Growing for Tomorrow
Farming has deep historical roots. For thousands of years, humans have been cultivating land and taming animals to provide food for their families and communities. With each passing year, farming has exponentially improved by finding new ways to do more with less.
Looking back on this rich history reminds us of where we came from, and how far we’ve come. While farming looks much different than it did in the past, one thing that hasn’t changed is that when you plant a seed, you aren’t growing for today. Rather, you eat what was grown yesterday while cultivating new crops to secure tomorrow and the months ahead.
This forward-thinking spirit has always embodied our industry and is the catalyst for the rapid advancements made throughout the years that help us meet the challenges of tomorrow.
We Find Joy in Innovation
As perpetual innovators, we know the only way to honor our past is to break free from it and forge a new path. Let’s look at how we are building on the work of those who came before us to bring the future to the farm in ways never imagined.
New Technology in Agriculture
Farming has always been about using the best information available to make critical decisions that will affect future crop yields. Artificial Intelligence is transforming how we grow because it allows us to have the best information available instantly.
Our AI system, Priva is pre-programmed to ensure it is always growing season in our greenhouses. Priva can automatically respond to the conditions in the greenhouse and give our crops the nutrients they need when they need it.
Having this pre-programmed institutional knowledge allows us to meet the common challenges faced in the greenhouse managing everything from a farm’s climate and humidity to its irrigation system. Discover how our friends and partners have helped us grow and explore the possibilities of a smarter future!
We’re Irrigating Smarter
Irrigation is one of the first major innovations in farming that took place thousands of years ago to allow farmers to grow more without having to lug water back from a water source. As these systems improved, they were able to farm farther away from lakes and streams and provide more water to a larger volume of crops. The irrigation of water is essential to plant growth because water is a key element in photosynthesis.
While still performing the same core function as the ancient systems, modern irrigation systems include mechanisms to mix water with essential nutrients that help plants grow. These systems do more with less water by reducing, reusing, and returning much of it to our crops through drip irrigation.
Drip irrigation allows us greater precision over other systems like sprinkler and subsurface irrigation. Drip irrigation uses a central pump that directs irrigation water towards plants through a series of pipes and drippers that trickle water directly into the base of the plant. Explore how our closed loop irrigation system allows our plants to grow strong here!
Farming Tech First Responders
Every technical solution in our workplace starts with our talented Information Technology (IT) team! These first responders help the rest of our team track and manage everything from a farm’s climate and humidity levels to the trucks our vegetables are shipped on.
Our Growers use today’s farming tech to control and track things like greenhouse climate settings, watering systems, energy screens, and so much more. And what’s most impressive is that they can do it all remotely! If there is ever a problem with one of these systems at the farm, our Growers get an alert letting them know there’s an issue or that an update needs to be made. With this system, our Growers can manage the needs of our plants from anywhere in the world—they simply log into the app on their phone and make the adjustments they need.
One of our IT team’s most notable partnerships is with Dell Technologies. Nature Fresh Farms first began working with Dell Technologies in 2010, but when our business started to see substantial growth in 2016, we knew we had to develop our relationship with the Dell team even further to keep the momentum up.
Trucking Greener
Since the beginning of agriculture, there has always been a need to get crops from the farm to the market. While we have done away with the ox and wagon in favor of the carrying capacity and speed of long-haul trucks, our society is now shifting away from burning the fossil fuels our trucks run on to do better for our environment.
In 2021, we were thrilled to partner with the University of Windsor, who shares our vision for making a difference by using less. The goal of this partnership is to determine the impact of long-haul electric vehicles (LHEV) on Ontario’s electric grid by using a fleet of electric trucks to test the most common routes to cities and stores in the province.
By drawing power from the electric grid, the transport trucks would not only be able to sustainably deliver food but also be able to transfer electricity back to the grid at strategic locations and times. Find more details about this project here.
Tradition Breeds Innovation
In farming our tradition is innovation. And in our greenhouses, we are exploring the new frontier of technology to enhance age-old methods of feeding healthy communities. We are glad you are on this journey with us and look forward to exploring the future of farming together.
