First Canadian peppers available

It may not feel like Spring outside, but that’s not stopping SUNSET®; their fresh, greenhouse grown peppers are the first Canadian crop available in stores this year.

SUNSET® sweet bell peppers are grown at their greenhouse facility EnviroFresh Farms in Ontario. EnviroFresh is the company’s first carbon negative greenhouse, which uses waste heat and carbon from a neighboring facility and redirects it into the greenhouse. By doing so, the company uses up to 90% less fuel than a traditional greenhouse. The energy savings is equal to taking 6,500 cars off the road each year.

SUNSET’s Michigan grown peppers aren’t far behind, with their first harvest expected for early spring. The company recently completed construction of their newest greenhouse Pepperco USA, which is the first large scale pepper greenhouse in the US. “We’re very excited for the first harvest of our Michigan grown peppers,” stated CEO Paul Mastronardi. “Since introducing Michigan tomatoes in 2012, we’ve had an incredibly positive response, so we’re anticipating a lot of enthusiasm for our Michigan grown peppers.”

Both pepper greenhouses are located within just a few hours of distribution centers, making fresh delivery quick and efficient. Most often, SUNSET® is able to harvest, pack and ship product within the same day, ensuring customers get the freshest produce possible.

As for consumers? Pepper consumption is on the rise. “We’re actively engaging with our flavor followers, and we’ve found that more and more people are looking to incorporate peppers into their meals,” said Communications Coordinator Daniela Ferro. “Some of our most popular recipes on sunsetgrown.com, like our colorful pepper stir fry, showcase different ways to enjoy our peppers in a variety of dishes for an easy and flavorful boost of Vitamin C.”

Flavor lovers can look for SUNSET® sweet peppers at all major retailers. For recipe inspiration, visit sunsetgrown.com/recipes.