GREEN ACRES URBAN FARM AND RESEARCH BIO-PARK PREPARES FOR GLOBAL EXPANSION TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITIES AND JOB GROWTH
Green Acres Urban Farm and Research Bio-Park, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri - USA (Green Acres)
Our communities need the expertise of Green Acres to deliver quality produce, in a sustainable manner, we are humbled in helping Bill and his Green Acres team deliver on those priorities”— Doug Smith
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES, July 18, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Green Acres Urban Farm and Research Bio-Park, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri - USA (Green Acres), is an innovative aquaponics system, designed with a sustainable substructure to vigorously address the impacts of climate change, and local food insecurity.
As one of the largest aquaponics facilities already operating in Kansas City, Missouri, Green Acres is poised to take the next steps in expanding operations to a greater sustainable scale by meeting the needs of the growing community by collaborating with Village Green Global Inc. (“VGG”) as Director of Sustainability and Funding.
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Green Acres plans to expand to South Africa and Australia over the next 3 years. The South African and Australian operations will be built on the same scale and technology guidelines as the company’s headquarters. All countries will benefit from aquaponics and water preservation, whilst providing import/export opportunities with inter-region trade, educating the community, and providing organic produce to the local communities.
To execute the Green Acres’ visionary mandate, the company is in the process of raising $100m over 3 phases through debt and equity financial instruments. The project is shovel ready, that is, the project is advanced in stages of development for building to begin soon. The project will have the most immediate impact on employment and the economy of Kansas City.
The combination of year-round agriculture production enables Green Acres to provide healthy organic leafy greens and vegetables. Aquaponics processes allow the use of fish waste for vegetables and herbs by separating the beneficial bacteria essentially, contributing to healthy plant growth. Green Acres aquaponics systems estimates to generate up to 1.2 M pounds of leafy organic fresh local greens per annum, with an average of 60,000 pounds of fresh organic fish produced and processed per site once all phases are in full production. Seafood such as tilapia, catfish, and prawns may be sold to schools, hospitals, restaurants, and other retail businesses and exported regionally, once local needs are met. This equates to feeding the equivalent of 500,000 people per year.
During this time of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic and the aftereffects of the global shutdown, food security is further compromised in local food systems and supply chains. Green Acres is focusing on eliminating food scarcity and reducing food insecurity. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, there has been an increased affect not only to people who are food insecure but now there is a high rate of unemployment in many regions, more people are job insecure. Green Acres will provide an opportunity to bring new skills of cutting-edge science and technology to the forefront of urban communities by inspiring the communities, youth, children, and adults into growing healthy organic pesticide-free food
Green Acres is aligned to and will help to deliver 6 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set down by the United Nations, namely Goal 1 – No Poverty - Goal 2 – Zero Hunger – Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth - Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities- Goal 13 – Climate Action and Goal 17 – Partnerships for the Goals.
Green Acres aims to create jobs in three areas. Agribusiness, Entrepreneurship, and STEAM – Science Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Through education and on the job learning, these positions will lead to increased local capacity building and direct economic development for the region and beyond.
It is estimated that a total of 261 direct jobs will be created for employment. As many agricultural processes are automated, Green Acres has more employment opportunities in supplier, indirect, and construction. Almost all these jobs will be offered to the local and neighboring communities where the project exists. This will lift the living standard of each community as well as upgrade their skills. This project is also expected to create 5,969 indirect jobs over the first 10 years of operation and 433 Construction jobs in the first three years.
One of Green Acres’ goals is to assist minority groups with job creation and education by helping to create racial equity in hiring practices and help support and uplift the Black American, Hispanic and minority communities
Green Acres innovation encompasses a global executive team amounting to over 50 years of science, technology, food nutrition, aquaponics, and urban farming expertise when combined. The global executive team is led by Mr. William “Bill” Coe who leads the U.S. team, which is composed of experienced educators, scientists, culinary arts professionals
Mr. Bill Coe invited the global expertise of Village Green Global to assist and guide in the operations of Sustainable Practices and to develop long term funding relationships, all of which are currently being pursued. “Our communities need the expertise of Green Acres to deliver quality produce, in a sustainable manner, to help solve food insecurities and we are humbled by the opportunity to help Bill and his Green Acres team deliver on those priorities”., said Doug Smith, Founder, and CEO of Village Green Global Inc.
Green Acres is currently in predevelopment stages of financials, land entitlements, design, urban planning, permitting, and construction.
About Green Acres Urban Farm and Research Bio-Park
Green Acres Urban Farm and Research was the proud recipient of the “Farm Family Award - 2019” at the Missouri State Fair. Green Acres was proud to represent Jackson county and their home state of Missouri USA. The Green Acres’ aquaponics project is a partnership between the City of Kansas City, MO, the KCMO School District, and other organizations.
About Village Green Global Inc. ("VGG")
VGG designs, implements, and in some cases, arranges funding for the most technologically advanced energy efficiency projects in the marketplace. Also, VGG designed and has implemented proprietary software for natural resource management in our urban environments. To complement core business, VGG has developed workplace training courses and provided lectures with curriculum for elementary, high, college, and university campuses.