Greenhouse operation pitched in Windham
Arundel business owner John der Kinderen has proposed building 37 acres of greenhouse space in Windham to grow vegetables, as well as raise fish, and employ 170 people.
Der Kinderen, owner of WNWN LLC, on Monday presented his proposal to the Windham Planning Board to establish Sebago Farms by 2013, according to the Portland Press Herald. The greenhouse would occupy a 73-acre site off Route 302 at the Quarry Ridge Business Park, with three greenhouses that would collectively cover 1.6 million square feet. Der Kinderen said he plans to grow lettuce, tomatoes, herbs and peppers, as well as raise coldwater fish to sell to food distributors throughout the Northeast. He is working with a Pennsylvania company called BioSyn Energy, which specializes in green technology. The facility is WNWN's first venture, and if approved, der Kinderen plans to begin construction this spring, with full operations up and running by 2013.
Der Kinderen, a retiree who declined to give details of his professional background, has been working with Windham officials; the planning board could hold extra meetings to expedite the permitting process. With 170 employees, it would be the town's largest employer. He declined to say how much it would cost, but Windham Economic Development Director Tom Bartell pegged the price at around $100 million.
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