New Tech at NatureFresh™
With 175 acres of greenhouses to manage, NatureFresh™ is always staying ahead of the game by adopting new technologies, software programs, and machinery that help us grow the best produce and people.
We incorporate new innovations at every level of our operations – from making our packing lines more effective with greater automation, to ensuring our office staff can connect to one another using smart office tools, better technology allows us to pick, pack, and ship our products to your family as safely and efficiently as possible.
Keep reading to discover some of the new innovations we have started using at our farm this year!
High Tech Tools
Packing Our Products
Robotic automation is being introduced more and more into the greenhouse industry to ensure the highest levels of efficiency and safety throughout operations.
We are always on the hunt to acquire the latest technology that will bring our ideas to life! That’s why our team works closely with the industry’s best technology experts and innovative thinkers to implement the most cutting-edge automations available.
One of the most innovative machines we have started using on our pack lines this year is a custom-built Bell Pepper bagging machine. This machine was designed to fill packages of Bell Peppers in an orderly fashion, but it also has the capability to switch between various packaging styles as the day-to-day needs of our business shift. With so many different shapes and sizes of packages to fill with NatureFresh™ products, building a machine that can be adjusted and customized every day is a huge asset for our team!
To pack our Bell Peppers, this machine also uses smart technology like vacuum grippers – these are extremely efficient “suction cup” tools that quickly move our products while handling them with gentle care.
This is just one automated machine that we use to help our operation run smoothly every day – one piece of our ever-growing puzzle!
Putting Quality First
Our team is committed to producing high quality products – and with smart quality assurance tools, it’s easier than ever for our team to deliver excellence!
In 2018, our Quality Control team fully implemented an industry-leading inspection program that allows us to capture and easily log all fresh product quality inspections in one easy-to-use, customizable program. We can access this program anytime, anywhere, and it is always kept up-to-date with the latest data submissions.
Since introducing this program at NatureFresh™, we have seen a huge increase in the ability of our team to complete inspections efficiently and accurately. By saving small amounts of time during individual inspections, we have been able to save thousands of hours on the process overall!
The NatureFresh™ team grows food that is consistently fresh and flavorful – and with the help of smart quality assurance tools, you and your family will get only the best products we have to offer.
Training Our Team
With so many new systems constantly being introduced at NatureFresh™, our team identified a need for a training hub – a place where we can work together and learn how to use new software programs and systems, as well as brainstorm and problem solve as a team. We call this training hub the War Room!
Inside our War Room, we are using integrated office tools to make training a simple and smooth process. Here are some of the easy-to-use technologies our team is using:
- WiDi – This computer-based program allows for wireless connection of a laptop to our main training screen (which, by the way, is monstrous – this main screen measures in at 86 inches wide). If a member of our team wants to share how to perform a certain task in a new program, they can simply use the WiDi tool to wirelessly connect their laptop to the main screen and display the exact same content on both devices!
- HDBaseT – This hardware is a huge asset for training purposes. Within our War Room, every desk has three monitors: two of the monitors are used as regular work station monitors, but the third monitor uses HDBaseT hardware to mirror the content being displayed on the main training screen! This is especially handy for people sitting in the back of the room – they can easily stay engaged in the training process with the training content still being displayed directly in front of them.
- FlatFrog – FlatFrog is a digital whiteboard program that allows us to problem solve as a team and facilitate paperless brainstorm sessions! A digital whiteboard is displayed on our main training screen, and up to two users at a time can engage with the touchscreen capabilities of the screen to write and erase content, just like a true whiteboard.
Using smart office tools in our training hub means we can implement new programs quickly, but it also allows us to accelerate the growth of our team and help improve their skills and knowledge! With a strong commitment to continuous learning, NatureFresh™ is proud to provide our team with the tools they need to succeed.
We Think Big
As NatureFresh™ continues to embrace the latest technologies, software programs, and machinery that help us grow, our team will reach incredible heights!
We are big thinkers and determined doers who aren’t afraid to try new things, especially when it comes to technology – we are the Grow-To People.
