Village Farms International has announced it has been named to Corporate Knights inaugural Future 50: The Fastest Growing Sustainable Companies in Canada.  The Future 50 is a list of the fastest-growing Canadian companies whose business activities align with the transition to a global clean economy.

Village Farms was selected from a pool of 6,115 companies (1,100 public and 4,015 private) as one of 25 publicly traded companies with the highest year-over-year percentage increase in “clean revenue”.  (The other 25 Future 50 selections were private companies.) 

“As a company that has put the environment and sustainable agriculture practices as the heart of everything we do since it was founded more than 30 years ago, Village Farms is honored to be included in the inaugural Future 50: The Fastest Growing Sustainable Companies in Canada,” said Michael DeGiglio, Chief Executive Officer, Village Farms International.  “We are firm believers that what’s good for the earth is good for our business, good for our employees, and good for our stakeholders. We look forward to building on our proud history of leadership and innovation in sustainable agriculture as one of the largest producers of greenhouse-grown fresh produce in North America, and as a top producer of cannabidiol products internationally: cannabis in Canada and Australia, with plans to enter the Netherlands, and CBD and other cannabinoid products in the United States, as well as selected Asia-Pacific markets.”

“All companies are now in the business of dealing with climate change. Our reason for devising this list is our belief in the success of these companies being pivotal to creating a more sustainable Canada, as well as acting as inspiration for other entrepreneurs,” said Toby Heaps, founder and CEO of Corporate Knights.

“Village Farms was built on a foundation rooted in great cultivation. Our growing methods ensure a year-round high-quality product using cultivation methods that warrant the highest level of food safety.  Growing food for human consumption is a huge responsibility and I am pleased we are recognized in our efforts for preserving the planet for future generations,” Eric T Janke, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing, Village Farms Fresh.

For more information visit www.villagefarmsfresh.com

About Village Farms

Village Farms Fresh is one of the largest producers, marketers, and distributors of premium-quality, greenhouse-grown fruits, and vegetables in North America. The food the company’s farmers grow is all harvested from environmentally friendly, soil-less, glass greenhouses daily utilizing the highest level of food safety standards available. The Village Farms Greenhouse Grown^® brand of fruits and vegetables is marketed and distributed primarily to local retail grocers and dedicated fresh food distributors throughout the United States and Canada. Since its inception, Village Farms Fresh has been guided by sustainability principles that enable the company to grow food 365 days a year that not only feeds the growing population but is healthier for people and the planet. Village Farms Fresh is Good for the Earth^® and good for you. Village Farms Fresh^® is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Village Farms^®.

For almost 30 years, Village Farms has been focused on the art of growing the freshest vegetables with the utmost reverence for the environment in the great state of Texas.  The company is now happy to boast it is versed in the ‘art’ of musical video production as well. Marfa Texas resident and dual citizen, Rámon Vega Navarro, recently launched his first music video that pays tribute to the company’s employees in his song “Doble Nacionalidad”, which translated to English means “Double Nationality”.

Navarro’s song lyrics and video imagery tell the story of a group of resolute Village Farms employees who travel to the company’s greenhouses each day in Marfa, Texas.  The greenhouses are in the far west region of the state close to the Mexican border and just across the border is the town of Ojinaga, Mexico where these employees have their homes. The project was a collaboration with Marfa Live Arts and film director Tina Rivera. A jury of playwrights chose Navarro’s music video, winning him second place in the Marfa Live Art 2021 Short Playwriting Contest.

The song and video pay tribute to Village Farms employees, “this is a huge honor for the company” according to Derin Gemmel, Vice President of Human Resources Administration and Compliance for the company’s Texas-based operations. Gemmel also noted it was a successful collaboration for the company with the artist, the film director, and Marfa Live Arts for the entire project that was supported by the company.

“For almost 3 decades Village Farms has had a presence here in West Texas. We are one of the largest employers among the three adjacent counties, and the biggest taxpayer within two of the countries where the greenhouses operate. A sizable portion of our facilities’ dedicated employees travel the distance each day from Ojinaga, over the border in Mexico where they make their homes and raise their families. It is touching to hear the sentiments expressed in this song and the imagery illustrating the day-to-day commitment of these men and women to their jobs. Because of our employee’s dedication, we can successfully bring the highest quality Texas Grown fruits and vegetables to market,” Michael A. DeGiglio, President, CEO, & Founder of Village Farms told us.

The company has recently faced many challenges, given the pandemic and labor shortages, struggling with enough employees to fulfill the company’s mission to consistently supply retailers across the country 365 days a year. An impressive sixty million pounds of USA Grown tomatoes are grown, harvested, packed, sold, and distributed annually from the Village Farms Texas facilities located in Marfa, Fort Davis, Monahans, as well as from a distribution center in Fort Worth.  Village Farms hopes to attract more employees to their Texas facilities from the Ojinaga area, particularly in preparation for, and anticipation of, favorable legislation that will propel Village Farms into further health and wellness product opportunities for growth. DeGiglio went on to say, “The future of Village Farms is looking bright in Texas and Village Farms plans to continue to shine brilliantly in the state and grow as long as we are able.”

