How did you come to start farms that employ people with different abilities and people exiting the prison system? Vertical farming pioneer and industry leader Penny McBride (COO, Second Chances Farm) joins Wythe and Melissa to discuss her career, working with farmhands from nontraditional backgrounds, and food safety during the time of COVID-19. Penny co-founded Vertical Harvest, a hybrid greenhouse/vertical farm in Jackson, Wyoming, that employees people with different abilities. Recently, Penny joined the team at a new indoor startup, Second Chances in Wilmington, Delaware, which employs people coming out of the prison system. Our discussion explores the importance of hiring people with different abilities and backgrounds within the agricultural world. On top of that, Penny is a major food safety and Good Agricultural Practices nerd. We have a great conversation about what’s changed on her farms lately, what hasn’t, and where the indoor ag industry is headed. Check it out and subscribe to Fields.

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