After some “abysmal” weather in Delta, British Columbia up until a week and a half ago, greenhouse tomato supply is now very good. “We’ve had strong crops and good, but not enough, light to get humming,” explained David Bell of Houweling's. “I was walking through our pack house earlier this week and our grower had a big smile on her face and said ‘we’ve got lots of tomatoes coming’.” The farms in California and Utah are both in full season now. Bell says June, July and August are peak volume times for their signature selection tomato varieties.
Newest varieties
Over the last 18 months they’ve been developing out their signature selection line of premium snacking tomatoes. “One of the unique things we’ve done with our signature selection line is that we disclose the varietal right on pack, which is beneficial for the consumer. They’re getting the same type of tomato, same quality experience every time.” The newest in the signature line is the Tomtastic, which Bell says is a yellow cherry tomato.
New varietal development
There are often challenges, he said; the flavor profile in general from the first few picks isn't quite as good as when the plant has matured somewhat. This makes finding varieties with consistently premium flavor profiles a priority so consumers can be delighted every time. The nebula variety Tomazing is such an example. "It is my favorite," shared Bell. “The nebula for me is a pure snacking tomato. It really is like candy.”
Produce can experience variations in flavor throughout the season and Greenhouses are so condition dependent on lighting, how the equipment is functioning, if there’s a plugged dripper that was caught in time, a properly functioning nutrient system. “Any of those aspects can affect (the crop), he said. “We look for varietals that have a more consistent flavor profile.”
Flavor development
One of Houweling's unique varieties, the Sweetelle tomato develops its flavor early on and holds through the season. “There are others that produce a lot more (yields) that have a much bigger bandwidth of flavor throughout the season so that comes down to the grower’s ability and choice to say, for example, the first three picks are going to go in a general pack.” Houweling's brand is based on premium and core product lines. Bell likened their strategy to the UK-based produce model of good, better, best. “There’s a place in the market for all three of those tiers. As a greenhouse grower we’re going to play in the top two.”
West coast availability
Products are essentially distributed within Canada’s west coast (retail and club) and mountain states in the USA. At times product has been sent as far as Ontario, if needed. “With the concentration of growers in Leamington, if our product making it to Ontario and (farther) east it’s usually because they’ve got supply interruptions or challenges or quality issues and we’re helping,” said Bell. “I truly believe the more produce consumers can eat, the better. The higher the consumption of fresh produce, the better we all are.”
For more information:
David Bell
Houweling's