Indoor Ag

The Produce Branding Revolution is Real: Witness CPMA 2026

Thu, 07 May 2026 21:53:04 GMT

TORONTO — At this year’s Canadian Produce Marketing Association Convention and Trade Show, April 28-30, exhibitors proved that fruits and vegetables are no longer just commodities — they’re stories worth telling.

From Equifruit’s “Banana Badasses” of fair-trade capturing attention with P.O.S.-emblazoned boxes to Del Fresco Pure leaning into “Nonna’s house” nostalgia for its 70th anniversary to Red Sun Farms relaunching its Chef’s Collection tomatoes, where every variety has its own character, the booths across the show floor were alive with brands fighting for more than just shelf space; they’re fighting for and winning a place in the shopper’s lifestyle.

From left, Equifruit’s Kim Chackal, Marianne Stamatelos, Madison Hopper, Owain Hoefle and Carolina Arizabaleta strike “farmers gotta get paid” power poses at CPMA 2026.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

Equifruit, the Montreal-based Fairtrade International-certified banana company, debuted new shipping boxes that feature colorful and compelling P.O.S. that take the heavy lift of merchandising off the retailer’s to-do list.

“We put the P.O.S. right on the boxes so retailers can merchandise our bananas and tell the fair trade story in a succinct way,” says Madison Hopper.

Equifruit has also added “Women-Owned Company” to the front side of its boxes, while staying true to its easy-to-digest fair trade messaging. The boxes say, “Why Fairtrade? Farmers gotta get paid.”

“You only have two seconds for the customer to understand they need to pay a little more to support farmers,” says Kim Chackal, of the branding it has launched in a trial at Sprouts in the mid-Atlantic. It plans to transition all packaging in Canada to the new format in the next three months.

Equifruit’s dynamic booth, featuring a fun and interactive merchandising fair trade bananas video game, won the People’s Choice Award at CPMA.

From left, Del Fresco Pure Produce’s Amanada Sharman, Jim Papaefthimiou, Sonia Klinger and Jaime Ofner talked greenhouse-grown cukes and tomatoes from their booth, which won the CPMA award for Best Island Booth at the 2026 CPMA show.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

It’s official, says Del Fresco Pure: National Cucumber Salad Day will be July 8, the day Logan Moffitt, aka the “Cucumber Guy,” first posted his shaken cucumber salad that went viral.

Moffitt made one of his signature cucumber salads at the Del Fresco Pure booth during CPMA. Marketing Manager Sonia Klinger says the greenhouse grower is planning content around the new holiday and “hopefully retailers will jump on board.”

Del Fresco Pure also featured its newly launched organic three-pack of cucumbers, called the King Pack, as well as cherry tomatoes in a top-seal pack.

All of the action took place in Del Fresco’s “Welcome to Nonna’s House”-themed booth. Designed to mark its 70^th year of growing, the retro design won the CPMA award for Best Island Booth.

“It’s a nod to our roots,” says Klinger.

Highline Mushrooms’ Frank Wright and Amanda Sebele sampled savory cream of mushroom soup at the 2026 CPMA show.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

Highline Mushrooms featured its new Cream of Mushroom Soup Kit. Part of its Fresh Gourmet Series, the kits blend sliced mini bella mushrooms with a seasoning packet. To make a creamy and flavorful mushroom soup, consumers simply rinse and sauté the mushrooms, add the seasoning packet and milk, heat and serve.

The team at Red Sun Farms talked Chef’s Collection relaunch at the 2026 CPMA show.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

Red Sun Farms showcased the relaunch of its Chef’s Collection, an intentionally curated mix of new tomato varieties that balance intense sweetness with a signature crunch. While most of these varieties originate from the same seed family, each was selected for its unique personality and distinct flavor profile to create a more personal consumer experience, says Red Sun’s Leona Neill.

The brand also debuted innovative packaging developed with a new supplier that highlights each specific flavor personality within the mix.

The relaunch reflects Red Sun’s “strategic innovation” over “commodity” approach, says Neill.

The process from seed to market aligns seed breeders, growers and retailers at the earliest stages of development to deliver a premium, intentional product to the market, she says.

From left, GreenFruit Avocados’ Scott Bauwens, Brian Gomez and Kraig Loomis discussed the recent acquisition and the company’s aggressive five-year growth strategy at the CPMA show.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

Fresh from a recent strategic acquisition, GreenFruit Avocados came to CPMA to share its vision for the future.

Industry veterans Scott Bauwens, Jamie Johnson and Jim Donovan, in partnership with Spanish investment firm Tahuaycani, recently announced they have acquired 100% of GreenFruit Avocados. Under new ownership, GreenFruit will operate as a grower-packer-shipper and ripener across North and South America. The veterans say the move aims to create a vertically integrated avocado company by leveraging the group’s existing ties to global sourcing and large-scale production in California and Peru.

“Between Jim, Jamie and me, we bring decades of experience on the distribution, retail and foodservice sides of the business,” says newly named GreenFruit CEO Bauwens, adding that Brian Gomez, president of sales and marketing, “brings the firepower the brand has always needed.”

Bauwens says GreenFruit is eyeing “aggressive growth in the next five years.”

At the Mucci Farms booth, Emily Murracas of Mucci Farms and Cole Mucci of KingsOne Farms highlighted new greenhouse-grown romaine lettuce from KingsOne Farms.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

KingsOne Farms, a grower for Mucci Farms, offers three-packs of greenhouse-grown romaine under the Naked Leaf brand.

“There’s a lot of issues in field-grown romaine,” says Cole Mucci, which is what makes the greenhouse-grown alternative compelling. “No one has done whole head romaine in CEA [controlled environment agriculture] before.”

“Seed breeders have worked hard to imitate field-grown romaine in a greenhouse product, and I think they’ve done that here,” says Emily Murracas. “I think it will be a game changer — the closest to field-grown.”

Murracas says the Naked Leaf romaine is ideal for a variety of eating occasions, from salads to lettuce cups for appetizers and more.

Also on display were the brand’s CuteCumber Poppers in a bowl with dip. The bowls feature bite-size cucumbers with two packs of dip.

A convenient one-bite snack that is crunchy and refreshing, these “mini” cocktail cucumbers are great for dipping and snacking at parties, says Murracas.

KingsOne also grows Boston lettuce (also known as green butter), green leaf, romaine and red butter lettuce.

Volm’s Wayne DeCou discussed the power of artificial intelligence and automation at CPMA.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

At the Volm Cos. booth, Equipment Director Wayne DeCou touted top trends in produce equipment automation. He sees a significant rise in case packing as retailers shift toward rigid formats like trays and RPCs for better warehouse uniformity. Additionally, bag-to-bin solutions are growing in popularity, prompting equipment vendors to invest in more versatile conventional and robotic palletizing options. The industry is also embracing artificial intelligence, he says, exemplified by partnerships that integrate AI with advanced camera technology for more precise optical grading and sorting.

DeCou also took The Packer through the latest in grading technology, which improves quality and increases labor productivity through AI-driven software and camera recognition, he says. The machine can be trained to do its job more consistently.

“The challenge that packers have is that quality control slows the whole line down,” says DeCou. With automation, specs can be set per customer, time of year, SKU, customer demand, etc., all while eliminating the need to train people to do the job.

“It’s not about replacing people but rather about repurposing them to other necessary roles,” he says.

DeCou says that in the U.S., the largest retailers are automating their distribution centers. Packing and palletized loads are moving to automation and, as a result, everything must meet precise specs.

“The ease of packing and palletizing are huge drivers for us,” says DeCou, who adds that Volm offers a portfolio of case-packing machines for everything from potatoes to apples to onions and more.

From left, Pure Flavor’s Tiffany Sabelli, Julia Weber, Cortney Walker and Carolyn Bristowe showed off a bevy of vibrantly colored greenhouse-grown tomatoes.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

The team at Pure Flavor showed off its flavorful, greenhouse-grown tomatoes in a host of vibrant colors.

“Rocco Reds are continuing to do well at retail,” says Julia Weber. “We see strong results. It’s everyone’s favorite tomato. If I had to pick one tomato to bring home, it’s this one.”

Pure Flavor also spotlighted its Cherry Picked Medley, “featuring three of our very best cherry tomatoes,” says Weber. The medley includes Azuca sweet red cherry, Tiki tomatoes with tropical sweetness, and OMG tomatoes.

“It’s always the same three tomatoes,” says Weber. She says that means “great-tasting tomatoes and consistency” every time.

“The medley category has grown, and so has consumer expectation from each tomato,” she says.

The Pure Flavor booth also showcased its new, simplified branding.

“Simple is good,” says Weber. “Consumers are time-pressed. They want to pick healthy foods, but for a number of reasons, haven’t always been able to.”

She says some produce branding and packaging can be so colorful that it ultimately overshadows the product itself.

“What gets lost is the product,” she says. “Our new branding ensures the product displays beautifully in the package. The produce is the star.”

Great Lakes Greenhouses’ Jeff Richardson highlighted the success of organic offerings.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

Jeff Richardson of Great Lakes Greenhouses highlighted a successful but demanding season, noting the greenhouse grower’s organic bell pepper harvest is set to begin just as environmental issues shorten Mexico’s season.

Despite a challenging spring marked by frost advisories and low temperatures, the greenhouse uses LED lighting to ensure slow, high-quality ripening in Great Lakes’ 28 acres of organic and 90 acres of conventional crops.

Richardson also emphasized Great Lakes’ intensive in-house beneficial insect program, which uses dedicated spotters to manage aphids without sprays.

“Bell peppers are a tough crop, and you can lose it quickly,” says Richardson. “Through our in-house, beneficial insect program, we breed our own insects because you can’t spray with organic. It’s laborious, but when you do get it right; it’s wonderful. The last two years have been phenomenal.”

Amanda Orr of Mastronardi/Sunset celebrated the greenhouse grower’s back-to-back wins of the Packaging Innovation Award at the 2026 CPMA show.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

Mastronardi Produce took home the CPMA Packaging Innovation Award for its Sunset Tomato Branch. Mastronardi’s Amanda Orr says the triangular package is designed to mimic the natural branching structure of vine tomatoes and is fully recyclable.

“The Tomato Branch packaging really elevates the produce and makes it a showpiece,” says Orr, who notes the highly flavorful tomatoes on the vine work for everything from snacking to salads to charcuterie boards and more.

The company also featured its Pop Its cucumber bites, which launched at retail this winter and “are still generating a lot of buzz,” she says.

From left, Stewart Lapage, Steve Young, Greg Asta, Kelsey Van Lissum and Sandra Ulewicz share Sumo Citrus excitement at the Oppy booth.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

At the Oppy booth, the team highlighted its exciting new partnership with Sumo Citrus, a brand that has seen explosive growth thanks to its instant appeal and viral presence on TikTok and the “Today” show.

To ensure consistent quality during the long transit from the Sumo Citrus Australian farm — located three hours from Melbourne — Oppy leverages its robust fresh produce supply chain infrastructure to get the product to shelves efficiently, fresh and flavorful, says Greg Asta, representing Sumo Citrus in Australia.

“No other citrus product can command the retail space of Sumo Citrus,” says Asta.

Partnering with in-demand produce brands on a global scale is not new for Oppy, which has established expertise with brands like Zespri and Dole, says Oppy’s Steve Young.

“And we know citrus well,” says Young. “This is not something new for us. We understand where the fruit comes from.”

Young says it makes Oppy the ideal partner to manage the complex logistics of this high-demand fruit.

The program focuses on meeting exacting specifications and using Brix testing to guarantee the signature sweetness and flavor that is currently redefining the citrus category.

Oppy’s Sumo Citrus program will launch in Canada and has legs even as the summer produce is still on shelves in North American produce aisles, says Young.

“It’s changing the citrus category,” says Young. “In the U.S. in the summer, citrus doesn’t automatically come to mind, but consumers are still really excited for Sumo Citrus.”

Topline Farms’ Dino DiLaudo says tomato prices “are leveling off and calming down” from highs last month.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

At the recent Viva Fresh Expo in San Antonio, Topline Farms’ Dino DiLaudo described the “perfect storm” that led to a surge in tomato prices . At last week’s CPMA show, DiLaudo said that while “tomato prices are leveling off and calming down,” they’re “still higher than historical levels.”

What’s helped is retailers pulling back on tomato promotions and Florida and other Southern states heading into tomato season.

“Retailers started to slow down with suppliers telling them not to go on promotion. You don’t want to drive demand with limited availability,” DiLaudo told The Packer at CPMA. “Everyone took their foot off the gas.