Village Farms Greenhouse Grown is pleased to announce Eric Janke has joined the company as Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, effective June 1, 2021.  Mr. Janke will be responsible for the overall productivity and effectiveness of the company’s produce business’ Sales, Marketing, and Fulfillment teams, working in the company’s Lake Mary, Florida corporate offices.  Eric will be concentrating on both short- and longer-term initiatives including the strategy for the company’s future opportunities within the evolving Controlled Environment Agriculture sphere.

Michael DeGiglio, President & CEO of Village Farms International Inc. said, “Village Farms welcomes Eric’s vast experience as a senior leader among the many facets of the produce industry.  Eric has a proven track record of success with some of the largest and most respected organizations in the industry, including Albertson’s, Sysco Food Service, Kraft Food Service, and Fresh America. The expertise he has gained across these core components of the produce and grocery supply chain will provide Village Farms with a solid knowledge base to benefit the company in navigating the future demand of a changing business model.”

Mr. Janke brings to Village Farms a tremendous breadth and depth of knowledge gained over more than four decades of experience in the fresh produce and grocery industries, including over 20 years of which he has held in executive level positions.  Most recently, Mr. Janke had served for 15 years as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for DiMare Fresh, Inc., a vertically integrated grower and shipper of citrus and tomatoes, and distributor of fruit and vegetables.

About Village Farms

Village Farms is one of the largest producers, marketers, and distributors of premium-quality, greenhouse-grown fruits, and vegetables in North America. The food our farmers grow are all grown in environmentally friendly, soil-less, glass greenhouses. The Village Farms® brand of fruits and vegetables is marketed and distributed primarily to local retail grocers and dedicated fresh food distributors throughout the United States and Canada. Since its inception, Village Farms has been guided by sustainability principles that enable us to grow food 365 days a year that not only feeds the growing population but is healthier for people and the planet. Village Farms is Good for the Earth® and good for you.

Click here for Press Release

Village Farms International Inc. is helping to feed over 10,000 families in Texas with donations throughout the state to local food banks and food pantries.  Demand for donations has been higher than usual due to the COVID-19 crisis and Village Farms has been stepping up their donations of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers to meet this need.  Village Farms operates three growing operations in the towns of Marfa, and Fort Davis, where they are the largest employer in both Davis and Presidio counties.  Village Farms also operates a state-of-the-art high-tech greenhouse in the Permian Basin region.  And, Village Farms operates one distribution center within the city of Fort Worth, all facilities are within the great state of Texas.

Over the last 2 weeks Village Farms has donated over 10 truckloads, equivalent to approximately 400,000 pound or 200 tons of fresh produce to numerous organizations who distribute food to help feed those in need.  Some of the food distribution organizations Village Farms has been able to help thus far are listed below.

Tarrant Area Food Bank, Fort Worth & Dallas
South Cliff Baptist Church, Fort Worth
West Texas Food Bank, Odessa
El Paso Food Bank, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, El Paso
Marfa Food Pantry Saluvida Inc., Marfa
Food Pantry of Jeff Davis County, Fort Davis
First Baptist Church, Alpine
Grace Christian Fellowship, Alpine
Sunshine House, Alpine
Big Bend Family Crisis Center, Terlingua

Dr. Caroll Marr, Senior Pastor at South Cliff Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas told us “I want to express a great appreciation for Village Farms and the massive impact they have had on the lives of thousands of people weekly here in North Texas”.  Pastor Marr recounted how every day by 4:00 pm there are hundreds of cars lined up across four lanes in the church parking lot.  Pastor Marr went on to say that it has been a learning curve in trying to gear up for the sheer amount of people in need of food but he felt that they had it down to a science now.  Pastor Marr went on to say, “It also gives the young adults who have been volunteering an opportunity to help in a meaningful way and allows the older adults to stay safely at home”.

Nina Dietzel who represents Marfa Food Pantry in an email to the company said that she felt, “Times are about to become much harder for many so this (donation) was truly a much needed ray of sunshine”.

And Kym Flippo who represents the Big Bend Crisis Center in Terlingua also sent an email to Village Farms thanking the company and stated that, “Food is love and I thank you for both”.

According to Village Farms’ President & CEO, Michael A. DeGiglio, “Farming and food distribution has been deemed an essential business by our government during this crisis.  I am proud of all of the Village Farms employees company-wide who are working tirelessly to ensure healthy and safe produce is getting to our retail partners as well as those in need.  And, we are thankful to be able to do a small part during this national crisis”.

Click Here for Press Release

As seen on The Produce News

Village Farms International Inc., headquartered in Vancouver Canada announced today their Village Farms Greenhouse Grown brand of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are all ramping up for a strong season.  In particular, the company’s Canadian grown national pepper program will commence shipping at the beginning of April to all retail partners across the United States and Canada.

Village Farms is one of the largest and longest-operating vertically integrated greenhouse growers in North America and the only publicly traded greenhouse produce company in Canada. Village Farms produces and distributes fresh, premium-quality produce with consistency 365 days a year to national grocers in the U.S. and Canada from more than nine million square feet of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) greenhouses in British Columbia and Texas, as well as from its partner greenhouses in British Columbia, Ontario and Mexico.

