKES.

A NEW WAY TO DO SOMETHING AND A

NEW WAY TO GROW A PRODUCT AND

USE THE LAND THAT YOU HAVE.

AND LOOK FOR WAYS THAT YOU CAN

TIE TOGETHER TWO THINGS THAT YOU

DO WELL.

YOU LOOK AT ILLINOIS OVER

GENERATIONS AND THE FOUNDATION

OF OUR ECONOMY HAS BEEN

AGRICULTURE AND YEAR AFTER YEAR

WE SEE INNOVATIONS IN

AGRICULTURE THAT INCREASE YIELD

AND IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND THE

STRENGTH OF THE INDUSTRY AND

PLACES LIKE BRIGHT FARMS AND

MIGHTY VINE ARE A STEP IN THE

INNOVATION OF AGRICULTURE.