“And now Florida is coming back into production, and the local season from Georgia to Arkansas to the Carolinas and on up to [New] Jersey — which has a strong local presence — has taken pressure off. Hopefully, we get back to normal tomato pricing soon,” he adds.

Ben Lay and Brad Siebert of New Zealand Avocado were first time exhibitors at the 2026 CPMA show.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

New Zealand Avocado has been a grower of avocados in New Zealand for a long time, says Brad Siebert. It’s also been active in Canada for the last few years but sells a lot of fruit to Asia.

The first-time exhibitor at the CPMA show aimed to “use [the event] as a platform to get word out that New Zealand Avocado has avocados to export to Canada,” says Siebert.

The team at New Zealand Avocado said it takes three weeks to ship from New Zealand to British Columbia. New Zealand Avocado is also exploring entering via Philadelphia and then hitting the road to get its avocados to markets in Toronto and Montreal.

Red Alert: What’s Behind the Surge in Tomato Prices

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:21:58 GMT

A “perfect storm” of freezing Florida temperatures earlier this year, heavy rains and disease in Mexico, dark winter months for Canadian greenhouse growers, rising geopolitical tensions and more has sent tomato prices soaring, leaving grocers and suppliers struggling to fill the void.

Tomato prices were up 15.3% in March and are now up nearly 23% compared to the same time last year, according to Consumer Price Index data.

“It’s been a tough month for tomatoes with low supply,” says Dino DiLaudo, senior vice president of sales and marketing for greenhouse grower Topline Farms in Leamington, Ontario.

DiLaudo says disease in some Mexican tomato fields — coupled with reduced plantings sparked by the termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement in July 2025 that put a 17% tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico — has put the squeeze on supplies, as has the freeze in Florida.

Topline Farms’ Dino DiLaudo discussed the “perfect storm” that led to a surge in tomato prices at Viva Fresh 2026 in San Antonio.

(Photo by Jennifer Strailey)

The early 2026 Florida freeze severely impacted tomato production, with estimated losses reaching up to 80% of the crop in that state.

And the ongoing war with Iran has triggered a spike in global energy prices. Specifically, higher diesel costs are making the transportation of tomatoes more expensive, and these logistical costs are being passed down through the supply chain.

“It was a perfect storm,” says DiLaudo. “Shortage drives demand up. And when the whole market is short, it’s hard to fill contracts,” he says. “There’s a lot of demand for greenhouse-grown because of the price of field-grown.”

Paul Murracas, senior account manager with Leamington-based Pure Flavor, which is also feeling the pinch from tomato shortages, says a lack of light this winter has been another factor.

“There was no sun in Canada this winter,” says Murracas. “Even for greenhouses with lights, it’s an issue because you can’t run your lights all the time.”

Pure Flavor’s Paul Murracas and Alaina Wilkins discuss the challenges of greenhouse-grown tomatoes this winter at Viva Fresh 2026.

(Photo by Jennifer Strailey)

In Canada, where greenhouse growers export more than 85% of their produce to the U.S., the significant lack of light this winter has further constrained production levels. But Murracas says Pure Flavor is making every effort to weather the storm and not raise prices.

“We’re doing the best we can to supply our partners,” he says. “We don’t look at our business from a one-to-two-month perspective; we look at our long-term relationships with our customers.”

Retailers Focus on Supplier Partnerships

“Tomatoes have been a very interesting category to say the least,” says Justin Rowe, produce business category manager for Northeastern Shared Services, which operates banners including Tops Friendly Markets, Price Chopper and Market 32. “It seems like it has been a long string of issues, and we just can’t get ahead in the category.”

Rowe says while the termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement was the start of the disruption, it was still navigable for grocery retailers like Northeastern Shared Services.

“Being that we are in the Northeast, we source a lot of our greenhouse product from Canada and our home state of New York,” he says. “We do source field-grown tomatoes out of Mexico during certain times of the year, but we did not see the need to raise retails in most instances.”

But an unusually cold winter in the Northeast, with a long string of days in single-digit temperatures, impacted greenhouse tomato growers in the region.

“With the rising costs of utilities, greenhouses couldn’t afford to keep the grow lights on, and production took a big hit,” says Rowe. “TOVs [tomatoes on the vine] and beefsteaks specifically bore the brunt of it. This caused us to back off promotions and prorate our stores to spread out what we were getting from our suppliers.”

Rowe says the grocer still managed to get through most of that time frame without raising tomato prices.

“The Florida freeze really turned things upside down,” he says. “While we have remained largely in stock on field-grown tomatoes, we did back off from most promotions due to lack of supply and rising costs.

“Certain varieties, like romas, have gotten so high [that] we did need to raise our retails due to costs,” he continues. “Most of the retails we raised were done more to slow down the category than compete with rising costs. We just don’t have the supply to be promotional.”

While romas, beefsteaks and tomatoes on the vine were impacted, snacking tomatoes are another story.

At Viva Fresh 2026 in San Antonio, Janine Meyer of NatureSweet said snacking tomatoes have been spared from the tomato squeeze.

(Photo by Jennifer Strailey)

Snacking tomatoes have been spared in the tomato shortage, says Janine Meyer, vice president of sales for grocery and club at San Antonio-based NatureSweet.

“We’re fine,” she says. “We’re vertically integrated, and most of our business is in snacking tomatoes. Vertical integration is key. It shields us from the noise.”

Amid the tightening tomato market, snacking tomatoes saved the day at Northeastern Shared Services’ stores.

“The one bright spot within the category has been greenhouse-grown snacking tomatoes,” says Rowe. “We have relied on them heavily to fill the promotional void caused by the disruption on most round tomatoes.

“This is the time when having partnerships is the most important,” he adds. “We understand that costs need to go up when supply takes this much of a hit. However, we still need tomatoes on our shelves. We work together with our partners to make sure we get our fair share of the supply and only pass on the rising costs to consumers if it’s absolutely necessary.”

How Del Fresco Pure is Futureproofing Ontario Greenhouse Growing

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:02:32 GMT

Consistency has been the bedrock of Ontario-based greenhouse grower Del Fresco Pure for over 70 years. But the company’s real secret to growth in 2026? Agility. From navigating the upcoming USMCA review to integrating AI into the greenhouse, Ray Mastronardi, vice president of sales, explains why high-tech controlled environments are the ultimate defense against an unpredictable global economy.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

With over 85% of Ontario’s greenhouse produce heading to the U.S., how are your futureproofing your operation against potential trade barriers or shifts in cross-border policy?

Mastronardi: At Del Fresco Pure, we’ve built our business over seven decades on consistency, trust and long-standing relationships across North America. While cross-border trade is essential, our approach to futureproofing is grounded in operational excellence within our greenhouses — investing in controlled environments, advancing efficiencies and ensuring we can adapt quickly. That foundation allows us to remain resilient, regardless of how the external landscape evolves.

The USMCA agreement is up for its first six-year review on July 1. How are you feeling about the immediate and long-term future of North American produce trade?

There’s a long history of collaboration in North American agriculture, and greenhouse growers play a key role in delivering year-round supply. From our perspective at Del Fresco Pure, that shared reliance creates stability. While reviews naturally bring discussion, we believe the long-term outlook remains strong because the system works — for growers, retailers and consumers alike.

Del Fresco Pure’s Ray Mastronardi shares how the greenhouse grower remains resilient regardless of trade shifts or market volatility.

(Photo courtesy of Del Fresco Pure)

Rising input costs continue to make headlines. How do input costs for greenhouse growers compare to those for field growers and how are you navigating these waters?

Greenhouse growing is inherently more controlled and comes with a different cost structure, particularly around energy, infrastructure and technology. At Del Fresco Pure, we’ve always approached this with a long-term mindset. Continuous investment in efficiency, innovation and scale helps us manage those pressures while maintaining the consistency and quality we’re known for.

2025 was marked by economic uncertainty for many. What was the hardest lesson your operation learned last year? How has it changed your operations?

If anything, last year reinforced that even in a controlled environment, agility matters. Our strength has always been consistency, but 2025 emphasized the importance of being able to pivot just as effectively. At Del Fresco Pure, it pushed us to sharpen our planning, strengthen communication across teams and ensure we’re positioned to respond quickly while continuing to deliver at a high level.

What role, if any, does AI play in your farming operations? If it does play a role, what have been the key benefits of implementation and where do you see taking this technology next?

With greenhouse growing, we’re constantly working with data — climate, irrigation and crop performance. At Del Fresco Pure, we see AI as an extension of that, helping us refine decision-making and enhance precision. It’s not about replacing expertise, but supporting it — giving our growers better insights so they can continue producing at the highest level.

Labor remains a challenge for the produce industry. What are the keys to attracting and retaining greenhouse talent?

Our business has always been built on people. Many of our team members have been with us for years, which speaks to the culture we’ve worked to create. At Del Fresco Pure, attracting talent comes down to offering a modern, technology-driven agricultural environment, while retention comes from investing in our people and giving them a sense of ownership in what we’re building.

Innovation has long played a critical role in your operations. What does greenhouse innovation look like for your brand in the next three to five years? What does it take to continue to succeed in this highly competitive marketplace?

Innovation for us isn’t one moment — it’s a mindset that’s been part of our business for generations. Looking ahead, it’s about continuing to evolve our controlled-environment agriculture, improving efficiency and reducing our footprint while maintaining premium quality. That includes introducing thoughtful innovations like our King Pack cucumber and our more sustainable top seal packaging — solutions designed to meet consumer needs while minimizing environmental impact.

At the same time, we’re committed to strengthening our connection with consumers through our digital media platforms, using engaging storytelling to bring our products and greenhouse story to life. Partnering with content creators like Logan Moffitt allows us to reach new audiences in authentic ways and inspire fresh, creative uses for our produce.

We also work closely with our retail partners to develop tailored programs that support their specific locations, customer bases and merchandising needs, ensuring mutual success at store level.

At Del Fresco Pure, success comes from staying disciplined, listening to the market and consistently delivering the quality and reliability our customers expect. We invite those interested in learning more to visit booth No. 1631 at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association Convention and Trade Show, April 28-30.

How Ontario Greenhouse Growers Are Building a New Canadian Gold Standard

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:17:04 GMT

Canadian greenhouse growers have noticed a greater focus on domestic production. While “elbows up” is a hockey term to protect a player’s personal space, it has become something more personal to Canadians and their shopping habits at the grocery store.

Shift Toward Purposeful Purchasing

Mark Reimer, research and business development manager for Great Lakes Greenhouses, says the “elbows up” mentality has expanded to how consumers connect with the produce grown in the province and country. It is a shift from passive buying to an active preference for homegrown quality, effectively turning Canadian products into the gold standard for freshness and reliability.

“As a family-owned and operated greenhouse, the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement has made it more personal,” Reimer says. “Consumers are actively looking to support businesses like ours, and they’re more aware that greenhouse produce is grown right here at home, year-round.”

He says this has also shifted the conversation away from price to the unique value proposition that Ontario-grown produce provides.

“People are thinking about reliability, food security and supporting local communities,” he says. “That’s helped greenhouse production be seen as not only consistent and high-quality but also something Canadians can feel good about choosing.”

Reimer says retailers have also taken notice and capitalized on that interest.

“We’re seeing more emphasis on highlighting Canadian-grown products, which really helps tell our story,” he says. “Overall, it’s strengthened trust and created a closer connection between growers and consumers.”

Nature Fresh Farms CEO Patrick Criteser says retailers see Ontario greenhouse-grown produce as part of a strong domestic supply.

“Consumers are asking more questions about where their food comes from, and greenhouse growing fits well with what they’re looking for: local, year-round, dependable,” he says.

“We’ve always focused on understanding how people actually shop and eat, and right now there’s clearly more interest in Canadian-grown. It just brings more visibility to what greenhouses can offer,” he adds.

Haven Greens founder and CEO Jay Willmot says this “elbows up” mentality is evolving into a long-term shift in consumer behavior.

“Canadian products are no longer viewed as a backup option but rather the gold standard for freshness and reliability,” he says.

Capturing Market Share With New Commodities

Willmot says there’s a push from consumers for Haven Greens to expand beyond greens — a bit of a mix between diversifying risk and standing out. Diversifying helps protect the operator from price volatility in a commodity but also helps position the whole Ontario greenhouse industry as growers capable of meeting a much broader demand.

“We’re seeing a growing push into soft fruits like strawberries and blueberries, leafy greens and fresh herbs, commodities that consumers want year-round but that Canada has historically imported,” he says. “These aren’t just exciting growing opportunities; they represent a real chance to capture market share that has always belonged to foreign producers.”

Reimer also says Great Lakes Greenhouses has seen interest in specialty or niche items, as well as in premium and value-added segments. This includes snackable formats and specialty varieties. This presents an opportunity for differentiation without shifting to a new commodity.

