California-based companies Driscoll’s and Plenty Unlimited Inc. are expanding their partnership 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 berries using Plenty’s unique vertical growing platform.
This new farm will provide fresh strawberries closer to 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.
“The Northeast is the largest berry consumption region in the U.S., with a dense population of berry-loving consumers. 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,” said Arama Kukutai, CEO at Plenty.
“We’ve successfully leveraged the expertise of the world’s largest 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.”
Plenty utilizes 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 massive amounts of growing data generated by its platform, Plenty uses proprietary data analytics, machine learning and customized lighting to deliver yields 150-350 times greater per acre than the field.
“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.”
Driscoll’s is a market leader of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. With more than 900 independent growers around the world, Driscoll’s develops patented berry varieties using natural breeding methods.
For more information, visit driscolls.com.
