Nature Fresh Farms of Leamington, Ontario, claimed top honors at the annual Greenhouse Competitions in Canada, receiving recognition for its Red Bell Pepper and Black Label Hiiros, which won “Best Overall” in their respective categories.
“Nature Fresh Farms’ mission is to ‘Grow for a Kinder Future’,” John Ketler, president of Nature Fresh Farms, said in a release. “To be presented with these awards illustrates to us that we are on the right path [and] that our team is innovating, collaborating and advancing — not only our business — but our industry forward [in] growing quality, sustainable and flavorful produce.”
Nature Fresh Farms Red Bell Pepper took first place in the Red Bell Pepper category and claimed “Overall Best Pepper” with a score of 980.0 — the highest score of any produce in the competition’s history, according to the company.
The Greenhouse Competitions, which celebrates the Essex County greenhouse industry, is an opportunity for the area greenhouse community to showcase the best of its produce while also supporting REACH International, which raises funds to assist impoverished children and families in Uganda, said the release.
“We know that quality, consistency and flavor are paramount to retailers and consumers when it comes to produce,” Matt Quiring, senior vice president, sales and marketing at Nature Fresh Farms, said. “Which is why we are very careful in our selection process; and why we have a dedicated team that sources the highest quality seeds for production in our greenhouses.”
Nature Fresh Farms claimed awards in the following categories:
- Tiny Cocktail Cucumbers: First place
- Mini Cucumbers: Second place
- English Cucumbers: Second place
- Red Bell Pepper: First place
- Yellow Bell Pepper: Third place
- Orange Bell Pepper: First place
- Hot Pepper: Second place
- Overall Best Pepper for Red Bell Pepper
- Specialty Berry: Second place
- Beefsteak Tomato: First and third place
- Roma Tomato: First place
- Cocktail Tomato: Second place
- Specialty Tomato: First place
- Bite Size Tomato: Second place
- Overall Best Tomato for Black Label Hiiros
- Red Bell Pepper Chef’s Choice
- Tiny Cocktail Cucumber Chef’s Choice
“To win ‘Overall Best Pepper’ and ‘Overall Best Tomato’ and place within the top three in numerous other categories shows our selection and growing processes are on track and consistently able to provide quality produce,” Quiring said.
Produce at this year’s Greenhouse Competitions was scored by an expert judging panel comprised of professionals from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, grocery store produce managers, chefs and others who are given a specialized list of criteria upon which they rated produce during a blind taste testing, said the release.
