California Giant Berry Farms and OnePointOne have announced their strategic partnership aimed at increasing berry output and availability through vertical farming and data-driven berry cultivation.
Silicon Valley based OnePointOne has developed revolutionary automated, indoor, vertical farming technology that offers superior product yields and quality, while also enabling crops to be grown closer to the end consumer.
Through this partnership, California Giant will share its industry-leading berry expertise with OnePointOne and together collaborate on data and research that will ultimately result in delicious, nutrient-dense strawberries that meet California Giant’s rigorous quality standards.
To start, this partnership will focus on developing an exclusive strawberry cultivar. With California Giant’s participation and data, OnePointOne will grow the berries in its automated, aeroponic, vertical-wall indoor farm.
“OnePointOne’s plant scientists, robotics and AI will identify the ideal moment for planting, pollination, flowering and picking that will result in strawberries of the highest quality and brix levels,” said Sam Bertram, OnePointOne CEO and Co-founder. This data paves the way for improved nutrient values, taste and availability, all while minimizing environmental impact.
The outcomes learned within the indoor, data-rich setting will then be shared with California Giant’s greater operations and applied to traditional field-grown techniques in the future. The vertical farming structures are currently located in California and Arizona with the goal of expanding them throughout the country to improve the availability and accessibility of fresh berries.
“One of California Giant’s strategic goals is to have berries when and where our customers need them,” said Joe Barsi, president of California Giant Berry Farms. “We have been watching OnePointOne’s progress for some time and are excited at the possibility of this partnership allowing us to have locally grown berries in various U.S. markets as a supplement to our current production.”
“Plants are the basis of human nutrition, and berries are a fundamental piece of the equation,” said Bertram. “By augmenting the current supply chain with OnePointOne’s technology and California Giant’s knowledge and mission, we truly believe we can build healthier humanity where access and availability are greater than ever.”
“I am excited to be continuing California Giant’s 40 years of industry leadership by partnering with OnePointOne to employ the very best technology run by a strong team of experts who share our core values of mutual respect and fairness in all we do, especially as we farm for the future,” Barsi concluded.