Criteser says there’s always interest in expanding offerings, but he says a lot of the focus on innovation tends to stem around how consumers use the products at home.

“The real opportunity is in doing something better — better flavor, better and more convenient eating experience, something that stands out,” he says.

Reimer also says there’s growing interest from consumers in convenience, health trends and sustainability.

“Retailers want products that tell a story and bring margin, not just volume,” he says.

And this ability to expand into new crops is possible thanks to advancements in lighting and climate control precision.

“This opens the door to crops that historically couldn’t be grown economically in Ontario,” he says.

Digital Tools and the Human Element

Technology and sustainability play a huge role in both where Ontario greenhouse production is today and where it’s going in the future. Criteser says systems to recycle water and carbon dioxide help support plant growth, but this goes beyond the buzzwords.

“We’ve talked about this for a long time as both a technology and energy efficiency story,” he says. “The goal isn’t just to use less; it’s to use what we have more intelligently.”

Nature Fresh Farms, Haven Greens and Great Lakes Greenhouses also have deployed more artificial intelligence-driven tools to help guide decisions around irrigation, lighting and greenhouse management, which helps the production team see patterns and respond more quickly.

“We see a space for advanced computers and AI to have a significant impact on the industry moving forward as these systems continue to develop at an incredible pace,” Reimer says.

But growers still play a key role in production, even with the ascent of AI.

“Human input is always required when dealing with biological organisms such as plants,” Willmot says. “However, every day we’re finding more use cases for AI to help us run the greenhouse more efficiently. We’re finding ways to optimize crop performance, manage energy use, maximize lighting use efficiently and analyze more data more accurately than ever.”

Willmot says technology has instead amplified the human element and helped Haven Greens scale production and increase yields to grow year-round.

“Things that would have taken significantly more time, labor and resources a decade ago are now done with greater speed and precision. But here’s what people often misunderstand: The technology doesn’t run itself. Behind every automated system, every sensor, every data point, is a skilled human being interpreting it, managing it and making the critical decisions that no algorithm can make on its own.”

And as for whether they work for a technology company that grows fresh produce or a grower who uses technology, Willmot, Reimer and Criteser say it is the latter.

“Technology is a big part of how we operate, but it’s there to support what we do, not define it,” Criteser says. “At the end of the day, it still comes back to how well we grow, how consistent the product is and how it performs for the customer. That’s what matters most.”

Criteser says technology will continue to be more integrated.

“There’ll be more data, more automation, more AI supporting decisions, but the grower’s role doesn’t go away; if anything, it becomes more important,” he says. “It’s really about giving growers better tools to make decisions faster and more accurately, not replacing that expertise.”

Expect to see growing integration of technology, Willmot says, for production tasks from planting to harvesting and sensors monitoring and adjusting variables such as humidity, light, carbon dioxide and nutrients in real time.

“What takes teams of people to manage today will be largely automated, faster and significantly more precise,” he says.

Greenhouse production, too, will run on renewable energy, capture and recycle water and reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

“Making them not just productive but genuinely green,” Willmot says. “They’ll consume a fraction of the land and water that traditional outdoor farming requires while yielding significantly more.”

Strategic Roadmap for National Expansion

Willmot says indoor leafy greens are growing at a rate of 50% year over year in the U.S. and 80% year over year in Ontario. He says that while Ontario already accounts for two-thirds of Canadian greenhouse production, he thinks the base will continue to expand, but the country’s production will also expand beyond this traditional hub into Quebec and Alberta.

“While Ontario remains the engine, the growth is beginning to decentralize across the country,” he says.

Criteser agrees, saying he expects core regions such as Windsor-Essex to continue to grow infrastructure and labor, but logistics, energy availability and access to new markets will play a big factor in where other growth in the industry will come. He also points out that growth can mean a lot of things, including improving efficiencies.

“Growth isn’t just about building more,” he says. “A lot of it is about improving what you already have — getting better yields, better flavor, more efficiency out of the same footprint.”

Ontario is set to double its acreage in the next 10 years through a combination of expansions in traditional areas. Willmot says he also sees expansion in the form of established operations acquiring smaller growers to fast-track expansion and build newer, more specialized facilities.

“The Greater Toronto area and surrounding regions represent a significant untapped opportunity, particularly for leafy greens and high-value crops where proximity to urban consumers is a genuine advantage,” he says.

Willmot says in the next four to five years, the question won’t be whether greenhouse growing can feed Canada, “it’ll be how we ever managed without it.”

He says by 2030, Ontario’s greenhouse sector could have wide-ranging impacts on Canada’s food supply.

“The greenhouse of 2030 won’t just be a place where food is grown; it’ll be Canada’s most strategic agricultural asset,” he says. “Reducing reliance on imports, stabilizing prices year-round and building a level of domestic food security that outdoor farming alone simply cannot guarantee, given Canada’s climate and harsh winters.”

Your next read: Inside Ontario’s Billion-Dollar Greenhouse Surge

Gotham Greens Marks 15 Years With Strategic CEO Transition

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:08:50 GMT

Gotham Greens says it is entering its next chapter of expansion by evolving its executive team to sustain its recent momentum in the sustainable produce market.

After leading the company since its 2008 inception, co-founder Viraj Puri is transitioning into the role of executive chairman, where he will focus on long-term strategy and board advisory. This shift coincides with the appointment of Craig Stevenson as CEO, a move designed to capitalize on the company’s record growth and its increasingly diverse footprint in the refrigerated food aisle.

Stevenson brings extensive experience scaling purpose-driven food and consumer brands, with a track record of driving commercial growth, operational excellence and category leadership, according to Gotham Greens. He most recently served as CEO of Lundberg Family Farms, a leading U.S. Regenerative Organic Certified food brand best known for its packaged rice and rice snacks.

The CPG and agriculture industry veteran began his career at Procter & Gamble. He later joined The Clorox Co. and served in a variety of sales, marketing and international senior leadership roles, including leading the Burt’s Bees business. He also served as CEO of Scholl’s Wellness Co.

“Craig is an experienced executive and thoughtful leader with a track record of transforming and growing brands that consumers love,” Puri says. “As Gotham Greens enters its next phase of growth, I’m confident Craig is the right person to lead the company forward, deepen our retail partnerships and innovate across packaged salads and fresh foods while staying true to our mission of transforming how and where fresh food is grown.

“We started out nearly two decades ago driven by a bold idea: to grow fresher, better-tasting salad greens closer to where people live,” he continues. “Today, we’re proud to be an industry leader in indoor farming and one of the most innovative greenhouse producers in the country. Our market share continues to grow 15% year over year, supported by a strong, recognizable brand built on freshness, flavor and reliability.”

Gotham Greens’ vertically integrated business model — combining advanced, high-tech greenhouse operations nationwide with consumer packaged goods innovation — has become a powerful engine for growth. The company says that, under Puri’s leadership, it pioneered a new market segment of greenhouse-grown leafy greens and built a nationally recognized brand that is beloved by consumers and retailers across the country.

Gotham Greens has grown from a single urban rooftop greenhouse in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2011, to a national network of greenhouses and distribution spanning coast to coast, helping to redefine the fresh produce aisle with locally grown, pesticide-free salad greens and herbs and an expanding portfolio of value-added food products.

“I’m honored and humbled to join Gotham Greens at such an exciting moment in its journey,” Stevenson says. “Gotham Greens has built an incredible brand and platform rooted in innovation, quality and sustainability. I look forward to working with Viraj and the entire team to expand our impact, bring more fresh food to more people and continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in fresh, sustainable food.”

Over the past decade, indoor farms have expanded rapidly in the U.S., with greenhouse production becoming a mainstream source of leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. The market share for indoor-grown packaged salad, lettuce and herbs combined is nearly 10% and has increased by 22% year over year, the company says.

Controlled environment agriculture represents a major evolution from traditional open-field farming by leveraging advanced technology, such as hydroponics, automation and precise climate controls, to grow crops year-round, regardless of weather or geography. By enabling year-round production, consistent quality and dependable supply, CEA addresses the volatility that has challenged the fresh produce supply chain.

Building on its leadership in greenhouse-grown leafy greens and herbs, Gotham Greens says it is accelerating growth in value-added categories, including salad kits, dressings, dips and cooking sauces — designed to meet consumer demand for fresh, convenient foods and meal solutions.

“Gotham Greens remains focused on delivering differentiated, premium products that combine freshness, flavor and functionality. With expanded national distribution across major retailers and continued investment in greenhouse infrastructure, new product innovation and brand building, Gotham Greens is well-positioned to drive household penetration, velocity and category leadership in the future,” Puri says. “I look forward to partnering with Craig and supporting our strategic priorities and commercial growth as executive chairman.”

Inside Ontario’s Billion-Dollar Greenhouse Surge

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:18:20 GMT

From a concentrated hub in southwestern Ontario, the majority of Canada’s greenhouse growers are strategically located within a 24-hour drive of more than half the U.S. population — positioning the province, not just as a local producer, but as a year-round vegetable garden of North America.

Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers represents a network of more than 170 of these growers, who specialize in tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers and contribute some $2.5 billion to the province’s gross domestic product each year. Production is spread across 4,500 acres, about 80% of which is concentrated in Kingsville and Leamington.

“In recent years, the sector has enjoyed an average annual growth rate of 7%, and projections suggest expansion could continue at roughly 5% per year until 2033, provided ongoing support from government policies and strong partnerships with local municipalities,” says Richard Lee, executive director of OGVG. “The sector’s impressive expansion has been propelled by robust demand from the U.S., driving sustained growth over the past decade.”

Ontario’s greenhouse sector — the largest concentration of greenhouse vegetable production in North America — is leveraging its scale to ensure that fresh no longer depends on the season but rather the sophistication and sustainability of the indoor farm, where producers can achieve yields up to 20 times higher per square meter than conventional farming on a significantly smaller land footprint.

The region’s strategic location is also critical to its success. Ontario currently has easy access to four major U.S. border crossings with a fifth — the Gordie Howe International Bridge — slated to open this year.

“Our members can service more than 58% of the U.S. population within a day’s drive,” Lee says. “This proximity ensures that produce reaches consumers remarkably fresh, maintaining quality from vine to table.”

But Ontario greenhouse growers’ reach extends far beyond the border. Its U.S. distribution network reaches as far south as Florida and covers most of the population east of the Mississippi River, Lee says.

And it’s not stopping there. Lee says OGVG continues to identify new opportunities for growth in the U.S., a market nearly 10 times larger than that of Canada.

“A notable example is the ‘Tennessee Tested, Summertime Approved’ campaign, which significantly raised awareness and boosted consumption in new markets,” he says. “Building on this momentum, efforts are now directed toward underserved areas like Missouri.”

Future-Proofing Highly Perishable Produce

With over 85% of Ontario’s greenhouse produce headed to the U.S., recent tariff and trade barriers, as well as the upcoming United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s first six-year review on July 1, have created uncertainty for North American produce buyers and sellers.

“OGVG recognizes that proactively safeguarding operations against possible trade barriers or changes in cross-border policy is essential,” Lee says. “Yet, the highly perishable nature of our products significantly narrows the scope of feasible mitigation strategies.

“For instance, seeking alternate export markets is neither realistic nor commercially viable,” he continues. “The short shelf life, strict handling standards and intense time sensitivity all limit how far our produce can travel before its quality or marketability is compromised.”

As a result, says Lee, OGVG operators face distinct challenges and competitive disadvantages, making meaningful market substitution impractical.

“In light of these realities, OGVG maintains that building resilience is best accomplished by fortifying stability and efficiency within our established primary trade corridors, rather than attempting to diversify into markets that remain structurally out of reach,” he says. “This strategy emphasizes proactive engagement with regulators and trading partners to anticipate policy shifts, ensure predictable border operations and minimize disruptions.”

Lee says OGVG’s approach also includes ongoing efforts to boost operational efficiency and reduce delays at export points, alongside risk-management strategies within current markets to enhance commercial certainty.

“Ultimately, for commodities as perishable as those produced by OGVG, adapting to trade disruptions is less about exploring new markets and more about deepening certainty, efficiency and collaboration within existing cross-border relationships,” he says. “By focusing on these priorities, we are better equipped to maintain stability and thrive despite the challenges posed by evolving trade landscapes.”

As to USMCA, Lee says OGVG is “cautiously optimistic” the agreement will be renewed without additional challenges to food access or affordability.

“Our partnership with the U.S. is vital. We depend on each other for a diverse array of commodities, each country contributing what it grows best,” he says. “In particular, we rely on imports of products that are not commercially viable in Canada due to our climate, highlighting the importance of maintaining a balanced and mutually supportive trade relationship. This collaboration not only strengthens our food systems but also reinforces the economic ties that benefit both nations.”

