Mucci welcomes visitors as it moves into phase 2

HURON — Mucci Farms felt the time was right to offer a peek inside its Huron greenhouse.The company, which is operated by the Mucci family in Canada, wanted to expand to the U.S. since it sells about 70 percent of its products here.Mucci looked across Lake Erie to Huron, where it built its first U.S. greenhouse near BGSU Firelands, because of the area's similarities to its headquarters in Kingsville, Ontario.It completed the first phase of the project in 2018, which included a 25-acre greenhouse. During its first two growing seasons, Mucci has shipped thousands of pounds of tomatoes each day.Mucci began work on a second greenhouse and plans to build a third to bring the total greenhouse space to 75 acres. It hopes to have the entire project completed by 2021.Company spokesman Ajit Saxena said the more crops they grow at its Huron facility the better it will be for the community."The more we grow, the more we ship which means more truck drivers are needed," Saxena said. "The spinoff jobs we create are exponential."The company recently offered tours through its facility to residents who reserved a spot. The tours offered an opportunity to learn more about Mucci Farms and the benefits of growing locally."We don't want to be a reference point as the big glass structure," Mucci spokesman Ajit Saxena said. "We want the community to think of the people that make Mucci what it is."Mucci's CEO Bert Mucci and Saxena were present to give a tour to representatives of the city of Huron before the public tours Friday. They explained the history of Mucci Farms, which was founded by Bert's parents in the 1970s, and the growing process in a greenhouse.By growing in a greenhouse, they avoid using pesticides like many growers in the southern U.S. and Mexico, where the warmer weather means invasive species never die off.The high-tech greenhouse ensures each plant receives the same amount of water, and lights increase the growing season.The lights caused tension between Mucci and Huron residents who complained about it illuminating the night sky, but Mucci has worked out the kinks of the new technology to minimize the impact."The technology in greenhouses advance every single year, and we're always improving," Mucci said.Greenhouse growing is easier on workers since the tomato vines are moved to make the fruit ready to be picked at a comfortable height.Workers then place the picked fruit on automated carts that carry the produce to be packaged and shipped out. The cart then returns to the greenhouse with empty boxes.At the end of the tour, visitors were provided with fresh tomatoes grown in the greenhouse.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterMucci Farms gave public tours of its Huron greenhouse on Friday and Saturday to those who registered for a spot.Mucci Farms gave public tours of its Huron greenhouse on Friday and Saturday to those who registered for a spot.An automated cart carries freshly picked tomatoes from the greenhouse at Mucci Farms to where the produce will be packaged for shipment on Friday. The tomatoes grown in Mucci Farms' Huron greenhouse are pesticide-free and could be eaten straight from the vine. Mucci gave tours of the greenhouse on Friday and Saturday to those who registered for a spot.Mucci Farms CEO Bert Mucci demonstrates how the vines are moved so the tomatoes ready to be picked are at a comfortable height for workers. Mucci gave public tours of its Huron greenhouse on Friday and Saturday to those who registered for a spot.