When January rolls around, we know it is important for our company and team members to set smart, realistic business goals for the new year. A team that understands the annual goals for their company is essential for ensuring the entire team is working towards a common objective. But it’s just as important to encourage a team to develop their own goals for professional development – after all, a company can’t flourish if its team members don’t flourish along with it!

Here are some of the exciting objectives our leaders have set for Nature Fresh Farms in 2020, as well as some personal ambitions and goals from a handful of our team members.

2020 Goals for Nature Fresh Farms

This year is already shaping up to be our busiest yet with plans arranged and targets set for expansion, increased efficiency, and team development.

Growing Our Footprint

In 2020, we are continuing to expand our business far and wide! We’re not only completing construction on a new 32-acre greenhouse in Ontario, but we’re also seeking unique opportunities to grow new products and developing partnerships with even more industry members in growing and marketing fresh produce.

In a few short months we will have officially completed construction on yet another state-of-the-art greenhouse facility in Leamington, ON. With another 32 acres to grow in, our team is looking forward to bringing even more trusted fresh produce to our customers throughout North America. With over 200 acres of family-owned greenhouse operations, we’ll be kept busy picking, packing, and shipping all year long!

The Nature Fresh Farms team is also always on the hunt for up-and-coming varieties that we know our customers will love. In 2020, we are looking forward to conducting further research on our most promising new seed varieties. Click to learn more about how we’ve prepared for our 2020 trial season in the Discovery Center.

We don’t just grow fresh produce at our farms – Nature Fresh Farms Sales is also a fast-growing marketer! As we cultivate more partnerships with likeminded members of the greenhouse farming industry, we’re looking forward to expanding our offerings alongside our global network of growing partners in 2020.

Championing Sustainability

All businesses, especially those who belong to the agricultural sector, should care about the environment’s health and wellbeing. That’s why our team is working hard to develop and introduce even more eco-friendly solutions at every level of our organization this year.

Within the greenhouse environment we use a wide range of sustainable growing practices that allow us to grow fresh produce while being responsible with important resources like energy and water. Our team is also conducting trials using more sustainable growing materials, many of which are compostable or reusable. The 2020 growing season in Ontario will provide us with greater insight into the future use of these materials within our greenhouses.

Our packaging is another area in which we are constantly seeking out and trialing sustainable options. Our compostable Mini Cucumber pulp tray is one of our most successful sustainable packaging initiatives – to date, this program has saved just under 80,000 pounds of Styrofoam trays from entering landfills! And with many more sustainable packaging solutions currently in the trial and development stages, we know we will make substantial strides in 2020 towards expanding into more eco-friendly packaging options.

Expanding Our Organics Program

When construction on our newest greenhouse in Leamington, ON is complete, our team will also be expanding our Organics program! This substantial expansion will allow us to officially grow Organic crops across over 60 acres of our farms (not to mention marketing even more Organic produce alongside our trusted growing partners)!

In 2020, Nature Fresh Farms will be growing and marketing the following Organic products (most of which will be grown across 60 acres of our facilities dedicated to growing Organic products):

• Red, Orange, and Yellow Sweet Bell Peppers
• Green Bell Peppers
• Beefsteak Tomatoes
• Tomatoes-on-the-Vine
• Mixed Cherry Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes-on-the-Vine
• Red Grape Tomatoes
• Long English Cucumbers
• Mini Cucumbers

Nature Fresh Farms has officially grown to become one of the largest family-owned greenhouse growers of Organic produce in North America. Our team looks forward to experiencing even more growth in the Organics category, as well as continuing to offer our customers the fresh produce they can always trust for high quality, freshness, and incredible flavor.

Increasing Operational Efficiency

Our team is invested in making every level of our operations even more efficient, and in 2020, we’re excited to utilize cutting-edge facilities, programs, and equipment to achieve our efficiency goals.

At the end of 2019, we opened a brand-new Distribution Center adjacent to our greenhouse in Delta, OH. With the opening of this facility, our team will be hitting the ground running in 2020 as we settle into an efficient routine and develop even stronger supply chain processes.

Our Warehouses are always equipped with top-of-the-line machinery, ensuring we have the resources we need to pack and ship fresh produce in the most efficient, timely manner possible. However, there are always improvements being made to this type of equipment. So, in addition to running a wide variety of high-efficiency machines and equipment in our Warehouses, we will also be introducing new equipment as the year progresses!

Developing a Talented Team

To achieve all our company’s goals for expansion, sustainability, and overall operational efficiency, we also need to prioritize developing and supporting a capable team of Grow-To People! After all, the people make Nature Fresh Farms successful – they are considered our company’s most valuable asset.

Whether it is encouraging continuous learning by offering additional training, or identifying potential professional development opportunities that would benefit our employees, our leaders put the professional development and support of their team members first. Even introducing a subsidized lunch program has supported our team nutritionally!

In 2020, a very special employee support program has also come into effect – the Nature Fresh Farms Group Retirement Plan. This new program will allow members of our team to save for retirement and secure a stable future for their families – another strong example of how our senior leadership team is committed to expressing appreciation for their team and helping provide for them.

Whether we’re talking about facility expansion, new product offerings, greater efficiency, or professional development, Nature Fresh Farms has ambitious goals for growth in 2020 at every level of our operations!

Our Team’s Goals for 2020

We caught up with a few members of our team to see what their own professional goals for 2020 are (as well as ask them what they’re hoping to achieve outside of work in the new year). Here’s what they shared with us!

Isaac S., Warehouse Operations Manager

Nature Fresh Farms Goal: “My goal is to workwith our team to become stronger together. With our company’s growth, it’s hard to always take the time to get to know how we can help each other – I want to make this a priority this year.”

Personal Goal:””I want to be a more involved family man.”

Chris L., Senior Controller

“A goal of mine that is really both personal and professional is to continue to better understand the greenhouse business, both from an operational and finance perspective. I’m focused on being a greater value to the company.”

Octavio P., Senior Grower

Nature Fresh Farms Goal: “I want to get a high yield from our plants while keeping all our budgets in balance and helping our company stay profitable. Also, I would like to train the people on my team well enough so that they feel more confident in their areas and so that they keep progressing in their careers at Nature Fresh Farms.”

Personal Goal: “I would like to take my family to another country on vacation outside of North America!”

Zach L., Chef

Nature Fresh Farms Goal: “My goal is to continue promoting the healthy food movement and growing the lunch program by incorporating even more seasonal foods and new culinary trends. I also have a goal to discover more eco-friendly container options for our lunch program and find methods within the program to stay aligned with the strong sustainable Nature Fresh Farms mindset.”


Personal Goal:“My wife and I plan to continue meal planning and promoting continuous healthy eating habits and time management. This has helped us reduce the stress of deciding what to eat and avoid the tendency to settle for ordering in or grabbing take out!”

Benny T., Trial Development

Nature Fresh Farms Goal: “My goal for 2020 is to find at least one new seed variety that will be a big hit with our consumer panel, retail partners, and our customers.”


Personal Goal: “My personal goal for 2020 is to spend more time with family.”

Danny D., Sales

Nature Fresh Farms Goal: “I want to expand my portfolio of customers and develop an even stronger network in order to elevate our product lineup and showcase our exciting products to new markets with strong growth potential.“

Personal Goal: “I want the Detroit Red Wings to get the first overall pick!”

Help Us Reach Our Goals!

Do you want to help our team succeed in 2020? Join our ranks and become one of the hundreds of Grow-To People working together to produce fresh, nutritious food for millions of North Americans! Find our current available positions on our Careers page here!

Here’s to a successful 2020 for our team!