“Our members can service more than 58% of the U.S. population within a day’s drive. This proximity ensures that produce reaches consumers remarkably fresh, maintaining quality from vine to table,” says Richard Lee, executive director of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.

(Photo courtesy of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers)

Rising Input Costs

Input costs continue to make headlines with both greenhouse and field growers feeling the pinch.

“Greenhouse vegetable growers face significantly higher fixed and variable input costs, with energy and labor dominating their cost structure,” says Lee, who notes that heating, electricity — especially for lighting and climate control — and carbon‑related charges are major expenses in Ontario’s year‑round greenhouse operations.

“Electricity consumption alone has grown sharply as growers expand production and adopt supplemental lighting for consistent output and displacing our reliance on imported produce during the winter months,” he says.

Unlike seasonal field-grown labor, the year-round growing model of greenhouses means labor costs are also proportionately higher, he says.

“In addition, greenhouse growers carry substantial capital costs tied to infrastructure, environmental control systems, automation and technology upgrades, which leaves them more exposed to interest rate fluctuations and financing costs than field growers,” Lee says.

Lee says greenhouse growers are addressing rising costs and the need for greater sustainability by making substantial investments in energy efficiency, automation and advanced technology. Upgrades such as modern lighting systems, energy-saving climate controls and data-driven production optimization are being widely adopted, he says.

Additionally, many growers are focusing on expanding their operational scale and maximizing yields to spread fixed costs across greater output, says Lee.

“[It’s] a strategy that has fueled ongoing growth within the sector despite persistent economic challenges,” he says.

The Role of AI

Artificial intelligence continues to reshape how food is grown. For greenhouse growers, many of whom already have access to millions of operational data points, AI is evolving into a critical tool for everything from optimizing energy and labor efficiency to risk management.

“AI’s most immediate role is in operational efficiency and decision support,” Lee says. “Greenhouse production already generates large volumes of data through climate controls, sensors, lighting systems, irrigation and crop monitoring. AI allows growers to integrate and interpret that data more effectively, identifying patterns and optimizing decisions around temperature, humidity, lighting intensity, water use and nutrient delivery.

“In a cost environment where energy and inputs represent a significant share of operating expenses, even incremental efficiency gains can have meaningful impacts on profitability,” he adds.

From a concentrated hub in southwestern Ontario, the majority of Canada’s greenhouse growers are strategically located within a 24-hour drive of more than half the U.S. population.

(Photo courtesy of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers)

Lee sees AI also playing a growing role in labor optimization, which as growers face persistent labor shortages and rising wage pressures, has become increasingly important.

“Tools that support automated crop monitoring, predictive maintenance, harvesting assistance and workflow scheduling help reduce reliance on manual processes and allow labor to be deployed more strategically,” Lee says. “Rather than replacing workers, AI is increasingly about making existing labor more productive and resilient.”

AI-driven forecasting in risk management and planning, whether it’s to support better yield predictions or identify early signs of disease, is another area where this technology is helping to improve greenhouse operations.

But OGVG also emphasizes that AI adoption is not a “silver bullet” or without limitations.

“For this reason, OGVG views AI as part of a broader toolkit rather than a standalone solution,” Lee says. “Its importance lies in how it complements grower expertise, supports efficiency and enhances resilience over time.”

Navigating Uncertainty

Last year was marked by economic turbulence for many farmers. Lee says OGVG supports its members through economic uncertainty in a number of ways that, together, aim to improve access to information, strengthen connections and ensure growers have both the insight and the voice needed to navigate today’s economic pressures and plan for what comes next.

OGVG’s key support initiatives include:

Real-time educational resources
- Providing regular briefings, webinars and written updates on critical issues like energy pricing, labor policy and carbon costs.
- Translating complex market and regulatory developments into practical implications for greenhouse growers.
Data sharing and sector benchmarking
- Interpreting sector-level data regarding production costs, energy demand and labor availability.
- Helping growers identify emerging risks and operational efficiencies by comparing their performance against broader sector trends.
Peer learning and networking
- Facilitating forums where growers can share best practices and lessons learned.
- Encouraging peer-to-peer exchange on technical issues such as pest management, automation investments and cash flow management.
Government and policy advocacy
- Acting as a bridge between policymakers and greenhouse operators to ensure real-world impacts are considered in regulation.
- Providing a two-way communication channel that keeps growers informed of upcoming changes while giving them a voice in the outcome.
Long-term resilience planning
- Assisting growers in evaluating capital investments and understanding their risk exposure.
- Focus on technologies that improve efficiency and reduce the intensity of inputs (like energy and labor) to secure future profitability.

Innovation and Automation

While innovation has long been central to Ontario’s greenhouse operations, Lee sees it becoming even more tightly integrated into day‑to‑day operations in the coming years.

“The next phase of greenhouse innovation is less about single, breakthrough technologies and more about the convergence of automation, data and biology to improve consistency, manage cost pressures and reduce operational risk in a highly competitive North American marketplace,” Lee says.

Automation and innovation that reduce manual tasks and address labor shortages will be of particular importance.

“Over the next several years, more operations are expected to adopt automated or semi‑automated systems for harvesting, pruning, crop scouting and material handling,” he says.

Energy and sustainability also will continue to be a major focus of innovation in Ontario, says Lee, who expects to see growers deepening investments in energy efficiency, electrification, waste‑heat recovery and circular systems that lower per‑unit production costs while aligning with evolving environmental expectations.

“Innovation in this area will not only be technological but also operational, as growers refine how energy systems interact with crop cycles, lighting strategies and production planning,” he says. “The goal is greater control and predictability in operating costs, rather than simply reduced consumption.”

Biological innovation that supports stronger, more resilient crops will also play an important role, says Lee.

“Ultimately, greenhouse innovation in Ontario over the next three to five years will be defined by its ability to solve real‑world pressures: labor constraints, rising input costs, market volatility and increasing expectations around sustainability and reliability,” he says. “Automation in harvesting and crop work, integrated AI‑driven systems and energy‑smart production models will not just enhance efficiency, they will increasingly be prerequisites for maintaining competitiveness, ensuring resilience and keeping Ontario’s greenhouse sector firmly positioned as a leader in North American fresh vegetable production.”

A Model to Watch

While certain challenges including rising input costs, labor shortages and wage costs, pest and disease pressures, and geopolitical uncertainty have impacted all of farming — whether inside or outdoors — controlled environment agriculture has its own unique challenges to confront. Specifically, energy costs are the largest line item for Ontario greenhouse growers, particularly during winter months.

But despite these challenges, Ontario has emerged as a world-class hub of greenhouse growing. What’s the secret to this success?

“What truly sets Ontario growers apart is their forward-thinking mindset: they readily adopt state-of-the-art technologies, aim to forge strong partnerships within their communities, and adapt swiftly to shifting market dynamics,” says Lee.

Education is also the cornerstone of their approach, he says.

“Ontario growers invest heavily in learning and advanced cultivation techniques, ensuring their crops consistently meet high standards for quality while maintaining sustainable practices,” Lee says. “Ultimately, their recipe for success blends teamwork, adaptability and visionary strategies — a combination that enables them to thrive in the ever-evolving landscape of greenhouse agriculture.”

How Little Leaf Farms Mastered the Disciplined Model for Indoor Ag Dominance

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 22:08:05 GMT

For Paul Sellew, founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms, innovation isn’t about chasing the next tech play. It’s about something far more grounded: building a better system. While some in the indoor farming space have prioritized rapid growth, Sellew has steered Little Leaf toward a more disciplined model, proving the key to a sustainable food future lies in perfecting the fundamentals of how we grow, harvest and distribute every little leaf.

Discipline is critical in the indoor ag space, which has grappled with challenges from high energy costs to difficulty scaling to pests to intense market competition. All the while, Little Leaf Farms has quietly built a revolution to become North America’s top producer of indoor-grown lettuce.

The Devens, Mass.-based greenhouse grower seems to have cracked the code on scaling sustainability — earning a spot on Fast Company’s 2026 World’s Most Innovative Companies list and capturing over 50% of the indoor leafy green market in the process.

“We believe that innovation isn’t about chasing technology for its own sake,” Sellew says. “Rather, it’s about building a better system for growing and delivering fresh food. From the beginning, we’ve focused on fulfilling the original promise of controlled environment agriculture: fresher, more sustainable greens produced with consistency and strong unit economics.

“That means integrating advanced greenhouse technology with a disciplined operating model,” Sellew continues. “We’ve taken a continuous improvement approach to the fundamentals — how we grow, harvest and distribute — and have been constantly refining the system as we scale. In a category where others prioritized speed, we’ve stayed focused on building a model that works and keeps getting better over time.”

Sellew says the approach has enabled Little Leaf to expand into new markets, introduce new products and grow its footprint in a way that’s both sustainable and profitable.

Doing More With Less

Indoor ag operates in a dynamic macroeconomic environment, where cost pressures and efficiency matter more than ever.

For Paul Sellew, founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms, innovation isn’t about chasing the next tech play. It’s about something far more grounded: building a better system.

(Photo courtesy of Little Leaf Farms)

“That’s reinforced our focus on disciplined execution — continuing to improve yields, reduce waste and optimize our supply chain so we can deliver high-quality greens at a competitive price,” Sellew says.

Through its controlled environment model, Little Leaf Farms says it uses 90% less water than traditional farming, eliminates chemical runoff and produces up to 30 times the yield of field-grown lettuce.

And given the fresh produce industry’s highly competitive fight for share of stomach, product innovation is another important driver of growth for Little Leaf Farms.

“Our introduction of teen leaf romaine, something that hadn’t been commercially grown in a greenhouse before, is a good example of how we’re expanding what’s possible in CEA,” he says.

Extending an Empire of Fresh

Since its founding in 2015, Little Leaf Farms has set out to redefine the packaged salad category through its year-round greenhouse model that harvests daily and delivers to grocers in as little as 24 hours.

It’s a business model that has Little Leaf Farms driving change versus adapting to it.

“We’re fundamentally changing expectations around fresh produce. For decades, leafy greens have been impacted by weather, long transit times and food safety concerns — all of which can lead to inconsistent quality and shelf life,” Sellew says. “By growing year-round in a controlled environment and delivering to stores within 24 hours of harvest, we’ve shown there’s a better way, where freshness, safety and reliability become the standard, not the exception.”

At the same time, Sellew says Little Leaf is laser focused on adapting to how the market is evolving.

(Photo courtesy of Little Leaf Farms)

“Consumer expectations are shifting toward fresher, longer-lasting products and increasingly toward online grocery shopping, where consistency and shelf life matter even more,” he says. “Our model is well-suited to meet those needs, and we continue to refine how we package, distribute and position our products to align with those behaviors.”

To support this business strategy, the greenhouse grower has advanced its expansion plans in the past year with a new 215-acre site in Manchester, Tenn., initially slated for 40 acres of greenhouse space with an option to grow to 80 acres. The company also broadened its footprint with an additional greenhouse at its McAdoo, Pa., campus and introduced a new product innovation: Romaine Leaf Lettuce.

Expanding operations to additional sites has helped Little Leaf Farms bring fresh greens closer to more consumers across the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest, while further flexing its scalability muscles.

“One of the biggest lessons from McAdoo is the importance of building systems that scale without sacrificing consistency,” Sellew says. “Our experience successfully designing and operating four 10-acre greenhouses in Pennsylvania has given us both the confidence and the operational foundation to take the next step with our first 20-acre facility in Tennessee. We’re applying those learnings from day one, from greenhouse design and automation to workflow optimization.

“Just as important is our approach to building teams,” he continues. “With each new greenhouse, we carry forward key learnings by transferring experienced leaders from existing facilities while also hiring and developing local talent. That combination helps us maintain our standards while building strong, regionally rooted teams.”

Sellew says the goal is to replicate what works and continue to improve it, so the company scales in a way that stays true to the model it has built.

Expansion also helps Little Leaf deliver on its 24- to 36-hour harvest-to-shelf promise.

“Proximity is a big part of our strategy,” Sellew says. “By building greenhouses closer to the regions we serve, we’re able to maintain that freshness standard even as we grow.

“We continue to invest in logistics, forecasting and supply chain coordination to ensure we’re moving product as efficiently as possible,” he continues. “It’s less about any single breakthrough and more about tightly integrating operations from greenhouse to shelf so the system works seamlessly at scale.”

An Eye to Future Growth

Sellew says making Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026 underscores what innovation in agriculture can achieve. But how does a company like Little Leaf sustain the No. 1 spot as the largest indoor leafy greens producer in North America, while continuing to innovate and expand?

