Ripening cherry tomatoes at one of Nature Fresh™ Farms hydroponic greenhouses in Leamington, Ontario. This last weekend, my colleagues and I with the Greenhouse Education Center (GEC), toured Nature FreshTM Farms and met the ‘grow-to people’ who bring the best produce to North America.

Part of growing up outside of the city meant having a garden growing fresh produce like tomatoes, lettuce and peppers. I’ve appreciated the process that nature goes through to produce its fruits. Unfortunately many growers today do not value this natural process of food production, leaving much of the produce at the grocery store that is void of flavor.

How is Nature Fresh™ Farms different from most growers? This last weekend I was fortunate to see the work of the dedicated growers and associates at Nature FreshTM. Everyone works hard to ensure that the highest quality of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are grown—no short cuts. Nature FreshTM puts quality before everything else. Every level of the production cycle, from the fertilizer mixture to the sorting and packing of the produce ensures that only the best is brought to you.

Where Technology and Nature Meet. Nature Fresh™ continuously works to bring the best flavor to consumers. The first stop of our visit was at the trial greenhouses. This is Nature FreshTM innovation site. New non-GMO varieties and plant growing conditions are tested to discover new natural and unique flavors. Perhaps the biggest contribution to the high quality of food is the technology that is used and invested in harvesting and packing. Having safe food today means investing in advanced technology. Nature FreshTM realized this concept since the beginning. Technology allows for safe food handling and quality control–all supporting the mission of sustainability and quality.

Let’s talk sustainability. In this world, we all have to do our part to ensure we are leaving the environment a better place for the next generation. Nature Fresh™ is definitely doing its part as I saw on my trip through the greenhouse. You can feel assured when you buy a Nature Fresh™ product, you are supporting a company that really cares about the environment. Compared to traditional methods, the hydroponic system (soilless plant production) uses about 90% less water to produce the same amount of food!

Unlike other growers who discharge the leftover nutrient solution, which can get to lakes, Nature Fresh™ recycles the water solution and uses it again. In terms of heating the greenhouses in the winter, energy efficient boilers use renewable sources like scrap wood and natural gas to produce heat. All plants and growing media are also recycled at the end of the growing season. Nature Fresh™ goals of sustainability go hand in hand with its goals of growing fresh food.

Team Work. Nature FreshTM Farms supports its number one resources- its people. Great tasting produce, sustainability, and research all starts with the people. I got to meet over a dozen food enthusiast and growers–everyone has the same mission and goal. This is what I love most about Nature FreshTM, the family like atmosphere.