Chicago foodies and restaurateurs had a problem: They wanted fresh tomatoes year-round, but crops shipped in during winter lacked the tasted of a locally grown summer batch.
To address this taste issue, they started a company called MightyVine. Dutch-born Chief Operating Officer Nic Helderman says that, once the company formed, it moved quickly to establish operations in Rochelle.
“That was about five years ago. They talked to different people that know about greenhouses," he says.
"Just a few years later, at the end of 2014, they started building the greenhouse. We completed it last year in July. August of 2015, we planted our first tomato plants, and in October we started harvesting."
While an enclosed space can help mitigate hazardous winter conditions, Helderman says the key to MightyVine’s year-round operation is planting the tomatoes in nutrient-enriched water, rather than soil.
“You grow tomatoes hydroponically, you have good control of the nutrients,” he says. "Together with the greenhouse environment, you can create the best environment for the tomatoes, you get a better taste."
Housing this hydroponics operation is a seven-and-a-half acre greenhouse run by 40 employees. Lining the facility are aisles of tomato vines, stacked several rows high around a framework of metal tubes, and fed a precisely controlled nutrient solution. Stacked at the end of several aisles are boxes full of bumblebees.
“At the top of the plant you see yellow flowers. Those flowers get pollinated by the bees," Helderman says.
Unlike many crops, tomatoes have the ability to self-pollinate and still grow a plentiful yield. However, bees are needed to shake the flower and release the pollen, a process called sonication. Once the flowers have been fertilized, it takes about eight weeks for ripe tomatoes to form. Because the tomato plant doesn’t stop growing, Helderman says, it’s possible to maintain a continuous harvest.
“Every week we take one vine off every plant. We have taken off already 32 vines of this plant, there’s another eight, so we have about 40 vines,” he says.
"We’ll get another five or six more before July. In July we’ll clean out and restart from scratch."
The large space and a continuous harvest lead to considerable yields. It's not uncommon for the 7.5-acre warehouse to gather 80,000 to 200,000 pounds of tomatoes each week.
The greenhouse has two different systems for dealing with temperature. During winter, it relies on the integrated heating system; but in summer, it takes advantage of special glass panes that diffuse sunlight.
Yet raising the plants is only half the process. MightyVine still needs to pitch the idea of a locally grown hydroponic tomato to the masses. Helderman says taste works in their favor.
"It’s smaller than regular tomatoes, so the first reaction is 'Oh, this tomato’s too small,'" he says. "But once people get to put the tomato in their mouth, it’s a different story. People get sold on that."
MightyVine distributes its tomatoes to customers in and around the Chicago area -- including, of course, DeKalb and Rochelle. They also ship to parts of southern Wisconsin. As befits the company's founding, MightyVine courts several dining establishments as customers.
“We have a sister company -- it’s LocalFoods -- outside of Chicago. They supply about 300 restaurants with locally grown foods," Helderman said.
Apart from restaurants and individuals, MightyVine sells much of its tomatoes through grocery stores. Caleb McCandliss, produce manager at the Hyvee in Sycamore, says the fruits have garnered a positive reception.
"They’ve definitely generated a huge percent of my sales just based on the quality," he says. "People want something that’s good, and they’re willing to pay the price for it."
McCandliss says they also have helped sales in other areas: “Everybody’s looking for a BLT right about now.”
From here, MightyVine plans to construct another seven-and-a-half acre greenhouse in July. If all goes well by fall planting, they will double their capacity.