Supermarket Perimeter - March 2022 - 44

Produce: Greenhouse-grown
Fruit gets in on the action
Leamington, Ont.-based Nature Fresh Farms, known for its greenhouse
peppers and other vegetables, had such huge success with trial runs
of its greenhouse-grown strawberries in 2021, the company expanded
its acreage and will soon add strawberries to its commodity mix, said
Stephanie Swatkow, the company's marketing director.
" These berries are exceptional, " Swatkow said. " Very sweet and
aesthetically beautiful. Everyone who tries them is blown away by the
quality. "
The demand for the first crop of Nature Fresh strawberries has
exceeded supply, she added - even with the expanded post-trial
acreage.
" We're definitely reassessing the situation to determine future
requirements. The response has been very exciting. "
Swatkow describes the greenhouse category overall as " incredibly
dynamic and innovative. " Everything is evolving, ranging from better
ways of growing to the expansion of the types of produce that thrives in
the greenhouse environment.
" We are continually trialing new vegetables and fruit at our research
facility to find our next product, " she said. " With our rebranding we've
redefined our best, most flavorful products into a premium lineup. "
Swatkow referred to a rebranding effort at the company that was
completed in late 2021.
NatureSweet challenges federal tomato regulation
San Antonio-based greenhouse tomato specialist NatureSweet has
submitted a request to the Department of Commerce for a " Changed
44 - MARCH 2022
Circumstance Review, " which would release certain greenhousegrown
specialty tomatoes from coverage under the 2019 Suspension
Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico.
" Our mission is to transform the lives of agricultural workers in North
America, " said Skip Hulett, NatureSweet's general counsel. " Constant
threats of prohibitive duties on products the Suspension Agreement was
not intended to impact, create instability in the market and significant
uncertainty for workers across the supply chain. Government policies
and practices that unwittingly or purposefully hurt the specialty tomato
industry hurt agricultural workers. "
NatureSweet's specialty tomatoes do not belong in the same market
category as " commodity " tomatoes, according to the company.
" Economic research shows that NatureSweet's tomatoes occupy
a different economic market than rounds and romas and are not
considered competitors in the minds of consumers. NatureSweet
innovates new products and growing methods and has developed
new ways of marketing tomatoes. Their products, growing methods
and ways of doing business are fundamentally different from those of
traditional US growers who have resisted in investing in greenhouse
technology and other innovative techniques. "
Specialty tomatoes have a positive impact on the US economy and
imports of greenhouse-grown specialty tomatoes are not contributing
to any injury experienced by US growers, according to NatureSweet.
" Greenhouse-grown specialty tomatoes contribute to positive
outcomes that enhance U.S. food security while filling a void in consumer
demand at prices well-above any other imported tomatoes. Simply put -
these tomatoes are not competing with US-grown tomatoes. "
supermarketperimeter.com
Greenhousegrown
isn't just
for vegetables
anymore.
NATURE FRESH FARMS
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - March 2022
