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Nature Fresh Farms Wins Big In The Tomato Category At This Year’s Leamington Greenhouse Vegetable Awards

The Greenhouse Competitions has been a local event that Nature Fresh Farms looks forward to every year and is always proud of placing and especially honored to earn top spots for some of their favorite varieties!

Leamington, ON (June 15th, 2021) – Greenhouse Competitions in Leamington, Ontario, made a return this year hosting its annual Greenhouse Vegetable Awards this past weekend. Showcasing the best greenhouse-grown produce from leading North American growers, family-owned Nature Fresh Farms came back to the competition, prevailing in their yearly tradition of receiving many top accolades, including overall winner of the Hottest Tomato with their newest Umami Cherry Tomato, in addition to winning the entire Bite-Sized Tomato category with their Axiany placing third, Orange Cherry receiving second, and their Umami Cherry Tomato awarded first place.

Nature Fresh Farms took home awards in the following categories:

  • -  Best Overall Tomato

  • -  Best Tomato on the Vine Cluster Tomato Category 1st & 2nd Place

  • -  Best Bite-Sized Tomato Category 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place

  • -  Best Specialty Tomato Category

  • -  Sweetest Strawberry Category 2nd Place

  • -  Coolest Cucumber, English Cucumber Category 2nd Place

  • -  Hottest Tomato, Beefsteak Tomato Category 2nd Place

  • -  Hottest Tomato, Roma Tomato Category 3rd Place

  • -  Perfect Pepper, Orange Bell Category 2nd Place

  • -  Perfect Pepper, Red Bell Category 2nd Place

  • -  Perfect Pepper, Yellow Bell Category 2nd Place

The Greenhouse Competitions has been a local event that Nature Fresh Farms looks forward to every year and is always proud of placing and especially honored to earn top spots for some of their favorite varieties!

“Every year this event draws a lot of local attention with the grower base,” shared Director of Sales, Matt Quiring. “This year’s event presented us with a clean sweep on the Bite-Sized Tomato Category taking home 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in one of the most highly sought-after Tomato categories.

In addition to that, we walked away with the Best Cluster, Best Specialty Tomato, and Best Overall Tomato for the 2nd consecutive year the contest has run. It is always great validation to see that our growing processes and seed selection strategies are paying off. With this year being our first year entering into the strawberry segment, we are excited to have also received 2nd place overall proving that we will be a force to contend with in the future!”

Nature Fresh Farms is thrilled to be a Farm Level Sponsor with all funds raised from the Greenhouse Vegetable Awards going to R.E.A.C.H International. This local charity has continuously hosted this annual competition which celebrates Essex County as being the largest greenhouse industry in North America. As a recognized and registered Canadian charity, R.E.A.C.H International’s humanitarian efforts assist the poor all over the world with their main project currently in Uganda.

Lead photo: Matt Quiring (left); Benny Teichroeb (right)

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About Nature Fresh Farms -

Continuously expanding, Nature Fresh Farms has become one of the largest independent, vertically integrated greenhouse vegetable farms in North America. As a year-round grower with farms in Leamington, ON, Delta, OH, and Mexico, Nature Fresh Farms prides itself on consistently delivering exceptional flavor and quality to key retailers throughout North America, while continuing to innovate and introduce more viable and sustainable growing and packaging solutions.

SOURCE:

Nature Fresh Farms | info@naturefresh.ca T: 519 326 1111 | www.naturefresh.ca

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BrightFarms Hosting Virtual Event To Open North Carolina Farm

BrightFarms is one of the latest, announcing that it will be hosting a grand opening of its new state-of-the-art farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina of May 7

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April 14th, 2021
- by Lilian Diep     

HENDERSONVILLE, NC - As spring creates a new liveliness in the air, companies across our industry are preparing to host events to inspire connection between members. BrightFarms is one of the latest, announcing that it will be hosting a grand opening of its new state-of-the-art farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina of May 7. In addition to industry members, the event will be open to the public and will educate those in attendance about BrightFarms’ vision to scale farming across the U.S.

Throughout the past year, BrightFarms has transformed the Hendersonville site to include sustainable, high-tech agricultural capabilities. The facility is one of the largest indoor salad farms in the Carolinas, expected to grow more than 2 million pounds of salad per year for supermarkets in the Carolinas and throughout the Southeast.

BrightFarms is hosting a grand opening ceremony for the unveiling of its new state-of-the-art farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina on May 7

The grand opening ceremony will be held via Zoom and will offer participants a first-hand look at the company’s most technologically advanced farm yet. According to a press release, the new greenhouse will add to BrightFarms’ network of sustainable greenhouse farms, serving markets including Charlotte, NC; Winston-Salem, NC; Greenville, SC; Spartanburg, SC; and Atlanta, GA. The grower already has existing farms in operation in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois.

Featured at the event will be prominent speakers that include North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis; Sam Kass, former White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition; and Steve Platt, BrightFarms CEO. The ceremony will begin with the speakers and conclude with a virtual tour hosted by Founder, Paul Lightfoot, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

BrightFarms has transformed the Hendersonville site to include sustainable, high-tech agricultural capabilities, making it one of the largest indoor salad farms in the Carolinas

BrightFarms has transformed the Hendersonville site to include sustainable, high-tech agricultural capabilities, making it one of the largest indoor salad farms in the Carolinas

To sign up to attend the event, click here.

As BrightFarms and other greenhouse growers across the industry continue to expand, AndNowUKnow will bring you the latest.

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Green Life Farms Breaks Ground On Second Hydroponic Greenhouse

The hydroponic technology allows Green Life Farms to grow leafy greens in oxygenated water – without soil – then harvest and package them in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of contamination and preserving flavor and freshness

04.05.2021

By Emily Park

LAKE CITY, FLA. - Green Life Farms announced on April 1 that the company is building a second hydroponic greenhouse in Lake City, Fla.  

The hydroponic technology allows Green Life Farms to grow leafy greens in oxygenated water – without soil – then harvest and package them in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of contamination and preserving flavor and freshness.  

Following the success of its flagship hydroponic greenhouse in Lake Worth, Fla., and significant customer demand for its products, the new greenhouse will be 400,000 square feet and is expected to begin commercial operations in early 2022. 

“Following our very successful launch in South Florida, we are proud to announce this new facility to serve North Central Florida - the Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Tallahassee regions,” said Forrest Sawlaw, chief operating officer of Green Life Farms. “In light of ongoing food safety concerns across the country, now more than ever customers are looking for locally grown, clean produce. Our innovative hydroponic technology will deliver the cleanest and freshest leafy greens, all free from GMOs, pesticides and contaminants.” 

Green Life Farms will incorporate specialized ozone water management technology to filter, sanitize and store rainwater for use in the growing process, and will rely on Florida sunshine – meaning the facility will use significantly fewer natural resources. 

The new greenhouse will be able to produce 18 harvests each year and use 90% less water than conventional farming. At full maturity, the greens are gently moved using a floating conveyor system to be harvested, cooled, and packaged to reach customers within a few days of harvest, instead of the 8 to 10 days it may take conventionally farmed produce to reach customers in the region. 

Green Life Farms’ products include Baby Arugula, Baby Kale, Baby Romaine, Farmer’s Blend, and Butterhead Lettuce, and are currently sold at more than 120 grocery store locations throughout South Florida. 

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