Lyra Vance, Director of Strategic Business & Sales Development for Village Farms is feeling extremely optimistic about the quality and volume of this year’s pepper crop, “We have a wide range of pack styles to suit our retail partner pepper category demographic.  Not to mention our growers are phenomenal seasoned pepper farmers with a solid track record of growing premium quality peppers. ”

Village Farms’ brand of sweet bell peppers, ‘Sweet Bells®’ are available in a full offering of Red, Yellow, and Orange packaged sizes including  3 count,  4 count, and 6 count bags.

According to Nielsen data provided by United Fresh produce association Bell Peppers were the 6^th most popular purchased vegetable item in US produce departments in 2019 with $391 million dollars in sales and were up over 7% from the previous year in total volume.  Village Farms offers their Sweet Bells in addition to the wide range of packaged size options also as PLU bulk 11lb boxes.

Bret Wiley, Senior Vice President & Sales Operations with Village Farms tells us the crop is looking really great and that the company expects to exceed expectations this year given this, “Our Canadian grower partner has been farming peppers for years and also does a great job with Beefsteak tomatoes”.

Village Farms offers their ‘Juicy Beefsteak®’ tomatoes in all standard bulk PLU sizes as well as packaged, 2 count, 4 count, 6 count clamshells, and 5lb box.

If you are interested in growing your sweet bell pepper or beefsteak tomato programs with Village Farms please reach out to Lyra or Bret who would be happy to help you find the right solution to meet your store’s needs.

As seen on CNBC

WATCH: Cramer chats with Village Farms CEO Michael DeGiglio

What started as a large vegetable greenhouse developed into a pot stock.

Village Farms has been growing crops like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers under the tutelage of founder Michael DeGiglio for three decades. The company shifted into the marijuana business a year prior to Canada’s legalization in 2018.

“For us the switch to cannabis was just, really, another agricultural crop and in that regard we saw the transformation of our assets to a much more valuable crop from produce,” the CEO said in an interview with “Mad Money’s” Jim Cramer.

Through a couple of recent joint ventures, Village Farms made its foray into Canada’s legal cannabis market and the United State’s cannabidiol, known as CBD, market. The company formed a joint venture with Canadian marijuana grower Pure Sunfarms in 2017 and Nature Crisp to cultivate CBD products in Colorado.

Village Farms operates 200 acres of grow operations in the United States and Canada. DeGiglio told Cramer he owns a 20% stake in the company. The U.S. market “gives us great opportunity to deliver unmatched results,” he said.

“I really believe in the future, so I’m aligned with our shareholders and I think it brings a different element because I’m at risk,” he said. “We want to be 80% correct that decisions we make will pay out and, in that regard, I think I am different, but it’s really about our team. We’re team-oriented.”

In its second quarter report earlier this week, Village Farms delivered earnings of 20 cents per share to top Wall Street consensus of 4 cents. The results came on $53.5 million revenue, which beat a $41.8 million estimate from analysts.

While Village Farms’ produce sales came in short, sales from the cannabis joint venture with Pure Sunfarms grew by 125% to $24.2 million in U.S. dollars.

“The cannabis in Canada as well as CBD in the US just gives us a great opportunity to deliver unmatched results, and that’s where we’re headed,” DeGiglio said.

Shares of Village Farms are up more than 300% this year and has $662 million in market cap. The stock slipped 4 cents in Wednesday’s session to close at $17.90.

Village Farms is proud to announce that Krysten DeGiglio, Regional Sales Manager, has been selected as a winner of the 14^th annual Produce Business 40 under Forty award for 2019. 

Each year Produce Business conducts an extensive, widespread search to elicit nominations for top young leaders in the industry. Winners are selected by a group of industry mentors based on their professional accomplishments, demonstrated leadership and industry and community contributions. The publication recognized its first honorees in 2005 as a way to identify and support future produce industry movers and shakers. Way to go Krysten!

“I feel truly honored to be chosen as one of the award recipients for this year’s Produce Business 40 Under Forty,” said Krysten DeGiglio. Produce Business has a long history of selecting the best and brightest in their field and I’m humbled to be included in this outstanding group.”

DeGiglio came to Village Farms in 2015 with a MBA in Finance and embarked on her career with the company as a regional sales manager responsible for the Northeastern United States. Her day to day activities keeps her on her toes managing several top retail accounts.  She is also responsible for managing Village Farms wholesale and terminal market accounts in this region as well as the quickly expanding home delivery business segment for the company. 

Although she is the daughter of Michael DeGiglio, founder, President, and CEO of Village Farms International Inc., she didn’t get hooked on the industry until attending her first PMA Fresh Summit conference back in 2013.  “My decision to join the company was fueled by the many authentic people I connected with at this time. I was truly impressed then and continue to be now by Village Farms’ commitment to sustainability combined with their unique and exclusive tomato varieties that seek to drive not only solid customer value but unsurpassed consumer value.” said DeGiglio. “All of these elements fuel my passion today as I focus on increasing brand value for my customers.”

