Pictured are Tom Bollman and Ross Ramsay in front of one of the future Ramsay Agriculture sites at 65 River Street. P-J file photo by Sara Holthouse

Work on a vertical hydroponic farming operation in the city in the coming years is continuing.

Owners of Ramsay Agriculture, recently attended the July meeting of the Jamestown Local Development Corporation to show them their project as it currently stands. Presenting to the meeting were Ramsay Agriculture’s Chief Science Officer Larry Cosenza and Project Leader Ross Ramsay. Ramsay Agriculture has purchased both 65 River St. and 40 Winsor St. for their purposes, with work already happening at both sites.

“What’s really important is that we’ve created a concept and company that primarily produces energy in different forms,” Cosenza said. “One form is food, the second is renewable natural gas and the third is electricity. Today we’ve had the backing of the BPU and a variety of other entities in the area to provide us with inputs to make the operation work.”

The renewable natural gas will help to provide electricity to their facilities, and both Cosenza and Ramsay noted that a lot of other greenhouse operations have failed because of the cost of energy to run such a facility. Cosenza said that another part of what makes it such a “wonderful project” is their work to make a connection between waste and food, just like in nature, similar to carbon cycles, and that they are also rehabilitating some of the abandoned buildings in the area.

The operation can be divided into three parts, the farming operation, energy operation and waste management.

Ramsay said the food grown from their operation will go to multiple supermarket chain suppliers downstate that they currently deal with that are interested, and they are also beginning to network out in the local area, along with a company in New Jersey. One local store that has expressed interest is Brigotta’s Market. The idea is to sell within a 350 mile radius, he said.

“When the two facilities are up and running we will be able to produce seven to eight million pounds of produce,” Ramsay said.

Corsenza added that there is a possibility of a farmer’s market type area at 40 Winsor as well once things are up and running. Produce will be leafy greens and lettuce and then they plan to branch out to things like mushrooms and viney plants such as strawberries. Food will be pesticide free, but Cosenza said they have to be careful with calling it organic as not all plants will touch the soil.

This project will also have a positive environmental impact, Corsenza said, and in some places the energy will bring in a revenue stream. Being locally produced, he added there will be around 100 local jobs created as well, also helping to divert toxins from the soil.

The operation and business will be open to visitors once operational, with specific plans for the Winsor Street location, including a glass ceiling or floor that will allow people to take a walk and look down at what they are doing. Another potential revenue stream for the operation is the plan to lease property on the site to a cell tower company, which Ramsay said should bring in passive revenue.

An environmental assessment has been done on both sites, with Winsor Street’s results coming back clean but toxins in the soil being found at River Street that will need to be dealt with.

It is estimated that construction will be able to begin on the buildings next year and that it will take about two years from that point for the facilities to be operational. Ramsay Agriculture will return to the JDLC in August with more updates.