Locations For The Agribusiness Industry: Setting The Table
Hamilton County, FL is fertile grounds for agribusiness. Just ask Cultiva Farms USA and Swift Straw.
Cultiva Farms USA is a partnership between an Italian family company, Cultiva, and Taylor Farms, the largest American producer of fresh-cut vegetables and fruit. Cultiva Farms USA is in the midst of a $10-million project to build a leafy salad crop farm on a 460-acre ranch in nearby Jennings, Florida
“We see this project as an exciting opportunity not only for our company but for agriculture and Hamilton County overall,” says Federico Boscolo, president of Cultiva Farms USA. “We are thrilled with our progress and thankful for the community’s continued support of our business.”The farm’s 125 acres of covered hoop house tunnels produce and protect conventional spinach and arugula. An additional 80 greenhouses test organic production, and 600 more tunnels are planned for organic product. Working with a grant from the Hamilton County Development Authority (HCDA), an independent special district for county-wide economic development, Cultiva Farms USA hired 34 people and completed a cold storage facility that stores product prior to shipment throughout the region.
In 2017, Atlanta-based Swift Straw capitalized on Hamilton County’s easy access to two major interstates and purchased and renovated a vacant 75,000-square-foot window factory building owned by the HCDA. Swift Straw trailers now transport pine straw and mulch to property owners, hotels, schools, parks and regional retailers.
In November, Green Point Research, an international phytocannabinoid-rich hemp biomass originator and processor, is expanding operations with the purchase of a 32-acre headquarters campus in Hamilton County. The HQ will be called the Cannabis Center Of Excellence. “Hamilton County’s 72,000 acres of farmland is an ideal location for agriculture and food manufacturing,” said Chadd Mathis, Executive Director of the Hamilton County Development Authority.
Hamilton County is “Florida’s Front Porch” for startups, retailers, manufacturers, industry and increasingly agribusiness. Home to nearly 88,000 acres of farmland with a gross regional product of $329 million, agriculture is the fabric of Hamilton County’s economy. Its best-selling crops are grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas, corn, soybeans, hay and vegetables.
Ample open acreage and shovel-ready land, logistical services, key infrastructure, a skilled workforce and Southern hospitality, all make Hamilton County the perfect patch to plant your roots and grow your business.
Speed to market is critical to success. Hamilton County has two publicly-owned sites, offering more than 140 acres suitable for warehousing, distribution, manufacturing and precision agriculture. The local government is committed to fast tracking permits and offering infrastructure assistance to ensure your timeline and budgeting needs are met.
“For companies looking for the right combination of amenities and resources, our mission is to be your partner,” said Mathis. “And if you want all that, plus natural beauty waiting to be explored, no destination can match Hamilton County.”
Hamilton County is located a drive along US 129 or US 41, or a hop off Florida’s first three exits from I-75. I-10 just to the south leads to two nearby airports and runs from the deep-water port of Jacksonville due west to the Pacific.
An eager and available workforce is supported by training partners at North Florida Community College, RIVEROAK Technical College, the University of Florida and Florida State University.