WATSONVILLE, CA & SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Our world is constantly evolving, and this is true of fresh produce as well. When it comes to growing methods, it seems that industry innovators are constantly bringing new applications to market. Driscoll’s and Plenty Unlimited are two such innovators, recently announcing a joint development agreement to grow Driscoll’s proprietary flavorful strawberries year-round in Plenty’s vertical indoor farms.

“It’s clear that Plenty’s vision and capabilities of pioneering the potential of indoor farming technology makes them the leader in this space,” said J. Miles Reiter, Driscoll’s Chairman and CEO. “As one of the few berry companies with a dedicated global R&D program, we believe our proprietary berries, which are focused on flavor, combined with Plenty’s technology leadership will create a competitive market edge as we expand to more effectively meet the future consumer.”

According to a press release, Driscoll’s 100 years of farming heritage and focus on delivering Only the Finest Berries^™ is the ideal complement to Plenty’s industry-leading, sustainable, indoor farming technology, and commitment to growing the best-tasting produce. Together, the two companies will work to bring flavorful strawberry varieties to market, leveraging the benefits of a controlled growing environment while also creating opportunity for berry expansion into regions that have historically been difficult to serve.

Plenty will incorporate Driscoll’s proprietary genetics and berry expertise into its advanced, indoor farming technology using its plant science expertise. Through this controlled environment, Plenty can consistently deliver great flavors from Driscoll’s varieties, while also optimizing for texture and size. The indoor environment will remove the unpredictability of Mother Nature, allowing both companies to meet the future needs of consumers worldwide, including geographical locations that are not hospitable to growing strawberries.

Plenty’s innovative and sustainable farm delivers produce year-round that tastes like it was picked fresh from the garden. Using data analytics, machine learning, and customized lighting, Plenty is able to iterate at unprecedented speed, leveraging the more than 200 years worth of growing data the platform generates annually. This advanced agri-food platform has allowed Plenty to show over 700 percent yield improvement in leafy greens in the last 24 months, while maintaining its unique flavor and quality. Plenty’s South San Francisco leafy greens farm uses 100 percent renewable energy, powered by a combination of wind and solar energy.

“For over 100 years, Driscoll’s has been innovating in search of the best-tasting berries,” said Nate Storey, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Plenty. “As they embrace the emergence of indoor farming, we are proud they have chosen Plenty as their collaborator to develop flavorful berries grown indoors in a clean, controlled environment. We are aligned in our mission to bring the most delicious food to our consumers while reducing our environmental impact. Our goal is to bring fresh, flavor-forward berries grown locally to consumers around the world.”

Driscoll’s strawberries will initially be grown and developed in Plenty’s Laramie, Wyoming, farm, one of the largest, privately-owned, vertical farm research and development centers in the world. The two companies were introduced through John Hartnett of SVG Ventures, which focuses on agriculture and technology. Hartnett helped facilitate the discussions as both companies sought ways to grow the most flavorful strawberries.

“The future of food and agriculture through innovation is accelerated when leaders like Driscoll’s and Plenty come together to transform the growing process in ways that benefit consumers,” said Hartnett, Founder and CEO SVG Ventures & THRIVE. “We are delighted that our open innovation partnership with Driscoll’s played an important role in this opportunity.”

Will this exciting partnership expand to include other categories? Stay tuned as we at ANUK report.

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