BusinessTN

Montreal-based Hydroserre Mirabel is taking the hydroponics business by storm with a unique method of greenhouse lettuce production. Resting on floating rafts in a pool of water, Hydroserre's lettuce never touches actual soil. The nutrients usually found in soil are simply extracted from the water medium, which allows Hydroserre to harvest twenty crops a year. With the growing popularity of more compatible lettuce varieties like Boston and romaine, these Quebecois are profiting from, and perpetuating, the growing trend among consumers to select healthier produce.

Overton County represents the first step in Hydroserre's long campaign of expansion. The vision, according to President and CEO Martin Desrochers, is to build greenhouses across North America. The versatility of greenhouse construction means an agri-business no longer needs one massive farm shipping produce across the continent. Instead, hundreds of acres of productive land can be spread out among multiple facilities, reducing transportation time and ensuring fresher, cleaner produce.

Though these greenhouses can be built without taking soil conditions into account, average temperature and sunlight are still crucial to production. This first foray out of Montreal needed a cost-effective location, one where the greenhouse would not be combating harsh temperatures or hard-pressed to get enough sunlight and water. High elevation and easy access to markets in the Southeastern United States gave Overton County points, but those natural advantages still made the area one of 40 candidates for expansion. What sweetened the deal, according to the Overton Chamber of Commerce, was the low bid on the land, with a commitment to supply utilities.

The move cost the county over $1 million in land and utilities, an investment that a spokesperson for the chamber says will be well worth it in the long run. Jobs are getting scarcer for the community with the loss of a Burton furniture plant, a factory that employed more than 500 workers at the height of its activity. Hydroserre promises to bring about 300 jobs to the area over the next four years, and will invest $40 million.

Agriculture is not a major sector for the community, which is known more as the largest oil-producing county in Tennessee. In fact, only eleven people in the county were registered as involved in agriculture in a 2005 census. Hydroserre may turn Overton County into a foothold for a changing agricultural climate.