As the future of the produce industry unfolds, DeGiglio feels encouraged by current trends within the industry. While advancements and innovations within companies are changing the industry, in part due to a generational shift, one thing that remains constant is the importance of relationships.

“Over the last 4 years I have observed more and more young professionals joining the produce industry. Millennials and Gen Z are fortunate to be working amongst those who have been in produce for most or all of their careers. The knowledge, passion and expertise passed on is invaluable, and something that can only be experienced firsthand not learned from a book. I am pleasantly surprised to work with people who are extremely committed to this industry and I appreciate how many doors a solid network can open for you. Produce is all about maintaining relationships, staying dedicated, being ethical, and keeping one’s integrity intact; these are some of the reasons I love working in this industry.  Working for Village Farms, a company who has grown their business over the past 30 years by abiding to these principles makes me feel optimistic for the future.  At Village Farms we like to say, ‘It takes a Village’ and I see this village as a solid foundation within the company I work for and the produce industry at large all working together toward a common goal to bring healthy products into people’s daily lives.”

As seen on The Packer

Village Farms has partnered with My Diary of Us to host a virtual Summer Supper Club July 16 and 18 at 8pm EST.

The event is set to take place live via Instagram, according to a news release.

Two recipes — spicy Asian cucumber noodle salad and grilled cioppino foil packets — will be featured, according to the release.

“We had a lot of positive feedback and honest conversation during the Spring Supper Club gatherings which focused on easy-to-prepare kid-friendly meals,” Helen Aquino, director of brand marketing and communications for Village Farms, said in the release. “This round we are going a little more adult, exploring the tastes of Asia and Italy with a summer twist.”

Village Farms and My Diary of Us encourages participants to download the shopping list and cook during the event.

As seen on The Packer

Village Farms recently sponsored and participated in “Cars for the Cure”, a car show benefitting the American Lung Association. This event showcased an array of the most distinctive and unforgettable cars from around the world during a daylong, family-friendly festival.

A team of volunteers from Village Farms spent the day giving away almost 2000 pounds of their authentic Heavenly Villagio Marzano® tomatoes to participants, attendees, and volunteers. The Transformer Bumblebee even got in on the action to create some buzz about eating healthy!

“Village Farms was proud to be a sponsor and support Cars for the Cure in its 15^th year,” said Helen Aquino, Director of Brand Marketing and Communications. “Participating in an event like this for such a good cause was especially rewarding. We truly enjoyed getting out in our community to promote health and wellness and we loved hearing time and time again how much people enjoy the Garden Fresh Flavor® of our tomatoes!”

Now in its second century, the American Lung Association is the oldest voluntary health organization in the United States and the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. Founded in 1904 to fight tuberculosis, the American Lung Association today fights lung disease in all its forms, with special emphasis on asthma, tobacco control and environmental health.

As seen on Fresh Plaza

Village Farms Stackable Snackables™ series of exclusive specialty tomatoes in new top-seal packaging won the Joe Nucci Award for Product Innovation at New York Produce Show and Conference sponsored by Produce Business Magazine last week held at the Jacob Javitz Center in New York City. The new packaging features bold, eye-catching colors and designs while keeping sustainability and consumer convenience top of mind and delivering concise retailer benefits.

The clear resealable top-seal film is rimmed with original illustrations depicting the spirit of each variety in a fun and lively way. Available in 10 oz. sized containers are Heavenly Villagio Marzano®, Lorabella Blossom®, Maverick Mix®, Cabernet Estate Reserve®, Cherry No. 9 Fall in Love Again® and Lip Smackn’ Grapes®, all are exclusive tomato varieties from Village Farms.

Last year the company was one of ten Innovation Award winners for its newest specialty tomato variety, Lorabella Blossom®, a tomato that boasts a blissfully bright flavor profile. This year in addition to being an Innovation Award winner the company was also the overall award winner of the competition for Stackable Snackables™ receiving the prestigious Joe Nucci award. Village Farms Director of Brand Marketing and Communication, Helen L. Aquino, accepted the award from Jim Prevor, CEO & Editor-in-Chief of Produce Business magazine and Joe Nucci’s sister, Lorri Koster, at the Thought-Leader breakfast.

“We are elated to win the overall Joe Nucci award,” Aquino said. “Our marketing team worked diligently in creating, testing, and trailing this program. The graphics embody the spirit of each variety in order to entice consumers on shelf with the overall intention of increasing tomato consumption while the Stackable Snackables™ series delivers clear benefits for our customers hence the old axiom used as the programs tagline, ‘Stack ‘em High and Watch ‘em Fly’.”

Retailers are embracing the Stackable Snackables™ program for its three-fold benefits; more items per square inch of merchandising space allowing five-high container stacking, increased shelf life compared to bags or clamshells and reduced plastic waste compared to clamshells making top-seal better for the environment.