“Growing remains at the core of everything we do,” Sellew says. “If we continue to improve how we grow, I believe that market leadership follows from that.

“Innovation for us is continuous,” he adds. “It shows up in new varieties, operational improvements and how we scale into new regions without compromising quality. We’re also exploring new product offerings that feature our leafy greens, creating more ways for consumers to experience the brand. The goal isn’t just to grow bigger — it’s to raise the bar as we grow.”

Moving forward, Sellew sees significant opportunity to expand both geographically and within households.

“Over the next several years, our focus is on thoughtful scaling — adding capacity, strengthening retail partnerships and continuing to grow the category overall,” he says. “We’re always working toward our long-term ambition: to become the No. 1 lettuce brand in the country. We believe controlled environment agriculture will play a much larger role in the U.S. food system, and we intend to lead that shift.”

CEA Alliance to Offer Retail Insights Webinar Series

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:45:19 GMT

The CEA Alliance says it will launch a new members-only webinar series, “Retail Insights for the CEA Category,” to provide member companies a candid, off-the-record discussion with retail and foodservice leaders. This series will discuss challenges and opportunities for category growth.

“Our retail and foodservice customers are vital partners in bringing shoppers the best of our indoor-grown products,” says Skip Hulett, CEA Alliance chairman and chief legal officer for NatureSweet. “It’s critical for our member growers and their partners to engage with our customers and understand how we can mutually drive success.”

The first webinar in the new series will be held May 7 at 2 p.m. Eastern time and feature Mark De Costa, leafy greens buyer for Costco Wholesale. De Costa has been a longtime produce leader for Costco, serving 29 years in a variety of produce buying roles. Today, he heads up the leafy greens and salad category, sourcing both field- and indoor-grown product.

“Mark is a great leader to kick off this series, and I look forward to our discussion on challenges and opportunities for the CEA leafy greens category,” says Tom Stenzel, CEA Alliance executive director. “Whether hearing his views on what it takes to be a successful leafy greens supplier today or looking ahead at the category’s growth potential, our members will have an unparalleled opportunity to hear from one of the best in the business.”

For further information, contact Stenzel, tom@ceaalliance.com.

Cox Farms Hires CFO

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:45:25 GMT

Atlanta-based greenhouse grower Cox Farms has named Lee Quackenbush chief financial officer.

Quackenbush brings more than two decades of finance leadership experience across consumer goods, retail and manufacturing, with a record of driving transformation, strengthening profitability and building high-performing teams, according to a news release.

With the addition of Quackenbush, Cox Farms says it strengthens its senior leadership team focused on sharpening the company’s strategy, strengthening operations and delivering at scale for retail and foodservice customers across North America.

As CFO, Quackenbush will oversee the global finance organization and help guide the company’s continued growth and investment in greenhouse-grown produce across North America.

“Over the past year, I’ve been deliberate about the team we’re building at Cox Farms, and Lee is exactly the kind of leader we needed to complete it,” says Cox Farms President Steve Bradley. “His deep financial expertise will support our efforts to expand greenhouse agriculture and build a more resilient produce supply chain across North America.”

Most recently, Quackenbush led the value creation program at Mars, supporting the company’s $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova, one of the largest transactions in the consumer goods industry. He previously served as vice president and CFO of Mars Retail Group, leading finance, controllership, procurement and ERP functions across omnichannel retail and manufacturing operations.

“What drew me to Cox Farms was the clarity of the mission and the strength of the team Steve has built,” Quackenbush says. “This business has the scale, infrastructure and customer relationships to reshape and define how North America sources its produce. I’m here to help ensure the financial engine matches that ambition.”

Through its multinational network of indoor farms and consumer brands, including BrightFarms and Mucci Farms, Cox Farms has a workforce of more than 2,500 employees. Owned by Cox Enterprises, a multigenerational, family-owned business, Cox Farms says it represents the company’s commitment to improving the planet and elevating human health.

Taylor Farms Acquires Equinox Growers

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:34:48 GMT

Taylor Farms has acquired Equinox Growers, a leafy greens greenhouse in Louisa, Va., from Generate Capital. The Salinas, Calif.-based salad company says the facility is the largest commercial greenhouse in the mid-Atlantic and features technology to grow a wide variety of high-quality greens.

“We’re incredibly proud of the hard work our team has put into developing this facility and creating an operation that is truly worthy of a partner like Taylor Farms,” says John McMahon, president of Equinox Growers. “Seeing Taylor Farms’ strong commitment to the CEA space is both energizing and inspiring, and we’re delighted to support their vision.”

The controlled environment agriculture facility will be managed by a team of Equinox Growers while fully integrating into Taylor Farms’ product portfolio and cold-chain logistics network, according to a news release. Taylor Farms says the scale of Equinox Growers combined with its distribution network will improve freshness and make locally grown greens more accessible to consumers throughout the Eastern U.S.

“Retailers and consumers alike are increasingly seeking long-term, reliable access to greenhouse-grown produce,” says T. Bruce Taylor, senior vice president of marketing and product for Taylor Farms. “We’re taking a major step forward into controlled environment agriculture as this acquisition allows us to continue diversifying our raw product supply — both in geography and growing method — while meeting the rising demand for high-quality greenhouse-grown salads.”

The CEA lettuce segment is one of the fastest-growing categories in packaged salads, expanding by approximately 25% year-over-year as consumers seek freshness, crunch and year-round availability, the release says.

“This greenhouse is led by a world-class group of growers and operators with more than 120 years of combined experience,” says Sydney Ramskill, Taylor Farms vice president of CEA. “With a focus on freshness, flavor and value, we are excited to grow our greenhouse programs in our brands and our customer partners’ brands.”

Salad Days Completes 68K-Square-Foot Hydroponic Greenhouse Expansion in Mississippi

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:09:35 GMT

Regional grower Salad Days has reached full operational capacity at its new 68,000-square-foot hydroponic facility in Flora, Miss. The Mississippi-based company says the completion of this controlled-environment site positions it as one of the Southeast’s largest regional suppliers of greenhouse-grown lettuce.

“Our focus has always been on delivering a consistent, high-quality product our customers can depend on,” says Leigh Bailey, president of Salad Days . “This facility is a big step forward for Salad Days, allowing us to scale that commitment while maintaining reliable supply, freshness and responsiveness across the region.”

The facility in the Flora Industrial Park officially opened March 17. Using Prospiant greenhouse systems and FGM moving-table automation, the operation is capable of producing up to 3 million heads of lettuce annually for distribution across the Southeast.

State and local officials attending the opening event included Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, USDA Mississippi Director Dane Maxwell, Madison County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Joey Deason and Flora Mayor Les Childress.

The new greenhouse significantly expands Salad Days’ production capacity and enables year-round supply of hydroponic lettuce varieties for foodservice operators and grocery retailers across Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida.

Product from the Flora operation is now shipping daily to restaurants, food service distributors and regional and national grocery chains.

(Photo courtesy of Salad Days)

The facility uses controlled environment agriculture to deliver pesticide-free leafy greens while maintaining consistent production regardless of seasonal conditions.

“This expansion moves us from a niche grower to a scaled regional supplier,” Bailey says. “Demand from chefs and retailers across the Southeast has outpaced what we could produce for years. With this facility fully online, we can finally deliver the volume the market has been asking for.”

Product from the Flora operation is now shipping daily to restaurants, foodservice distributors and regional and national grocery chains.

The project received support from the city of Flora; the Madison County Economic Development Authority; the Mississippi Land, Water and Timber Board; the Mississippi Development Authority; and USDA.

Deason says the investment further strengthens Madison County’s growing specialty food manufacturing and agriculture cluster, commenting, “Facilities like this demonstrate that advanced agriculture can thrive in Mississippi.”

Additionally, Gipson notes the project reflects increasing diversification within the state’s agricultural sector.

“A facility of this scale producing fresh food for the Southeast highlights Mississippi’s leadership in agricultural innovation,” he says.

Del Fresco Pure Debuts New Top-Seal Packaging

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:22:30 GMT

Del Fresco Pure, a family-owned and -operated company that has been in business for 70 years, says it has added a new sustainable top seal for its Original Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine.

The Kingsville, Ontario, company says this packaging is designed to reduce plastic usage while maintaining freshness, quality and shelf appeal.

The packaging will be 100% recyclable, with a 26-micron laminated top seal, featuring a PET-to-PET structure with a high-transparency film barrier with anti-fog. Del Fresco Pure says this new packaging supports its broader sustainability goals and responds to growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible produce solutions.

“Celebrating 70 years of greenhouse growing is an incredible milestone for our family and our team,” says Ray Mastronardi, vice president of sales for Del Fresco Pure. “As we look to the future, innovations like our sustainable top seal packaging demonstrate our ongoing commitment to responsible agriculture, exceptional flavor, and continuous improvement for our customers and retail partners.”

Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown Names VP of Innovation

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 07:44:04 GMT

Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown has appointed Helen Aquino as vice president of innovation.

“Innovation is critical to how we serve our customers and support their growth,” says Michael DeGiglio, CEO of Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown. “It allows us to stay ahead of consumer expectations and deliver products that are consistent, relevant and easy to sell.”

Aquino has been with Village Farms, now Village Fresh, since 2008, bringing more than 20 years of experience across agricultural research, brand strategy, product development and controlled environment agriculture to the role. During her tenure, she has contributed to varietal introductions, packaging innovation, category management, sustainability communications and retail-focused go-to-market strategies, the company says.

In her new role, Aquino will lead innovation strategy across varietal development, packaging and positioning, working closely with seed partners, R&D, operations and commercial teams to ensure greenhouse advancements translate into products that perform at retail.

“Understanding how consumer lifestyles continue to change helps guide our innovation,” Aquino says. “That insight drives better varieties, improved packaging and clearer choices that reflect how people shop, cook and eat.”

Prior to joining Village Farms, Aquino served as a research analyst with the Rutgers University Food Policy Institute.

Inside the High-Tech Lab of Georgia’s Youngest Vertical Farmer

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 22:36:36 GMT

Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing “Sowing Change” series about urban farming.

Malon E.D. James is not your typical farmer. Instead, he’s a 15-year-old high school graduate (who actually graduated at 13) and a pioneer in controlled environment agriculture. While his Atlanta peers are navigating the 10^th grade, James is managing a sophisticated hydroponic operation that bridges the gap between old-world tradition and the digital frontier.

It started in the kitchen of his grandmother, Mattie James. Affectionately known as “Mimi,” James says watching her grow plants in simple glasses of water left a lasting impression on him.

“Standing in her kitchen, just seeing her plants really grow, the roots take ... it’s just so much life,” he says.

This early exposure to the magic of growth gave him a clear vision of his path: “That’s how I know where my food is, that’s how I know where it’s coming from. That really gave me a picture that this is what I’m going to pursue.”

At just 15 years old, Georgia’s youngest certified vertical farmer is blending his grandmother’s wisdom with high-tech innovation to fight food deserts from a lab in Atlanta.

(Photo courtesy of Malon E.D. James)

A Pandemic-Driven Mission

While his interest began at age 10, it was the onset of COVID-19 in 2020 that transformed a hobby into a global mission. Deeply moved by the vulnerabilities in the food supply chain, James began researching food deserts and climate-related agricultural failures.

His focus expanded to Liberia, where monsoons frequently wash away traditional soil crops and infrastructure. This inspired his drive to create indoor systems that offer safety and security by allowing people to grow food directly in their living rooms, shielded from the elements.

Turning this vision into a commercial reality required more than just a green thumb; it required capital and persistence. James successfully navigated the bureaucracy of the USDA Farm Service Agency to secure a youth loan, allowing him to move his operations out of his home and into a professional facility.

“The FSA loan I received was specifically for equipment and supplies. [A mentor], Judge Gundy helped me secure the space I’m in several months before I received the loan or modest marketing grant,” James says.

The transition wasn’t without its hurdles. James says that older generations in traditional farming can sometimes be skeptical of oversophisticated technology. However, he has proven that his high-tech approach is viable, scaling up to 24 farm stands capable of producing dozens of plants simultaneously.

James’ facility is a “lab-to-table” environment where he is assisted by Jarvis, an artificial intelligence system that monitors his actions, flags inconsistencies and manages rigorous schedules. This tech-forward approach has allowed him to move beyond standard leafy greens to experiment with over 42 varieties, including challenging crops like cotton.

“Cotton was something I really had to maneuver and understand,” James says, noting that it demands far more precise climate and nutrient scheduling than a simple head of cabbage. His research even extends to the molecular level, where he is currently working on a patent for a custom biodegradable substrate designed to help plants hold nutrients more effectively.

