A Brandon Sun report last Friday (Oct. 6) said that “Brandon Fresh Farms is set to invest $30 million in converting the historic McKenzie Seeds building in Brandon into a state-of-the-art controlled environment agricultural farm.”
BFF president Adam Morand told the Brandon Sun, the project is to include a “main-level market garden to sell directly to the community,” adding “$30 million is our expected budget for renovations, equipment, hiring and staffing to make BFF profitable and a contributing entity to Brandon.”
He also said “The transaction details will be shared with the city later this month as land titles get updated upon closing. The prior owner of the McKenzie Seeds building is very supportive of Brandon Fresh Farms, and the purchase agreement is beneficial to all parties, a very amicable transaction.”
It’s anticipated the farm will produce a variety of fresh vegetables and spices including basil, oregano, cilantro, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, snap peas and lettuce. BFF also says the project will create up to 37 full-time jobs, and between 25 to 80 part-time jobs.
Brandon’s Mayor Jeff Fawcett told the Brandon Sun “this will certainly change that (downtown) block in a significant way – new businesses, new jobs. And it’s sort of a new economy because it will have a potentially positive impact on the area. But in the old farm terms, I’m not going to count my chickens before they’ve hatched.”
There have been several attempts to re-purpose the McKenzie Seeds building over the years including creating condo units and rental apartments, but all fell through, and the building has been vacant since 2016.
(With reporting from The Brandon Sun)
