297 Farm, located in Aruba, is taking an important new step in its development with the expansion of its production facilities through a new 1,500 m² greenhouse dedicated to cucumber cultivation. The project not only increases the company’s growing capacity, but also marks its first major move from leafy vegetables into vine crops.
For several years, 297 Farm VBA has built its production around leafy vegetables and specialty greens, supplying the local Aruban market with fresh, locally grown produce. With the new greenhouse, the company is now broadening its crop portfolio with salad cucumbers and snack cucumbers, opening a completely new production segment within the business.
“Moving into vine crops is a natural next step for us,” says Patricia Mitton, Managing Director of 297 Farm VBA. “We have gained valuable experience producing leafy vegetables under Aruba’s challenging climate conditions, and we now want to apply that knowledge to new crops that can further strengthen local food production.”
The new greenhouse is being developed specifically with vine-crop production in mind. Cucumbers require a very different growing strategy compared with lettuce and other leafy vegetables, including vertical crop management, pruning, crop steering, irrigation control, and continuous harvesting. For the 297 Farm team, the project therefore represents not only an expansion in size, but also an important technical development in the company’s growing expertise.
© 297 Farms
Aruba continues to depend heavily on imported fresh produce, with many vegetables traveling long distances before reaching local supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, and consumers. Shipping disruptions, rising freight costs, international market fluctuations, and delays can all directly affect availability, freshness, and pricing on the island.
“Every additional product that we can successfully grow locally makes Aruba a little less dependent on outside supply,” Mitton explains. “We know that local farming cannot replace every imported product, but we believe there is significant potential to produce more fresh vegetables here on the island.”
The company expects the new greenhouse to serve supermarkets, hospitality businesses, restaurants, foodservice customers, and other local buyers looking for a more consistent supply of fresh Aruban-grown produce.
Under the leadership of Managing Director Patricia Mitton, 297 Farm VBA has continued to invest in modern horticulture, local production, and new growing technologies. What began with a strong focus on leafy vegetables is steadily developing into a more diversified horticultural operation.
Mitton’s approach has remained centered on long-term development rather than simply increasing production volume.
“For us, growth has to make sense,” she says. “We want to expand step by step, learn each new crop properly, produce a consistent product, and build something that contributes to Aruba for the long term.”
With the 1,500 m² cucumber greenhouse, 297 Farm VBA is entering a new chapter: from primarily leafy vegetables to a more diversified greenhouse operation combining leafy greens with vine crops.
The project demonstrates how controlled-environment horticulture can play an increasingly important role on small islands, where land, water, climate, logistics, and import dependence all create unique challenges for food production.
For 297 Farm VBA, those challenges are also an opportunity.
The company sees the new greenhouse as another building block in its mission to produce more food locally, strengthen agricultural knowledge on the island, and contribute to a more resilient and food-secure Aruba.
“This is an exciting step for our team,” Mitton concludes. “We are proud of what we have built with leafy vegetables, and now we are ready to take the next step into vine crops. Our goal remains the same: to keep growing fresh, high-quality produce here in Aruba and to continue showing what local agriculture can achieve.”
© 297 Farm
For more information:
297 Farm VBA
Patricia Mitton
+297-7350095
[email protected]