East Coast greens company eyes Canadian market

Solata Foods based in Newburgh, NY is putting a push on supplying East Coast greens: organic (under the Farmers’ Direct brand) and conventional (under the Solata Farms brand), grown in the Hudson Valley region. “For us, coming from Hudson Valley, you’re looking at seven hours or 700 kilometres to get your greens. From California or Mexico to the East Coast, it is 40 hours and over 4,000 kilometres,” says Solata’s Susanne Bertolas.

In the U.S., the company supplies greens (including arugula, spinach, kale, romaine and more) up and down the East Coast, right down to Florida where it also grows greens. However, getting a foothold in Canada has proved surprisingly challenging says Bertolas. “We’re getting our U.S. customers but in Canada, many are still married to their programs and contracts to the West Coast,” says Bertolas, who notes its harvest has just begun and will run to November. “When it comes to greens, there’s still this idea that it has to come from California or Mexico.”

That said, given its increase in volume, Bertolas estimates supplies are up this year by approximately five percent with conventional coming in at about 60,000 lbs. and organic at 15,000 lbs.--as well as the higher costs in trucking prices, a lower potential carbon footprint, farm diversification and the greater shelf life East Coast greens can supply East Coast customers (Bertolas estimates it’s three days longer), perhaps a change is around the corner.

“The U.S. has been great for us,” she says. “We have farms emerging in the surrounding areas on the East Coast which is expected because I think in future, that’s where the demand will be for our customers. They’re going to want to have supplies closer to home.”