AppHarvest, a company JD Vance invested in, saw employees reported grueling working conditions in the company’s greenhouse. Workers filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Labor about insufficient water breaks and inadequate safety gear from 2020 to 2023.
A CNN review indicated AppHarvest’s rapid growth led to business failure and poor job experiences for many Kentuckians. In 2023, AppHarvest declared bankruptcy amidst hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. Over a four year period, Vance was a board member and public face for the company.
