Schumer Urges USDA to Award Economic Development Loan to Major Job-Creator in Orange County

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced his push to secure $10 million in federal funding though the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help Continental Organics, an innovative hydroponics food production company in Orange County, expand its operations and potentially create over 100 jobs in the region. Schumer explained that Continental Organics is a high-tech controlled environment agriculture (CEA) company located in New Windsor that produces aquaponic vegetables and fish through a system that uses 90 percent less water while producing yields 9 to 10 times higher than conventional agriculture, according to the firm. These foods are then sold to hundreds of Hudson Valley and New York City restaurants.

The $10 million loan guarantee from the USDA that Schumer is seeking would help Continental Organics add another 100,000 square feet of indoor CEA facilities, a 2,500 square foot expansion of the compost house, an additional solar power system, and a 4-acre expansion of the raised bed garden; all of these additions to the existing facility would help Continental Organics increase its farm production and create jobs.

"Continental Organics is a home-grown Hudson Valley company wants to expand its state-of-the-art food production facility to create local jobs for recent graduates and veterans in the Hudson Valley, produce more healthy foods for our, and become a boon for the regional economy," said Schumer. "I am urging the USDA to provide this growing Orange County company with the funding they need to make this expansion a reality. We should do all we can to support innovative, job-creating companies like Continental that are primed for growth but just need a little kick-start."

"Senator Schumer has been a steadfast supporter of our mission to expand local access to natural and organic products in the Hudson Valley," said Michael Finnegan, CEO of Continental Organics. "His continued support will help us grow and create even more jobs; especially for veterans looking for opportunities in the Valley."

Schumer explained that, since its first seeds were planted in 2012, Continental Organics has been working to grow and expand its facilities to become an even bigger presence in the Hudson Valley. With this USDA funding, Continental Organics would immediately be able to add up to 36 full-time jobs--in addition to the 44 full-time jobs created by previous expansions--for Hudson Valley residents. Schumer pushed the USDA to swiftly review and approve Continental Organics' application for this expansion loan, as this is a company ready to hire, grow and bring economic prosperity to Orange County and the entire Hudson Valley.

Schumer further explained that, in addition to the expected 80 full-time jobs, approximately 64 construction jobs, 47 indirect jobs and 31 induced jobs will be created as a result of this expansion. Roughly 25 percent of these Continental Organics jobs will go to recent grads. The company also has a veteran employment goal of 60 percent. Meaning many of these new jobs will also go to veterans. Presently, Continental Organics employs 45 people, of whom 23 are veterans and 11 are young professionals.

Continental Organics has created the largest and most evolved indoor closed-loop farming system and developed a number of patentable technology innovations--including CO2 sequester and reuse equipment, a commercial scale composting facility that combines fish and vegetable waste with municipally sourced wood chips, thereby preserving landfill space, and two acres of conventional outdoor organic gardens. These practices, taken together with Continental's unique business model that eliminates all preservatives, chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs; while serving an exclusively local customer base within 100 miles of the farm, makes the Continental Organics model one of the most sustainable food production systems in the U.S. Continental Organics is also a "Zero Waste" facility and has successfully negotiated separate agreements to install a solar power system to reduce its carbon footprint.

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