As seen on Perishable News

Village Farms is ready to celebrate and has a few surprises in store for this year’s PMA.  First, Village Farms is celebrating the success of its flagship tomato variety, Heavenly Villagio Marzano.  Launched at PMA 2011, it has seen unprecedented success for the past 7 years.  According to Bret Wiley, SVP of Sales for Village Farms, “the success of Heavenly Villagio Marzano is attributed to a number of key factors, no one else has a tomato just like our Heavenly Villagio Marzano, it is an extremely versatile tomato with a unique flavor people love, and it has amazing shelf life our customers think is fantastic.”  Heavenly Villagio Marzano is the only authentic San Marzano tomato available in North American today and it has won over the hearts of consumers, foodies, and chef’s alike with its amazing authentic flavor.  Wiley goes on to say because of the success of Heavenly Villagio Marzano we want to build on this to get the word out about the newest addition to our exclusive specialty tomato offerings also in the San Marzano family, Lorabella Blossom at this year’s PMA. Lorabella Blossom is an orange tomato bursting with fragrant floral notes, citrus essence and earthy undertones some have described as reminiscent of tangerines, apricots, almonds, and honey.

“Are you Sweet or are you Smooth” is a consumer taste challenge campaign Village Farms will be promoting in their booth at PMA this year.  Show goers will have the opportunity to taste both tomatoes firsthand to determine if they are “sweet” like Heavenly Villagio Marzano or if they are “smooth” just like Lorabella Blossom.  Helen L. Aquino, Director Brand Marketing & Communications for Village Farms told us, “This is a fun way to get folks to try our tomatoes, there are no right or wrong answers for this campaign and everyone is a winner – you take the challenge and get a sticker proclaiming, “I’m Sweet” or “I’m Smooth”.  Plus, the best part is that by casting your vote you can enter for a chance to win an awesome Traeger Grill.”   Aquino goes on to tell us while most people may not associate tomatoes with grilling, Village Farms varieties are great for this and more, “We have a plethora of tried and true exclusive recipes on our website for Heavenly Villagio Marzano and Lorabella Blossom that are perfect for grilling, roasting, and cooking”.

In addition, the company will be looking to ring in 2019 as its 30th year in business with a cocktail reception open to all during the last hour of on the first day of PMA in their booth on the tradeshow floor 3601 from 5-6pm.  The event theme “30 years and still growing strong”, signifies a milestone for Village Farms as one of the largest and longest operating vertically integrated greenhouse growers in North America and the only publicly traded greenhouse produce company in Canada. The company is elated for this opportunity to toast all of its loyal customers, suppliers, vendors, and friends while raising a glass to a bright future for all.

Village Farms’ has launched a new topseal program for of their exclusive specialty snacking tomatoes. Available in 10oz sized containers now available are Heavenly Villagio Marzano®, Cabernet Estate Reserve®, Cherry no 9®, Lip Smackn’ Grape®, Maverick Mix™, and Village Farms’ newest tomato variety Lorabella Blossom®. The clear topseal label-film rimmed with fun and lively designs depicting the spirit of each variety are all original illustrations as part of the ‘Stackable Snackables’ line created exclusively by Village Farms.

Village Farms is challenging consumers to ‘Snack with Impact’ to encourage healthy snacking through their new ‘Stackable Snackables’ program. Retailers are embracing the program for its three-fold benefits; more items per square inch of merchandising space allowing five high container stacking, increased shelf life compared to bags or clamshells and reduced plastic waste compared to clamshells making topseal better for the environment. According to Helen L. Aquino, Director of Brand Marketing & Communications for Village Farms, “Increasing dollar sales in the same shelf space and reducing the potential of out of stock all while improving labor efficiency with less restocking are all benefits with this program. Plus reducing shrink by increasing shelf life with topseal containers provides an important benefit for our retail partners.”

Village Farms Stackable Snackable program is designed to make healthy snacking fun and easy for consumers with the high impact graphics enticing consumers to ‘Snack with Impact’. For more information visit Village Farms’ website at www.villagefarmsfresh.com

Village Farms International, Inc. (“Village Farms” or the “Company”) (TSX:VFF) (OTC: VFFIF) today announced it has entered into a new, exclusive, seven-year agreement to sell, market, and distribute Village Farms’ exclusive tomato varieties grown by Mexico-based Agroparque de Yecapixtla. The new agreement extends the existing agreement between the two companies, under which Agroparque de Yecapixtla grows tomato varieties for Village Farms, including Village Farms’ exclusive specialty varieties, which are distributed under the Village Farms brand and sold to Village Farms’ marquee retail & food service partners in the United States and Canada.

Agroparque de Yecapixtla is in the process of a major expansion, more than doubling its growing area to 125 acres from its current 50 acres through an addition to its existing  greenhouse and state of the art packaging facility built just two years ago. This expansion will further leverage its scale and expertise to expand into cucumbers and peppers, which will also be sold, marketed and distributed under the agreement.

Agroparque de Yecapixtla is located in the state of Morelos, just south of Mexico City, a mountainous region with warm days and cool nights that makes it one of the best areas for greenhouse growing in all of Mexico, and ideal for tomato, pepper, and cucumber plant cultivation. The company’s master farmers have generations of experience cultivating tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. As part of the extended agreement, Village Farms will continue to provide Agroparque de Yecapixtla with technical expertise in growing and packaging operation support, with two full-time Village Farms employees on site.

