Windset Farms Adds HarvestHold Fresh for Postharvest Quality
Windset Farms and Verdant Technologies announce a partnership for the use of Verdant’s postharvest shelf-life extension solution, HarvestHold Fresh. The companies will partner on a retail pilot for tomatoes-on-the-vine supplied from Mexico into select retailers in the U.S., with the intent to expand into additional locations. Windset Farms is an industry leader in utilizing state-of-the-art technology and sustainable growing practices to supply consistent, high-quality produce to the marketplace.
Growers worldwide have experienced pressure to meet demand while combating increasing consumer expectations, higher input costs and supply chain troubles. “HarvestHold Fresh is another avenue to explore that addresses the shelf life of fresh produce,” said Jeff Madu, Windset Farms vice president of sales. “The decision to move forward with this initiative aligns with our commitment to continuously look for ways to improve the customer experience through innovation and sustainability practices. We are very pleased to partner with Verdant for this retail pilot.”
In a previous trial with HarvestHold Fresh, Windset Farms tomatoes were treated and shipped from Central Mexico to British Columbia, Canada. At the end of the 22-day trial, results showed significant benefits in firmness, reduction in decay, improved visual appearance and longer shelf life.
Untreated (control) tomatoes after 16 days of cold storage and four days at room temperature
Treated tomatoes after 16 days of cold storage and four days at room temperature
For consumers, this means less money wasted on produce gone bad, and for the supply chain, it means enhanced value, less food waste and end-to-end quality improvement. These results also contribute to a more resilient and sustainable food supply chain.
“We’re very excited about what we’ve seen in previous trials with Windset Farms, and we’re happy to be moving forward to bring the benefits of HarvestHold Fresh to Windset’s customers and end consumers,” said Paul Oklesh, sales director at Verdant Technologies. “Windset Farms is an ideal partner for us because they’re clearly an innovator in the industry. They see demand is changing, they’re on the forefront of embracing technology and they’re proactive about addressing the challenges of tomorrow.”
Windset Farms plans to launch the retail pilot with HarvestHold Fresh in October 2022.
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