Of working with Jarvis as his assistant, James says: “Jarvis doesn’t know much about the science of hydroponics yet, but he is a great student. Mostly, he proofreads my work and monitors. I don’t want people to get the impression that AI can help you become a great hydroponic grower. It depends on how you program your AI.”

Beyond the Harvest

Despite the high-level research and AI-driven data, James remains motivated by the simple, human act of sharing food. He remembers his first successful harvest of tomatoes. Though he isn’t a “tomato person” himself, he says the experience was transformative.

“It just gave me a sense of security,” he says. “I know I can do it again and again and again. I can feed my whole family with [this].”

As he looks toward his next steps of expanding into a larger lab and developing new models, his message to other young entrepreneurs remains one of pure resilience: “Don’t let anybody discourage you from doing it ... Looking at something from a negative standpoint will never let you see the positive.”

James’ future looks filled with light and growth as well.

“It’s my wish to attend MIT after I complete my research project in Liberia,” he says.

Could CEA-Heavy “Farm Parks” Make Server Farms Better?

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 21:12:06 GMT

As artificial intelligence grows, data centers are popping up like weeds, and in many rural communities they are about as welcome.

But one group is looking into the possibility of “farm parks,” data centers colocated with greenhouses, cold chain logistics and other needful infrastructure, that could bring local food and jobs to areas where data centers are growing, as well as a much-needed PR boost for data centers.

During a Jan. 14 webinar by Resource Innovation Institute and Agritecture, study authors Derek Smith and Rob Eddy presented the findings of a feasibility study on colocating greenhouses with data centers in Virginia. The main idea is that the greenhouses can take advantage of the waste heat generated by the data centers. But the study concludes the model should be more.

“While a simple connection of a data center to an individual greenhouse via a heat exchange-only model is possible, it is economically limited,” the report reads.

“However, colocating data centers with multiple, large-scale greenhouses and other complementary industrial businesses would provide a number of economic and quality of life benefits for Virginia communities,” it reports. This is what Smith and Eddy called “farm parks.”

What Goes into a Farm Park?

Smith, RII’s executive director, says there are five ingredients that are needed to make farm parks work, based on the feasibility study:

“CEA-ready” data centers
Large, high-tech CEAs
A central resource hub
Cold chain and logistics
Other target sectors as needed

Colocation of data centers and greenhouses of course requires those two main elements. But because data centers are being built rapidly and CEAs generally are not, the farm park model calls for the building of “CEA-ready” data centers.

A CEA-ready data center is one with “stubbed off pipes that can connect to a later set of infrastructure that can then add greenhouses to it,” Smith explains. He also says the eventual greenhouses would also need to be big — really big.

“We’re talking 1,000-acre development and 200, 300, 400 acres under glass — something we have not seen here in the U.S.,” Smith says. “We’re going to have the scale opportunity to actually bring in a lot more than just lettuce. We can have a basket of goods, and we can fill trucks coming out of this business park to serve regional needs at a scale that we’ve never seen with CEA.”

At the heart of making the farm park model work is the central resources hub. Its importance is due to the mismatch of heat and energy between data centers and greenhouses, according to Eddy, RII’s technical director. The heat difference is the first and most immediate.

“A standard greenhouse needs 170-degree heating water,” Eddy says. While older data centers are often air-cooled, newer data centers, especially those needed for AI, are water cooled. But the waste heat water coming out of them is usually around 140°F, Eddy says.

“You could probably heat a lot of greenhouses across the country, certainly in the lower half of the U.S., with 140-degree water,” Eddy continues. But getting the heat up to 170°F to allow for greenhouses to be built anywhere a data center might be would require a heat pump. That would be a major component of the central resources hub, Eddy says.

Given the mismatch of needs and outputs of the data center and the greenhouses — for energy, heat/cooling, CO₂ and more — the central resource hub could also connect to other components of the farm park model. Chilled water from the greenhouse could go to the data center but also to a refrigerated warehouse, for example.

“We can bring in the cold chain, the logistics and other key service components to really build out this park and this food production center,” Smith says. “In Virginia, they talk about, ‘Well, if we’re going to have tomatoes and other crops, we might as well have a salsa plant right next to it.’ So, food processing, et cetera.”

The et cetera could include a variety of efforts, depending upon what a community needs. Smith gave the examples of ag tech like robotics, university research, biomass processing and more.

“We can do this in a way that doesn’t impact the data center development pace,” Smith adds. “We can really build out multisector business clusters and the workforce talent pools because we have this concentration. And all of this can be adapted in both rural and urban settings.”

Potential Benefits of a Farm Park

Smith describes farm parks as a new type of business park that focuses on food, energy and data with benefits to the local communities where they, and the data centers they would surround, are located. However, he also highlights how “there’s hardly anyone that likes data centers.”

“We hear about rural communities pushing back. These are generally small rural farming communities that are economically challenged where these data centers come in and locate,” he says. Despite the impressive tax benefits that a data center can bring a location, he adds, “the data centers need a reputation improvement.”

Farm parks could bring that improvement, Smith says. According to the feasibility study, farm parks could bring more and more diversified jobs to a community than just a data center alone. They could also bring locally-produced food, improved food resilience and create economic drivers in the community.

“If we do all this, its $5+ billion dollars of economic development,” says Smith, referencing some of the largest models explored in Virginia. “I think that’s a pretty conservative number at this scale. This is creating 1,000 jobs or more. This is not just 50 or 100 jobs in a single data center, and we can really have it make a dent in feeding people through CEA.”

Karli Barton Wins 2026 Sollum Student Scholarship

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:32:02 GMT

On Jan. 13, Indoor Ag-Con and Sollum Technologies announced Karli Barton as the recipient of the 2026 Sollum Student Scholarship to Indoor Ag-Con.

The scholarship supports emerging leaders in controlled environment agriculture by providing a fully funded opportunity to attend Indoor Ag-Con, taking place this year on Feb. 11-12 in Las Vegas, Nev. The program is designed to connect academic research with real-world industry application through mentorship, networking and exposure to the latest technologies shaping indoor farming.

Barton is a second-year Masters of Environmental Science student at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Her research focuses on the intersection of advanced LED lighting strategies and sustainable pest management in controlled-environment strawberry production. A key component of her work examines how dynamic lighting regimes, such as blue-light night interruption and continuous lighting, affect the performance of biological control agents used to manage aphid pests.

Before beginning graduate studies, Barton spent nearly a decade working in integrated pest management roles across both field and controlled-environment systems, including six years as a biocontrol consultant supporting commercial greenhouse operations. Her research aims to help growers adopt innovative lighting technologies without compromising the effectiveness of biological pest control, bridging scientific research with practical, on-farm decision-making.

“Supporting emerging researchers like Karli is critical to the future of controlled environment agriculture,” says Jenny Zammit, vice president of marketing and customer success at Sollum Technologies. “Her work reflects exactly what this scholarship was designed to encourage — rigorous, applied research that helps growers integrate new technologies in a sustainable and practical way.”

“Indoor Ag-Con is proud to partner with Sollum Technologies to provide meaningful opportunities for students who are shaping the future of indoor agriculture,” says Brian Sullivan, CEO of Indoor Ag-Con. “Karli’s background and research exemplify the kind of industry-connected innovation we aim to support through this scholarship.”

From Urban Ag to Indoor Farming: Fresh Produce Grows Up

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 18:41:56 GMT

Not all produce growing operations look the same. Some are indoors with the plants growing out of the walls, while others are nestled in cities rather than rural landscapes. The Packer covered interesting developments there as well in 2025 and will continue doing so in 2026.

Readers can look forward to more of The Packer’s Jill Dutton’s ongoing “Sowing Change” series focused on urban farming in 2026, for instance. When she kicked off the series in February , she profiled an urban farm in Kansas City, Mo., that was dealing with some of the most quintessentially urban problems: City codes, zoning regs, and NIMBY neighbors.

That story, though still in progress, didn’t go the way the urban farmers had hoped; their rezoning bid was denied, and the city required yet more costly changes to survive. But not all urban farming stories in 2025 went that way.

In a May installment of the series , Dutton highlighted how a new generation of Black farmers is changing the future of urban agriculture. She profiled Black, urban farmers in Chicago, Atlanta, Mississippi Delta, and Los Angeles, and looked at how their efforts and innovations are working to reclaim land, build food sovereignty and strengthen communities.

“Our ancestors’ legacy lives through us as we try to balance the scales for food equity and urban societies,” said one source. Another said they want the next generation of Black children and those beyond to reengage with agriculture, regardless of where they are.

In another May installment, Dutton interviewed an undercover-billionaire-turned-urban-farmer who seeks to unite trains and farms . By turning abandoned rail depots into local food hubs that connect farmers directly to consumers, Elaine Culotti hopes to turn forgotten train systems into a lifeline for the country’s farmers and food-insecure communities.

Dutton also interviewed the country’s youngest certified farmer in late September as part of the “Sowing Change” series. Ten-year-old Kendall Rae Johnson’s passion for ag started at age 3 and grew from there. At age 6, she became a certified farmer. At 9 she was offered a full-ride scholarship in agriculture from South Carolina State University.

Today, Kendall is a USDA National Urban Agriculture Youth Ambassador with a 1-acre garden and volunteered patches of land by supportive area farmers where she grows collard greens for her community. She wants to share her experience to help other kids interested in agriculture.

“I want them to know they can dream big, and with the right tools and support, we can make those dreams come true,” she told Dutton.

Vertical and indoor farms took the stage too

Some urban farms embrace the city so much, they’ve gone indoors. A couple of The Packer’s top stories in 2025 focused on controlled environment agriculture, a seemingly growing segment of the industry.

In February, The Packer’s Jenn Strailey looked to the north — Onterio, Canada, specifically — to report on gains made in the greenhouse industry there. The Canadian province is home to the largest concentration of greenhouse vegetable production in North America, and also conveniently only a day’s drive from over 58% of the U.S. population, according to one of her sources.

“As we deal with climate change globally, greenhouse farming is able to yield up to 20 times more per square meter than conventional farming,” he said. “We are able to control the growing conditions in harsh climates while producing food.”

The CEA coverage continued in March, when Strailey wrote about the two perennial stories playing out in the vertical farming industry yet again , one of bankruptcy and another of extreme growth. But the two stories actually tell an overall tale of progress in vertical farming, according to sources.

The progress is a result of the industry’s growing pains. A decade ago, vertical farmers struggled with taking too much of the wrong kind of money and trying to be tech experts before farmers. The successes of today however are learning how to scale their technology and their funds in a sustainable way, according to Strailey’s sources.

These were the top six stories on urban and indoor farming that The Packer covered in 2025. But there were, and will be, many other articles dealing with urban agriculture and indoor or vertical farming , too.

2026 Indoor Ag Conference Scholarship Application Period Now Open

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:15:51 GMT

Indoor Ag-Con says it is again teaming up with controlled environment agriculture lighting company Sollum Technologies for the 2026 edition of the Sollum Student Scholarship to Indoor Ag-Con.

The group describes the scholarship as designed to support the next generation of CEA researchers and innovators. It will provide a graduate-level student pursuing doctoral work in a CEA-related field with an all-expenses-paid trip to attend Indoor Ag-Con, Feb. 11-12, in Las Vegas.

The scholarship recipient will receive:

A full-access conference pass to the 2026 event.
Round-trip airfare (coach).
A two-night hotel stay (room and tax).
A per diem allowance.
Scheduled one-on-one meeting time with the Sollum Technologies team in its expo booth.
An opportunity to film a short video interview recapping their experience and learnings from the show, to be featured by both Indoor Ag-Con and Sollum Technologies across digital channels.

“We’re proud to once again partner with Sollum Technologies on this exciting initiative,” says Brian Sullivan, CEO of Indoor Ag-Con. “Through this scholarship, we’re helping the next generation of agriculture professionals get a front-row seat to the technologies and conversations that are shaping the future of farming.”

“The Sollum team is passionate about supporting young professionals who are motivated to make a meaningful impact in agriculture,” adds Jenny Zammit, vice president of marketing and customer success of Sollum Technologies. “By sponsoring this scholarship, we’re building relationships and sharing insights that can help launch a student’s career.”

Applications are now being accepted, with a deadline of Dec. 19. Graduate students based in the U.S. or Canada and currently enrolled in a doctoral program with a research focus related to CEA — including plant science, lighting, environmental controls or other relevant disciplines — are encouraged to apply. Full eligibility requirements and the application can be found on the Indoor Ag-Con website .