Michael A. DeGiglio, President & CEO for Village Farms had this to say about the agreement, “We are thrilled to build on this existing and flourishing relationship with Agroparque de Yecapixtla. Village Farms prides itself in its ability to deliver year round consistent quality products to its customers. This new, exclusive, long-term agreement with Agroparque de Yecapixtla further solidifies Village Farms’ value commitment to its customers. And reflecting upon our many years of operating in Mexico we are most grateful to be associated with such a highly respected company lead by the honorable Mr. Miguel”

We are pleased to commence upon this long term agreement between Village Farms and Agroparque de Yecapixtla, a great achievement uniting not only these two companies but inaugurating the Mexican countryside as a source of reliable and quality product.”

According to Michael Minerva, SVP, Grower Relations & Supply Development for Village Farms, “Working with Agroparque de Yecapixtla over the past year has confirmed for us that we are aligned with a great long-term partner in Mexico who will further enhance our winter supply capabilities for our growing customer base. We look forward to accomplishing great things together in the years to come.”

Download the press release here

This has also appeared on AndNowUKnown and The Produce News

Vancouver, B.C. – January 24, 2018 – Village Farms International, Inc. (Village Farms) (VFF.TSX) (OTCQX:VFFIF), is pleased to announce it has been named to the 2018 OTCQX® Best 50, a ranking of top performing companies traded on the OTCQX Best Market last year.

The OTCQX Best 50 is an annual ranking of the top 50 U.S. and international companies traded on the OTCQX market. The ranking is calculated based on an equal weighting of one-year total return and average daily dollar volume growth in the previous calendar year. Companies in the 2018 OTCQX Best 50 were ranked based on their performance in 2017.

“Our ranking as the fourth best performing company traded on the OTCQX in 2017 – up from 17th prior year — reflects our position as one of the largest vertically integrated greenhouse growers in North America alongside our ability to leverage our 30 years of experience to capitalize on new opportunities that will drive future profitability and generate long-term shareholder value,” said Michael DeGiglio, CEO, Village Farms International. “We would once again like to acknowledge the OTCQX for its continued support, providing a liquid and efficient market for our many US shareholders.”

For the complete 2018 OTCQX Best 50 ranking, visit http://bit.ly/OTCQX-best50-2018

The OTCQX Best Market offers transparent and efficient trading of established, investor-focused U.S. and global companies. To qualify for the OTCQX market, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, demonstrate compliance with U.S. securities laws and have a professional third-party sponsor introduction. The companies found on OTCQX are distinguished by the integrity of their operations and diligence with which they convey their qualifications.

See press release here.

Business in Vancouver has recognized Village Farms as one of the fastest growing companies in British Columbia for 2017.  The list is compiled by Business in Vancouver, a weekly business news journal who ranks companies based on outstanding growth over the last five years. Business in Vancouver’s annual list of the fastest growing companies in British Columbia includes a wide range of entrepreneurs across many business sectors.  The list is intended to provide a representative sample of companies in the province whose entrepreneurial direction and focus are gaining highest traction through new opportunities being seeded.

About Village Farms

Village Farms is one of the largest producers, marketers, and distributors of premium-quality, greenhouse-grown fruits and vegetables in North America.  The food our farmers grow, along with other greenhouse farmers under exclusive arrangements are all grown in environmentally friendly, soil-less, glass greenhouses.  The Village Farms® brand of fruits and vegetables is marketed and distributed primarily to local retail grocers and dedicated fresh food distributors throughout the United States and Canada.  Since its inception, Village Farms has been guided by sustainability principles that enable us to grow food 365 days a year that not only feeds the growing population but is healthier for people and the planet.  Village Farms is Good for the Earth® and good for you.

See press release here.

As seen on HortiDaily on June 7

Village Farms is getting into cannabis production. The company made an official announcement of a new joint venture agreement with Emerald Health Therapeutics, which will convert an initial 25 acres of their Ladner, B.C. greenhouse facility into a state of the art glasshouse for the annual production of 75,000 kilograms medical, and if permitted by applicable law, non-therapeutic cannabis for the adult-use market.

Village Farms, currently one of North America’s largest growers of greenhouse produce, says that the launch of the joint venture is a transformational opportunity to grow ‘a substantially more profitable agricultural product’. “Based on our conservative market pricing forecasts and yield projections, conversion of our Canadian greenhouse facilities to cannabis production could generate revenue of 10 to 15 times that of our current Canadian vegetable production with EBITDA margins potentially expanding to more than 50% compared with our current Canadian vegetable margins”, Village Farms CEO Mike DeGiglio said.

Village Farms CEO Mike DeGiglio speaking in April 2016 at the Indoor Ag-Con.

B.C.-based Emerald Health Therapeutics holds a license to cultivate and sell medical cannabis flower and oils out of its facility located in Victoria. By teaming up with Village Farms, the joint venture aims to become the lowest-cost, highest-quality cannabis producer in Canada, with a targeted production cost of less than 1.00 Canadian dollar per gram.

