Village Farms reports their Spring greenhouse grown crop of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers is looking fantastic in their northern most Canadian locations of British Columbia and Ontario. Currently planted are their exclusive specialty tomatoes, including Heavenly Villagio Marzano, Cabernet Estate Reserve, Cherry No 9, Maverick Mix, Lip Smackn’ Grape, Lorabella Blossom and Mini Sensations, that will all begin to be harvested as soon as March. Sinfully Sweet Campari, Juicy Beefsteaks, Delectable TOV, Savory Roma, Exquisite Heirloom tomatoes, as well as, Sweet Bells peppers, Scrumptious Mini cucumbers, and Luscious Long English cucumbers will all be vine-ripened and ready to ship from these locations.
Village Farms’ sustainable growing methods in their environmentally friendly all glass climate controlled hydroponic greenhouses offer produce that is picked fresh daily to deliver to its dedicated retail partners, or as the company likes to tout, “From Our House to your Home” Village Farms Vice President & Regional Facility Manager at its Delta, BC greenhouse, Dirk de Jong, says that the crop is looking really healthy and happy. And he contributes this to the weather being favorable with the right amount of sunny days.
Also available will be Village Farms’ newest variety Sensational Sara, which is going into its second season, and the company reports demand is strong. Sensational Sara is a novel tomato variety with a stunning deep red color inside and out. With a juicy sweet flesh and vibrant red colored inside, Sensational Sara’s flavor is best described as a perfect natural balance of sugar to acid ratio. This new tomato is bigger than a cocktail but smaller than a TOV, with an extremely sturdy deep green vine. Village Farms is expecting Sensational Sara to be a ‘change agent’ in the tomato category, bringing more versatility to the TOV variety segment, long considered a commodity tomato. According to Bret Wiley, Senior Vice President Sales and Sales Operations for Village Farms, “We are not surprised our newest tomato Sensational Sara has been a hit, the initial launch was strong with our retail partners offering the variety. Consumer response has been positive, and people really like the unique flavor. We are planning additional acreage and have key retailers already lined up for a full ramp up this Spring and Summer”.
Sensational Sara is a versatile tomato, great as a slicer, handy for sandwiches or salads, and it is a phenomenal cooking tomato. Roasting, grilling, sautéing or saucing brings out this tomato’s deep complex flavor. And the company reports shelf-life for Sensational Sara is 21 days.
Just like all of Village Farms’ exclusive tomato varieties, Sensational Sara, is harvested by hand. This variety is picked and packed on-the-vine for maximum flavor and grows with 6 to 7 fruit per truss. Sustainably grown in Village Farms’ lush indoor hydroponic glass greenhouse gardens, that are a controlled environment agricultural approach, which achieves unsurpassed quality and Garden Fresh Flavor.
Village Farms is offering Sensation Sara packaged in an innovative one-pound environmentally friendly box that is biodegradable and 100% recyclable. The company says sustainable packaging interest has been on the rise with retailers due to pressing consumer demand and there is increasing interest in the company’s offerings. Helen L. Aquino, Director of Brand Marketing & Communication for Village Farms says, “Sustainable packaging is the wave of future, but has its challenges from consistent supply to adapting operationally. We have tested numerous sustainable packaging types over the past few years. One of the best features about this new box is that it intuitively looks environmentally-friendly, has ample room for brand messaging, shows off the product well, and holds up to the rigors of the supply chain.”
Sustainability is something Village Farms has lived by and has always taken seriously during its 30-plus years in the business. The company’s environmentally friendly growing methods are best summed up as ‘Good for the Earth’ can grow more food on less land while using less of earths precious resources, like water, and doing so much more efficiently environmentally. To find out more about Village Farms and how the company grows, as well as having a look at their full line of product offerings, please visit www.villagefarmsfresh.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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