POCONO RACEWAY -- Pocono Raceway in Monroe County will soon be more than just a race track. It will also be a place where you can go to buy organic produce.
Developers broke ground Friday on a new organic farm that will be built on raceway property.
Pocono Raceway draws thousands of fans each summer for NASCAR and IndyCar races.
The sporting complex in Tunkhannock Township is also known for being environmentally friendly. Soon, that green mission will include a brand new organic farm called Pocono Organics.
"There will be 50 acres of field crops and then there will be 38,000 square feet of greenhouses for phase one. These greenhouses are 35 feet tall so it gives us a lot of flexibility to do whatever we want in there," said Pocono Organics president Ashley Walsh.
Pocono Organics will partner with Rodale Institute, a nonprofit that supports research into organic farming.
Race fans and the general public can buy the food that's grown here.
"It's a unique partnership where we are coming together to produce healthy organic food for people who participate in the activities of Pocono Raceway and the activities around that bringing them the healthiest, freshest organic food," said Rodale Institute executive director Jeff Moyer.
The facility will be self-sustaining and it will be powered by Pocono Raceway's already existing solar farm.
Water for the crops will come from rain that will be collected and filtered through a living, vegetative roof on top of a state-of-the-art barn.
Pocono Organics will also install its own septic and well-water systems and will compost trash from the raceway.
"Instead of sending our compost dozens of miles down the road, we will just cart it across the fields here a couple hundred yards and compost it here," said Pocono Raceway CEO Nick Igdalsky.
Pocono Organics expects its first crops to be ready for harvest by late spring.