The transformation of the 25 acres in Ladner is the first step of the new partnership. The potential conversion of all of Village Farms’ Delta, BC greenhouse operations, if the applicable options were exercised, would conservatively be expected to yield approximately 300,000 kg of cannabis annually. Village Farms and Emerald believe this has the potential to fill a substantial portion of the potential Canadian production gap for both medical and non-therapeutic adult-use cannabis.

Village Farms’ move into the cannabis space does not come as a complete surprise. In February last year, CEO Mike DeGiglio already expressed interest in this new ‘cash crop’ during a television interview with thestreet.com. “We will be building greenhouses, expanding our distribution model where we market for our partners who grow and we will also look at alternative crops,” he then said.

DeGiglio now added that aside from their latest cannabis venture, Village Farms will remain committed to its existing greenhouse produce business and that the company does not expect that the cultivation of cannabis will have a material impact on its existing produce production and distribution business. “We remain steadfastly committed to our existing produce business. We will continue to provide our customers with the premium-quality products they have come to know and expect throughout our 30-year history,” DeGiglio said. “In fact, the favourable economics of cannabis production are expected to provide Village Farms with the financial strength and resources necessary to further expand and solidify our industry-leading position. We fully expect to continue to expand capacity in our produce business to meet customer demand by exploring consolidation opportunities, as we have successfully done in the past, and through organic initiatives at our U.S. operations.”

The Village Farms locations in Ladner are state of the art glasshouses that use specially developed technologies to use methane gas from a local landfill to generate heat and electricity to grow tomato crops.

Click here for Village Farms press release “Village Farms International and Emerald Health form Joint Venture for Large-Scale Greenhouse Cannabis Production”

World-renowned author C.S. Lewis once said, “Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.” Village Farms has been obeying this principle since our founding in 1987, and while people may not have been watching at first, they are starting to take notice. Fortune magazine featured Village Farms in their latest edition. Read the article below to learn more about what makes us the right choice.

As seen in the September 1 issue and upcoming December 15 issue of FORTUNE

Growing Market Share Through Sustainable Growing

A commitment to values has deep roots at Village Farms. 

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New York, May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ – Village Farms International (TSX: VFF; OTCQX: VFFIF), CEO Michael DeGiglio was interviewed by OTC Markets Group (OTCQX: OTCM) in its OTCQX® Video Series. The series features one-on-one interviews with senior executives of OTCQX companies as they showcase their businesses and investment profiles.

In the interview, Michael DeGiglio discusses:

To watch the complete interview, visit OTC Markets Group’s YouTube page at https://youtu.be/sjesnAiEK-M

Village Farms is one of the largest producers, marketers and distributors of premium-quality, greenhouse-grown fruits and vegetables in North America. The food its farmers grow, along with other greenhouse farmers under exclusive arrangements, are all grown in environmentally friendly, soil-less, glass greenhouses. The Village Farms® brand of fruits and vegetables is marketed and distributed primarily to local retail grocers and dedicated fresh food distributors throughout the United States and Canada.

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The information contained in this press release and in the video to which it refers is provided “as is” for educational and informational purposes only, and should not serve as the basis for any trading or investing decisions. OTC Markets Group makes no representations and disclaims all express, implied and statutory warranties of any kind to any viewer or third party. Neither OTC Markets Group nor any of its affiliates makes any endorsement of any particular company, security, product or financial strategy, and nothing contained in this video should be construed as investment advice. Investors should undertake their own diligence and carefully evaluate companies before investing.

by Urban Ag News

Mike DeGiglio, president and chief executive officer at Village Farms International, spoke with Urban Ag News about his company’s approach to technology and how it’s using it to be more efficient and profitable.

When was Village Farms started and how has it expanded in size?

I started Village Farms in 1987 with 10 acres of greenhouses in Pennsylvania and we developed and operated greenhouses in New York and Virginia. In 1996 the company started building 120 acres in southwest Texas. In 2006 Village Farms acquired the largest greenhouse company in Canada located in British Columbia. The facility was about 140 acres. Some of the small greenhouses were sold so today there are 110 acres. In 2012 a new 30-acre facility was built in Monahan, Texas. Today there are 240 acres of glass greenhouses in the U.S. and Canada. Village Farms also markets product from many other growers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

How has the use of technology evolved at Village Farms?

For the first 20 or so years, Village Farms worked off of existing European technology that was mostly used in Dutch greenhouses. Holland was considered the Mecca of greenhouse technology. And most companies worldwide looked to the Dutch when it came to higher technology. But that changed. It changed as greenhouses internationally began to quantify the tools to work in a wide variation of climates. The Dutch technology was geared more for the climate in Holland, where it never really gets hot. It’s a temperate climate with low light levels. Village Farms eventually saw the need to develop its own technology. That is easier said than done. If a company is going to spend millions of dollars on R&D, it has to be big enough to sustain it. Even though Village Farms is successful in this endeavor, it was only achieved after 25 years in business and it could afford the costs once critical mass had been achieved to allow further expansion to build projects that cost millions of dollars. For someone just starting out that is extremely hard to do. Most greenhouse growers use existing technology. Village Farms didn’t go that way. It developed its own. The company wanted to be able to have the intellectual property in creating greenhouse growing environments that can mimic the exact climate it wanted based on the crops it would grow and then locate those in areas it wanted to be in for market reasons. If this was left up to a technology company, it might not necessarily be focused on that. Village Farms is unique in that it developed its own technology as compared to most other companies that work with existing technology.

