Vertical Farm Diverse Workforce

Vertical Farm Diverse Workforce

Rick Worthington
Rick Worthington
Vertical Farm Diverse Workforce

With the farm and ranch report, I'm Rick Worthington, an indoor vertical farm in Jackson, Wyoming, produces and sells about a hundred thousand pounds of fresh produce annually and is powered by a workforce that's a little different than what you might expect. Nearly two thirds of vertical harvest workforce base disabilities, autism, Down's Syndrome or vision speech and learning impairments. Carolyn Croft, SDK, is the company's co-founder and says her workplaces are great for business because they bring in new energy and everybody is excited to clock in.

They're ready to work their on time, work hard. It's really shifts the closer and kind of raised the bar for all of us, creating this really beautiful fluid work place where everybody worked together and worked hard.

The three story operation produces as much food as a traditional five acre soil farm Year-Round with a lot less water. She says while the training process for workers with disabilities can require an upfront investment, the long term outcome is substantial.

And yes, the training can take a little bit longer, but then the commitment and the dedication, we have no turnover. Everybody that works in our state that they have and wants to have a degree.

And she hopes businesses of all types will come to see people with different abilities as an untapped and valuable workforce, eager to give back to their communities and earn real wages.

Previous ReportPeople Still Love Beef
Next ReportFarmer Age Issues