NatureSweet Appoints Paul Bonvehi as Chief Financial Officer

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:33:53 GMT

NatureSweet announced the appointment of Paul Bonvehi as its new chief financial officer on Nov. 10. A seasoned global finance leader, Bonvehi will play a pivotal role in advancing NatureSweet’s long-term strategies and financial performance.

With more than 25 years of international financial leadership experience across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe, Bonvehi brings a proven track record of driving transformation and growth within the agriculture and food industries, NatureSweet says.

Most recently, he served as chief financial officer at Martori Farms, where he led the modernization of financial operations to support the company’s rapid expansion and acquisitions. Prior to that, he held senior leadership positions at Driscoll’s and Reiter, where he advanced to vice president and controller for North American operations.

“Paul’s deep expertise in vertically-integrated agricultural operations, operating with strong brands and financial mastery make him an exceptional addition to our leadership team,” says Rodolfo Spielmann, president and CEO of NatureSweet. “His experience in guiding growth-oriented agricultural businesses will be instrumental as we continue to scale our operations, strengthen our financial discipline and invest strategically in our people and future.”

Bonvehi holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and is recognized for his ability to develop high-performing teams, implement effective management systems and drive strategic planning and forecasting initiatives.

Pure Flavor Acquires New Michigan Facility

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:13:53 GMT

Pure Flavor announced Nov. 10 that it has acquired a new, nearly 200,000 sq. ft. distribution center in Romulus, Mich. The company says the new facility will serve as a central hub for distribution of its fresh, greenhouse-grown produce and will reduce food miles and improve shipping efficiency.

As part of the realignment of its supply chain, Pure Flavor also announced it is consolidating its Texas distribution to a single centralized distribution point in Edinburg, Texas. The company describes both moves as part of its efforts to optimize its supply chain.

“This is an exciting step forward in our growth strategy,” says Jamie Moracci, CEO of Pure Flavor. “The new Michigan distribution center allows us to serve customers more quickly and sustainably, while our internal teams benefit from streamlined operations and improved logistics.”

The company expects to begin shipping from its new Romulus distribution center in Summer 2026.

All employees affected by changes to the Texas distribution network have been offered continued employment at the company’s other locations, along with severance packages and career transition assistance.

Turning Light Into Yield: How Quantum Dots Could Revolutionize Tomato Production

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 17:45:19 GMT

The way food is growing is changing. Labor constraints or increased water regulations out west are some of the catalysts behind that shift.

At the University of Minnesota, researchers are experimenting with new technology to help growers use less water and produce more food — but all indoors — and it’s opening a new field of opportunity to change the way food is grown.

Taking Controlled Environment Agriculture Into Uncharted Waters

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) isn’t new, but with a renewed focus, there’s a revolution in how it’s used.

Just take the University of Minnesota for example. Step into one of the many greenhouses on campus, and one in particular doesn’t look like the rest. There are bright lights and various crops being grown indoors, but there’s something missing in this particular greenhouse: soil.

“One of the major factors that we have going on is hydroponics here. Hydroponics is literally water working. In Greek, that’s what it means, working with water,” says assistant professor Nate Eylands. “And so a lot of our plants here, if I were to pull these out, there is not a soil substrate in there. It is pretty much just roots hanging out in water. And so in order to do that, what we need to do is take all the traditional benching out of here and put in our own systems here.”

Eylands says hydroponic systems like this use a fraction of the water compared to traditional agriculture. The benches he crafted just for his research are angled at about two and a half degrees slope. He says that allows the water to gravity feed down to a drain, then it’s pumped back up to the beginning. It’s a recirculating system that saves on water, nutrients among other resources.

“Having this recirculating system is probably that primary benefit. We’re able to use about 9[%] to 10% of the water that you would for growing these per kilogram basis, per biomass basis — this 9[%] to 10% of that water that use out in the field,” he says. “We’re not having any runoff. Any of our nutrients aren’t leaching out into our environment, into our waterways. So by recircling, we’re only providing and the plants are only taking what they need at that very moment.”

The Introduction of Quantum Dots Sounds Crazy, But It’s Showing Promise

But saving water is just the start. Eylands’ team is experimenting with quantum dots — microscopic particles that transform light to make plants grow faster.

“Quantum dots are little nanoparticles, and they absorb photons of light and change that photon into a different photon,” Eylands says. “Say you have blue light coming in, it might be red light coming out of it. So, what we’re doing is taking a liquid quantum dot and we’re spraying it on some of these plants. You can’t tell which ones of them have it. And then on the leaf surface, they are absorbing that photon, say a blue photon, and converting it to a red photon. And that might speed up the process of photosynthesis at different stages of the plant growth.”

By altering the light spectrum, researchers hope to speed the flowering on these plants — boosting yields and making indoor production more efficient.

“What we’re trying to find out is: Can we get to an earlier flowering time? Can we get more fruit out of an individual plant? Can we speed up the vegetative cycle? Can we do any of these phenology benefits that help growers out in an economical way that leads to profitability?” Eylands continues.

Today, that research is being done on tomatoes. While it’s in its early stages, the goal is for this research to reach commercial tomato production.

“We have a lot of different factors that might inhibit that right now. For one, we don’t really know the cost of this,” Eylands says. “It takes a plasma reactor to make these quantum dots. It’s very arduous, very difficult. We have plasma physicists over on the East Bank making these quantum dots, so it’s not something that I’m making in-house. However, through these collaborations, we’re able to get our hands on some of these and formulate some of this to work with plant growth.”

The Goal? Make Controlled Environment Ag More Profitable

The larger mission, Eylands says, is clear: make controlled environment agriculture more profitable for commercial growers — and bust the myth that growing indoors doesn’t pay.

“In controlled environment agriculture, we run into a problem of profitability. The economic model always has to work out,” Eylands says. “We pay for lights, we pay for infrastructure — all this equipment around us. That capital cost is pretty expensive. So, what I want to see is more productivity out of these plants so that when we look at production costs overall they come down for growers.”

One example in the Minnesota greenhouse: dwarf tomatoes growing in systems designed for leafy greens. Eylands says this approach could open new opportunities for farmers.

“What I think is really cool about this project is in most cases what you’re seeing in tomato growth is these tall houses with vining structures to trellis these tomatoes,” Eylands says. “They might be harvested on scissor lifts that are 20' tall. So, what we’re doing here is we’re also showcasing a way that you can take a setup that was made maybe for leafy greens like lettuce or kale or bok choy, something of nature, and allowing those growers to diversify their crop offerings by saying, ‘Hey, look at these dwarf tomatoes. These fit right in your your NFT (nutrient film techniques) hydroponic system here,’ so it’s allowing them options out there. Is this economic model going to work? If you can’t quite sell all your leafy greens, maybe sell.”

From light-bending nanoparticles to water-saving hydroponics, the work at the University of Minnesota could reshape how America’s produce is grown — and take profitability, for those growers, to new heights.

Little Leaf Farms Marks Decade of Transformation, Growth

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 19:00:55 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. — With the opening of a fourth greenhouse at its campus in McAdoo, Pa., earlier this month, Devens, Mass.-based Little Leaf Farms is closing out the year on a high note and reflecting on a decade of continued growth.

The Packer sat down with Paul Sellew, founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms, at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce and Floral Show to learn more about what’s ahead for the company.

“Prior to Little Leaf it was primarily two valleys in California providing almost 100% of the leafy greens to the country,” Sellew says. “I don’t think that’s a healthy food system.”

Sellew says while leafy greens used to travel some 3,300 miles from California to Massachusetts, where Little Leaf is headquartered, the greenhouse grower with facilities in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and soon Tennessee is servicing 54% of the country with leafy greens.

The McAdoo site now totals 40 acres and supports the company’s growth into the Southeast, Midwest and Canada, making it the largest controlled environment agriculture leafy greens facility in the world, Sellew says. The McAdoo greenhouse will support Little Leaf’s romaine leaf lettuce, which has doubled in national distribution since its launch in July.

“The market loves our romaine leaf lettuce,” says Sellew, adding that more than 8,000 grocery stores carry the company’s products.

Sellew says Little Leaf’s third campus in Manchester, Tenn., will be in production next and is expected to open in fall 2026 to support the Midwest, Southeast and Texas markets.

“Eventually we’ll expand nationally,” he says.

How has Little Leaf Farms succeeded where others in CEA have failed?

“Billions of dollars have been vaporized, with vertical farms contributing to the vast majority of it,” Sellew says. “Greenhouse has been here before, it’s here now, and it will continue to be in the future.”

Sellew adds that great teams across its ops, logistics, sales and marketing have also contributed to the company’s growth.

The Little Leaf Farms CEO adds that the company is strategic in its growth, looking for new markets with available infrastructure and adequate population density close to where the leafy greens will be grown.

“We have catalyzed the growth of CEA,” Sellew says. “We’re a packaged salad company that can deliver a fresh eating experience to most markets within 24 to 36 hours of harvesting.”

Little Leaf Farms Touts Largest CEA Leafy Greens Facility

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 18:54:01 GMT

Devens, Mass.-based Little Leaf Farms says that with the opening of a fourth greenhouse at its campus in McAdoo, Pa., the site has become the largest controlled environment agriculture leafy greens facility in the world.

The McAdoo site now totals 40 acres and supports the company’s growth into the Southeast, Midwest and Canada, according to the packaged lettuce brand. Little Leaf Farms says this expansion in McAdoo will support its romaine leaf lettuce, which has doubled in national distribution since its launch in July.

Little Leaf Farms grows its romaine leaf in a way that maintains the size of field-grown romaine but preserves its classic crispness. More than 8,000 grocery stores carry the company’s products, the company says.

Little Leaf Farms also recently announced a new campus in Manchester, Tenn. , which is expected to open in fall 2026 and support the Midwest, Southeast and Texas.

“2025 marks a decade of transformation and growth for Little Leaf Farms,” says Paul Sellew, founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms. “When we started 10 years ago, controlled environment agriculture for leafy greens was virtually nonexistent in the U.S. Today, Little Leaf Farms has expanded what is possible in CEA, reshaping retailer assortments and consumer perceptions and pushing the packaged salad industry into a new era of variety and quality.”

Seen and Heard at IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show 2025: Expanded Lines and New Introductions

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 15:50:03 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Ocean Mist showcased its expanded Roastables line, now with seven items, at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce and Floral Show. The company will soon debut new packaging for the Roastables line.

“It’s a breath of fresh air into this line,” says Lori Bigras, communications manager at Ocean Mist Farms. “We want them to jump off the shelves.

The new packaging features a vertical window and fun typography and Ocean Mist plans to launch the new packaging in the first quarter of 2026.

Jeff Fulton, Chris Drew, Lori Bigras, Brian Hawes and Joe Angelo at Ocean Mist Farms’ Global Produce and Floral Show booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

This new look is designed to meet customers where they are, with seasons and flavoring that is aligned with today’s shopper.

“We’re focused on service, quality and innovation,” says Chris Drew, president and CEO of Ocean Mist Farms, noting Ocean Mist really focuses on educating consumers on the value of Rostables. “We want everyone to have access to flavorful and nutritious produce.”

Robert Hernandez, Martha Noriega, Ana Romero Carbajal, Alan Voll and Daniel Heguertty at the Fresh Farms Global Produce and Floral Show booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Fresh Farms showcased new Candy Hearts and Candy Snaps additions to its frozen grape line, joining the popular Cotton Candy frozen grapes.

Frederico Albonetti, Gianluca Vignoli, Nour Abdrabbo at Unitec’s IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Unitec showcased its newest sorting and packing technology at the IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show.

Justin Wright and Jeff Richardson at Great Lakes Greenhouses’ IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Visitors to the Great Lakes Greenhouses booth talked about the upcoming winter season mini organic cucumbers program.

Ashley Filliol, Hailey Monson, Catherine Gipe-Stewart, Trisha Casper, Destiny Nash, Jeff Webb, Luis Gonzalez, Matthew Snider and Derek Tweedy at the Superfresh Growers IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show Booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Superfresh Growers highlighted its new packing line and a new pear grower added to the fold, which brings breath, volume and quality to the pear category. The company plans to open a new Rainier cherry packing line in the spring with new packaging and merchandising. Superfresh Growers have a dedicated Rainier line and offers the cherries in a 2- and 3-pound and polybagged options.

“We continue to increase our quality and reduce scuffs,” says Catherine Gipe-Stewart, director of marketing for Superfresh Growers.

Your next read:

Local Bounti Expands Pacific Northwest Presence with New Walmart Distribution

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:46:06 GMT

Local Bounti Corp. is expanding its presence in the Pacific Northwest through new distribution with Walmart, supplying stores across the region with family-size salad kits from its growing facility in Pasco, Wash.