In what technology areas has Village Farms invested?

Most of Village Farms’ technology is in software design to control the internal environment of the greenhouse. The company has done a lot with growing technology, both on the production and packing lines. When it comes to growing media, irrigation systems, etc., the company looked at these various components, but production is not where it spent most of its money. The bulk of the money was spent to create a greenhouse climate that is workable regardless of where the footprint is. Our goal was to create the software to be able to run a very sophisticated greenhouse that could have conditions very conducive to plant growth regardless of what it is doing outside. If you can accomplish that, then you can put the greenhouses not where it is best for the plants, but where it is best for the market to lower freight costs and increase access to labor. You can be more sustainable and you can increase product shelf life and product quality.

What are some of the other areas of technology in which Village Farms is looking to invest?

Additional technology for the company could come on the energy side and supplementing carbon dioxide. If we can reduce energy costs, we would be much more sustainable. Village Farms has invested with Quadrogen Power Systems, FuelCell Energy and the National Research Council of Canada to build a pilot project for fuel cell technology for our greenhouse in British Columbia. Also, our new Permian Basin facility derives all of its electrical needs exclusively from wind power. A second area we are looking at is cleaning up landfill methane gas. Village Farms acquired Maxim Power, a co-generation facility adjacent to our greenhouse facility in British Columbia. The next phase, which we are working on with the Canadian government, Hallbar Consulting and the Swedish Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, is to fund a study on the capturing carbon dioxide from landfill gas. There are hundreds of thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide flowing out of landfills every day. Our goal is to find the technology to clean the carbon dioxide so that we can use it in our growing processes. If we can use the potential of the carbon dioxide sequestered in the landfill, clean it and then use it in the growing process, we will reduce our costs and help clean the environment. The benefit is to lower our production costs. We won’t have to burn natural gas to produce carbon dioxide and we won’t have to buy carbon dioxide. We will also be reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

What advice would you offer U.S. greenhouse growers of edible crops when it comes to making technology investments in their companies?

I would have to ask what is the crop and how do you compete? If you have the right crop, then I would ask what are the big issues? There currently is a big labor shortage in agriculture. Using technology to mitigate labor shortage issues, then I think a grower can move forward. As more crops are being looked at for indoor production, for example berries, then you know you are going to have to have production systems that can mitigate labor even to the point of incorporating some robotics. The use of robotics may also expand to packaging and shipping as well as harvesting and other tasks in the greenhouse. Technology could play a role in berry picking in the greenhouse and in the field. Last year growers left a lot of berries in the field because of the shortage of labor. The use of migrant labor to go from berry farm to berry farm, which is seasonal outdoors, is becoming much more difficult.

What crops are Village Farms now producing and do you expect that to change much over the next five years?

We are always looking at different varieties of our core products, including tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplant, of which we have multiple colors. We are always looking at unique varieties of our core products. We launched our unique and exclusive Heavenly Villagio Marzano® tomato variety about two years ago. We have a whole pipeline of new varieties. We continue to diversify. Berries are definitely on our radar screen. Nutraceuticals and some unique medicinals have a future. Some of the nutraceuticals are plants that have a medicinal benefit. Some of these will have to be produced in conjunction with the pharmaceutical companies. For a pharmaceutical company to sell something it has to be patentable or else it won’t be interested. We are always looking for unique, higher value products that are difficult to grow in the field due to climate or labor or not being available year round. Our focus is on increasing value for our customers by not compromising on food safety, using IPM, and consistent quality that help us provide the best products for consumers.

What do you think about the increased interest in vertical farming?

Vertical farming is still in the R&D phase. There is a PR value. The capital and operating costs are huge. It’s limited on the size so how do you reach critical mass? It’s not large scale agriculture. Village Farms does everything on an investment basis. We really understand our costs. Our greenhouses cost nearly $2 million an acre. A lot of these vertical farm operations can’t grow long term crops, at least not now. Vertical farms have a place for crops like leafy greens. Any crop that can be turned quickly in 28-30 days like leafy greens could potentially be grown in a vertical farm. Looking at the lettuce industry, most of the product is grown and shipped from California to the East Coast. If those crops can be grown regionally or locally and bagged here instead, the carbon footprint for shipping the product is reduced or eliminated. On the other hand, you have to be cost effective. How are these vertical farms going to compete with field-grown product long term? You can always find niche markets where people are willing to pay a premium for locally produced. When you make those kinds of large investments you have to be sure it is sustainable. And more importantly, that the profit is sustainable in the long term. Growing food for human consumption carries a huge responsibility along with it, this is something we have never taken lightly, and is the key driver in how we do business and measure efficiency.

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David Kuack is a freelance technical writer in Fort Worth, Texas; dkuack@gmail.com.