Nature Fresh Farms Announces Expansion of Strawberry Acreage
LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO, CANADA - An extreme expansion has been revealed as Nature Fresh Farms announced a key move in fortifying its strawberry program. The grower recently revealed that, with the help of its longstanding grower partner Cielo Vista, it has expanded its strawberry acreage from one to 16 acres.
“Our objective is to enrich consumer lives by providing sustainably grown fresh local produce like our greenhouse-grown strawberries,” said Vice President John Ketler. “With the success of this commodity, we see the potential progression of the strawberry program while opening new opportunities for future berry varietals.”
Planned to be completed this fall, the expansion will help to reduce food miles through increased local production and shorten transportation routes. According to a company release, the expanded acreage will also serve as an opportunity to provide a superior quality product to North American markets that were previously out of reach due to food mile barriers.
Nature Fresh Farms joined forces with Cielo Vista in order to gain expertise in growing berries and innovate the Canadian greenhouse sector and saw amazing interest and demand from its partners for the greenhouse-grown strawberries.
“Partnering with Cielo Vista for our strawberry program was an easy decision. We are very fortunate to have such a successful partnership with them,” shared Niels Klapwijk, Director of Procurement. “We have been extremely happy with the quality and flavor we’ve been able to grow, which is why we are expanding the program.”
As noted in the release, seasonal challenges with field supply have presented the greenhouse-grower with a unique opportunity to meet the demand for the variety.
Our retail and foodservice partners have expressed challenges within the berry category. However, every challenge presents an opportunity for us and greenhouse supply,” said Matt Quiring, Director of Sales. “After two years of trial and development, we are thrilled to add strawberries to our list of commodities, and it presents us with more opportunities for new categories as shoppers’ demands continue to evolve.”
Nature Fresh Farms’ strawberries will be available alongside its popular tomato, pepper, and cucumber varieties.
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