[3][4] Founded by Jonathan Webb, the company aims to use Kentucky's central geographic location to reduce carbon emissions, delivering produce to Midwest and East Coast markets.

[8] AppHarvest, Inc. was covered in a Grist investigative report and was found to host an unsafe work environment where workers faced extreme heat inside the greenhouses, with temperatures sometimes reaching 155 degrees Fahrenheit, causing health issues.

As of November 2022, five federal lawsuits have been filed against AppHarvest by its shareholders due to dissatisfaction with the significant decline in the company's stock price and allegations of fraud.

In an August 2024 investigation[12] CNN states that "Despite promising local jobs, the company eventually began contracting migrant workers from Mexico, Guatemala and other countries."

The report quotes Shelby Hester, an AppHarvest crop care specialist, saying "They brought Mitch McConnell into the greenhouse, and they sent every single Hispanic worker home before he got there.