The expansion of its facility includes the launch of its new Romano Caesar Family-Size Salad Kit at Walmart, according to the company. Beginning Oct. 13, the 10-ounce Romano Caesar Family-Size Salad Kit is available at 89 Walmart stores supplied through the retailer’s Grandview, Wash., distribution center.

Local Bounti says the move marks a major step in its strategy to scale operations and deepen retail partnerships while meeting rising consumer demand for fresher, locally grown produce.

“This launch demonstrates the versatility we built into our Pasco facility from the ground up,” says Kathleen Valiasek, president, CEO and chief financial officer of Local Bounti. “The Pacific Northwest has historically faced real challenges accessing consistently fresh, locally grown leafy greens year-round, and we’re directly addressing that gap. We’re able to harvest and deliver ultra-fresh greens to retail shelves within days — which is a stark contrast to the week-plus transit times you see with conventional supply chains. That proximity translates to superior product quality, extended shelf life and significantly reduced food waste for both retailers and consumers. It validates our whole approach to serving this region.”

Valiasek says the launch represents a pivotal milestone in the strategic ramp of Local Bounti’s facility and underscores the company’s ability to scale production, drive product innovation and deepen relationships with key retail partners.

“This launch is part of our path to positive adjusted EBITDA in early 2026 — it drives capacity utilization at our Washington facility, improves our product mix and deepens our partnership with the world’s largest retailer at a critical inflection point for the company,” Valiasek says. “We’re now servicing approximately 13,000 retail doors across our facility network, and this Walmart expansion demonstrates our ability to scale production, drive meaningful product innovation and deepen relationships with strategic retail partners on a regional basis. Our phased expansion approach — launching this product in the Pacific Northwest first, then rolling out to customers serviced from our Texas facility — allows us to build momentum across multiple regions while leveraging our growing network to serve major population centers that are increasingly demanding CEA [controlled environment agriculture] products.”

Local Bounti says it views Walmart’s expanded distribution as a sign of confidence in its model and execution.

“Walmart is the world’s largest retailer, so expanding our distribution with them is significant validation of both our product quality and our operational execution,” Valiasek says. “We currently serve Walmart locations through multiple distribution points across our facility network, and this Pacific Northwest expansion demonstrates our capability to leverage our growing facilities to deepen penetration with strategic customers on a regional basis. It’s not just about getting on shelves; it’s about building sustainable partnerships that scale. The velocity of customer engagement we’re seeing reflects the unmet potential of CEA products in the market, and having Walmart recognize our ability to deliver consistent, high-quality products at scale positions us well for continued growth.”

The family-size format specifically addresses an underserved market segment experiencing robust demand, the company says, adding that the family-size product serves four to six people, which is ideal for busy families seeking quick, nutritious dinner options and consumers entertaining guests. The product’s extended shelf life provides operational benefits for retailers through reduced shrink while giving consumers more flexibility in meal planning and less food waste at home.

The company says the packaged salad market size is expected to grow from $13 billion for 2025 to $18.1 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate of 8.6%, representing a sizeable opportunity to meet expanding consumer demand.

Following the Pacific Northwest launch, Local Bounti says it plans to introduce the Romano Caesar Family-Size Salad Kit to customers served from its Texas facility, further extending the product’s geographic reach and the company’s ability to capture share in the fast-growing fresh salad kit category. This phased expansion approach allows Local Bounti to build momentum with retail partners and consumers across multiple regions while leveraging its growing network to serve major population centers with reduced transportation costs and superior freshness, the company says.

Environmental Monitoring is Key for CEA Leafy Green Safety

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:02:52 GMT

As the phrase goes — you can’t manage what you don’t measure. But in that same vein, how you measure something matters. When it comes to pathogen contamination in leafy greens, it really matters.

That was a key take away at the most recent Center for Produce Safety webinar, held Oct. 6. During the webinar, researchers presented the findings of a study into the food safety of leafy greens grown in different controlled environment agricultural systems. The study was partially funded by CPS.

“We were trying to identify if CEA systems are safer than open fields, and we can conclude that they are not inherently safe,” says Ana Allende, from the University of Spain’s Center for Soil Science and Applied Biology and the study’s principal investigator.

“What we can do to make it safer is not magic,” she continues. “We recommend implementation of an environmental monitoring program. It will be essential for early detection and prevention of any microbiological contamination.”

About the study

According to Allende, there is a perception among consumers that CEA-grown produce is inherently safer. However, illness as a result of CEA-grown leafy greens contaminated with salmonella has happened, and listeria is a pressing food safety concern for field-grown leafy greens. Allende says there was a knowledge gap in the CEA industry regarding risk for listeria that this study, in part, tried to address.

The research was conducted at commercial CEA growing facilities in Spain, though the facilities selected mirrored U.S. and Canadian growing practices. The study looked at three different types of CEA growing conditions — soil-based, hydroponic and substrate-based systems — growing a variety of leafy greens for listeria and salmonella contamination.

Researchers also looked at persistence of pathogens in the environment and on common surfaces such as harvesting crates after intentional inoculation. They also looked at the efficacy of crate washing systems for removing contamination.

The study’s main findings included:

Water is a primary contamination vector: Salmonella was found in the substrate-based system’s irrigation water and nutrient solutions, and listeria was found in the hydroponic system’s drainage water.
Soil or growth media can serve as pathogen reservoirs: Listeria was found in the soil-based and hydroponic systems, especially on workers’ boots.
Normal work in CEA systems can spread pathogens: Workers’ boots and cart wheels inoculated with listeria could spread the pathogen to other parts of the CEA facility, though persistence after 24 hours was low, particularly for cart wheels.
Dirty harvest crates can harbor pathogens: Insufficient cleaning of harvest crates that allows organic matter to remain can protect pathogens.

One of the most surprising findings according to Allende came from the portion of the study that looked at the cleaning of the harvesting crates.

The study collected swabbed samples from harvesting crates before and after being run through a commercial tunnel washing system. While the researchers didn’t find listeria on either the dirty or clean crates, they did find other bacteria. A lot of them. The study reported that “the total bacterial levels were very high” and washing did almost nothing to change the total bacterial load on the crates.

“I must say that the experiment dealing with the crates was really surprising because the growers were using these automatic systems, which seemed to be very advanced, but they are failing in the most basic task,” Allende says.

Key takeaways for growers

The researchers had a few key recommendations to CEA leafy green growers that came out of the study. The primary one was to have a rigorous environmental monitoring program that focuses on key contamination vectors, or hotspots as Allende calls them.

“We identified soil and floor surfaces as a hotspot, as well as the reusable plastic crates. Also, the water is a key risk factor for contamination, and of course the recirculating nutrient solution that is used in the hydroponic and the substrate-based systems.”

When it came to monitoring water, which the study identified as the primary contamination vector, Allende stresses you cannot do initial tests and then assume the water will stay safe.

“You have to check as the days go on,” she says.

Mabel Gil, a co-principal investigator on the study and also from the University of Spain, adds that the volume of water sampling sizes is important. The bigger the better.

“For irrigation water, our growers were surprised about the results because the labs normally have a very small sample size like 100 milliliters or something similar,” she says. “In our case it was 10 liters. When you increase the sample size, you have more possibility of finding positives.”

When it came to the apparent failure of the automatic washing systems for reducing bacterial load on the harvesting crates, Allende says there are a lot of potential advantages to automation. However, she says growers must both implement the systems properly and validate their efficacy.

Ultimately, however, both researchers stress the need to monitor for contamination and to monitor properly based on the risk factors of growers’ specific facilities and growing systems.

“If you don’t want to find, you will not find, so you really have to look,” Allende says. “If you don’t use the more sensitive sampling methods, you probably will think that you don’t have any positives in your system. But you have to look carefully to really detect the contamination points.”

The 2025 Packer 25 — Jodi Genshaft

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 19:51:07 GMT

Editor’s note: The following profile is from the 2025 Packer 25, our annual tribute to 25 leaders, innovators and agents of change across the fresh produce supply chain. ( You can view all honorees here. ) This feature has been edited for length and clarity.

Jodi Genshaft — Vice president of marketing, Gotham Greens

Jodi Genshaft’s start in the controlled environment agriculture industry began in high school, where she worked at a garden center and nursery. She’s been in her role as vice president and marketing for Gotham Greens for the past six years.

Genshaft brings more than 20 years of experience in brand strategy, shopper marketing and communications. She has worked with well-known brands and companies — from startup to seasoned and public or private — in the food, beverage, health, wellness and technology sectors.

Prior to her role at Gotham Greens, she held roles in brand management and shopper marketing at Chobani and Johnson & Johnson. She also worked at global public relations agency Edelman in its food category.

How do you see your role in telling Gotham Greens’ story to consumers, partners and the broader fresh produce industry?

We want people to know that greenhouse-grown produce isn’t just the future of farming; it’s happening right now. We’re seeing more retailers making shelf space for greenhouse-grown products and many foodservice customers want to exclusively use Gotham Greens products due to their consist flavor and quality.

We tell the Gotham Greens story by making it tangible along the path to purchase — from the greenhouse to the grocery shelf — so people see, taste and believe in what we’re growing. We’re proud to serve the very best greens, salad kits, dressings, cooking sauces and dips. We want to help people eat more plants, and we do this by sharing how we grow delicious fresh produce that’s always in season and by crafting delicious fresh foods recipes that make eating other fresh vegetables more appealing.

What do you see as the next big opportunity for Gotham Greens?

We are committed to continue growing the greenhouse-grown produce sector by delivering high-quality, longer-lasting and sustainably grown produce from coast to coast through our national network of greenhouses. We’ve also expanded into fresh dressings and plant-based dips, and there’s a lot of potential to keep growing in categories that align with our mission — fresh, flavorful, plant-forward foods that consumers can feel good about.

How are consumer expectations evolving when it comes to local, greenhouse-grown or sustainably produced food, and how do you think about connecting with the different consumer segments?

Consumer expectations are evolving. What used to be a nice-to-have — local, non-GMO and pesticide-free — is now seen as the standard by many shoppers. Consumers want fresh, consistently high-quality produce that tastes great, is grown responsibly and is always in season. At Gotham Greens, we think about connecting with different consumer segments by meeting them where they are.

For flavor-driven shoppers, we emphasize taste, freshness and culinary inspiration. For busy families, it’s all about convenience and reliability. For eco-conscious shoppers, it’s about our sustainable farming practices. By tailoring our messaging while delivering on these priorities, we’re able to resonate with a broad range of consumers without losing authenticity as a brand.

How do you make sure Gotham Greens’ messaging about sustainability feels authentic and credible?

Since more than 90% of leafy greens grown in the U.S. come from California and Arizona, by the time they reach other regions of the country, the produce loses its quality, taste, nutritional value and shelf life. This makes many consumers feel disconnected from the food we eat and contributes to food waste.

From day one, Gotham Greens has been growing fresh, high-quality, longer-lasting salad greens using fewer natural resources compared with open-field farming. The fact that the company’s entire business model and value proposition focus on using resources more efficiently, delivering better food to consumers and improving the communities where we farm enables Gotham Greens to deliver messaging that is truly authentic and credible. We’re able to educate consumers about the Gotham Greens brand in fun, engaging and authentic ways that draw on our sustainable roots and growing expertise.

As branding becomes more important in fresh produce, what strategies do you think will set successful companies apart in the coming years?

The produce section is typically considered a lower-engagement area of the grocery store, but we know that beyond quality and freshness, there are creative ways that capture shoppers’ attention and drive purchases. As a fast-growing brand, we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with an iconic brand like Sesame Street this year. We are working closely with Sesame Workshop to create compelling, engaging and mutually beneficial content that lives across our owned platforms and shopper marketing efforts both in store and online. By working together, Gotham Greens and Sesame Street hope this partnership will inspire greener, more nutritious choices for kids’ meals and make cooking more fun for families.

We are always looking for opportunities that are a good brand fit to delight our existing shoppers and attract new shoppers in authentic and compelling ways, and we will continue to identify brand partnerships that are both meaningful and creatively unexpected in the future.

What advice would you give to marketers trying to build strong brands in fresh produce, where products are often seen as commodities?

I’ve worked with several brands within two commoditized categories: dairy and produce. There are several parallels between the rise of the Greek yogurt segment and the indoor farming segment. Notably, both offer higher-value, disruptive products with clear value and brand propositions that have reshaped their respective commodity markets by targeting emerging consumer preferences.

My advice is to lean into storytelling, branding and differentiation. In the produce aisle, many items can feel interchangeable on shelf, so it’s crucial to build a brand that stands for something — whether that’s flavor, consistency, safety or sustainability.