One year after announcing their joint research and development work to grow strawberries indoors, Driscoll’s, a consumer brand in fresh premium berries, and Plenty Unlimited Inc., are expanding their relationship to build a new indoor vertical farm dedicated exclusively to strawberries.
After exceeding the goals set forward for the initial stages of the partnership, the two companies are accelerating efforts to grow Driscoll’s proprietary, flavorful berries using Plenty’s unique vertical growing platform. This new farm, to serve consumers in the Northeastern United States, will provide fresh, consistent, high-flavor strawberries closer to berry-loving consumers who live in highly dense urban regions. This strategy will provide the fastest category growth to a mature market that has demonstrated appreciation for a high-flavor product offering.
Driscoll’s and Plenty Unlimited Inc. are expanding their relationship to build a new indoor vertical farm dedicated exclusively to strawberries.
Close to consumption areas
“The Northeast is the largest berry consumption region in the U.S., with a dense population of berry-loving consumers,” said Arama Kukutai, CEO at Plenty. “Our partnership with Driscoll’s, coupled with Plenty’s optimized technology platform, ensures we can consistently grow premium berries closer to where these consumers live, providing fresh, consistent quality. We’ve successfully leveraged the expertise of this strawberry breeding program within Plenty’s own controlled growing environment, maximizing the flavor of each berry and optimizing for both texture and size. We’re excited to bring our first indoor vertical farm dedicated to strawberries to life with the undisputed leader in the space.”
“Over the last year Plenty has demonstrated its technological leadership in indoor vertical farming by growing our proprietary strawberries to meet the rigorous flavor and quality required of a Driscoll’s berry,” said J. Miles Reiter, Driscoll’s chairman and CEO. “We are excited to see the initial success of our collaboration and look forward to expanding our relationship with a new farm that will drive category growth to the Northeastern part of the U.S.”
Left to right: Arama Kukutai, J. Miles Reiter
Plenty uses Driscoll’s proprietary genetics and berry expertise alongside its own advanced, indoor farming technology and plant science expertise to grow Driscoll’s berries. Leveraging the growing data generated by its platform, Plenty uses proprietary data analytics, machine learning and customized lighting to consistently deliver yields 150-350 times greater per acre than the field.
As part of the partnership, Driscoll’s strawberries were initially grown in Plenty’s Laramie, WY farm.
For more information:
Driscoll’s
www.driscolls.com