“We want to make technology as simple, efficient and convenient as possible”

“Having these units in restaurants will be an experience for guests, like having a lobster tank from which the customers can choose. Similarly, they can see the herbs and salads being used in their dishes,” says Raphael Schardt, co-founder, and CEO of Mana Farms. Mana Farms is a German agtech company…

Sales are up, so Belgian herb grower goes CO2 neutral

Last week represented a new chapter for Taste Up. As of now, this Belgian herb grower and packager is officially carbon neutral. The pandemic seriously affected many businesses. In the fruit and vegetable sector, for example, hospitality suppliers' sales collapsed overnight. Taste Up supplies a lot to eatery wholesalers.…

Buurma Farms Inc. recalls plain (Flat) parsley due to possible health risks

Buurma Farms Inc. of Willard, OH, is voluntarily recalling 320 boxes of its Plain Parsley after testing showed possible contamination with Shiga-toxin producing E.coli. The product being recalled is Buurma Plain (flat leaf) Parsley with a harvest date of August 30, 2021 from their Gregory, Michigan…

New line of organic fresh herbs unveiled

Duncan Family Farms, a fourth-generation multi-regional certified organic farm and grower of baby leaf items, is proud to announce the launch of its organic fresh herb line. These will be on display for the first time at the Organic Produce Summit. “These new items are a natural extension of the existing…

Johns Hopkins: Natural compound may prevent and treat Parkinson’s Disease

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers claim to have increased the evidence that the compound known as farnesol, found naturally in herbs, berries and other fruits, can prevent…

The Europa Florece campaign disseminates the benefits of aromatic plants in Spain and Germany

Aromatic plants offer a wide range of benefits for homes, gardens, urban gardens, and the environment. Sometimes these plants are overlooked because they are so present in the fields and in our kitchens, where they provide their flavoring and preservative properties. The Europa Florece campaign aims to…

Sweden: Stockholm's 'largest' in-store farm established

Swegreen's In-Store farming solution makes the Ica Maxi store in Solna the first of Stockholm's supermarkets to produce leafy green and herbs on a large scale inside the store themselves. The supermarket staff will be able to harvest fresh greens every day.  By installing Swegreen's in-store farm, Ica Maxi…

Fresh herbs on the rise

In kitchens, there is typically a much wider variety of dried than fresh herbs. Dutch herb lovers Ard-Jan Bluemink and Marnix and Harm Keurhorst think this should change. Under the logo, 'Fresh herbs within reach for everyone', they're promoting fresh herbs and they are doing so using their LIF-tower concept. Marnix, Harm and…

“Demand for special herbs increasing again”

In the Netherlands, Van Vugt Kruiden has, unsurprisingly, been through a challenging time. The hospitality industry closure greatly affected the company. Sales to the supermarkets, however, went more than well. "That kept us going. We’re especially grateful that we could retain all our employees," says…

“Introducing cress and sea grapes now shows we have guts”

As a grower focusing on the market's upper end, with herbs and special cress - in itself, a niche product - some varieties will, invariably, not make the cut. That is no different at Koppert Cress, in the Netherlands. Especially during the past 18 months of the global pandemic.  Moai Caviar What is different…

Fresh herbs from halls and bunkers

From a hall instead of a field: ETH spin-off YASAI soon wants to harvest 20 tons of herbs per year from an indoor plant. Vertical farming primarily brings ecological advantages. More can be produced with fewer resources, according to ETH Zurich. This is how the founders of ETH spin-off YASAI envision the…

"Organic herb sector growing better than expected"

Organic herb sales are going well. Consumers making more conscious, healthier choices certainly contributes to this. And there is still much more to come, according to Wilco Heemskerk of Fresh Organic Choice. "These products' visibility and distinctiveness in the supermarkets can be improved. That's…

New organic products and packaging debut at OPS

Morning Kiss Organic will exhibit at the 2021 Organic Produce Summit on September 15-16 in Monterey, CA, where the company will debut several new products and new sustainable packaging. New products within the line include organic melon and organic herbs. These products join a extensive year-round…

South Africa’s first saffron season exceeds expectations

South Africa started its first full-fledged planting of saffron this year, and the first season exceeded all expectations, with most farmers producing successful crops. According to Bennie Engelbrecht, founding member and director of Saffricon – the company at the helm of the local saffron revolution,…

“We wanted to emphasise the fact that the product is grown locally with the shortest possible route from farm to fork”

At the end of July, McCormack Family Farms launched a new brand for their range of unwashed salad leaves and herbs. The family, who have been growing produce in Ireland for nearly forty years, supply major retailers and foodservice throughout Ireland with Irish grown product. “We wanted to emphasise the fact…

Organic herbs on the rise thanks to health and environmental concerns

"One of the emerging trends in Italian consumption is the increased focus on healthy food. There is a growing awareness that organic products are a valuable ally for those who lead a lifestyle focused on health, respect for the environment and the consumption of quality products," said Carlo Simonato,…

“We will create a greenhouse of 7,000 m² of salads and aromatic herbs in aeroponics”

At the Vivatech Fair 2021 held mid-June in Paris, the company Les Crudettes attended with its partner CleanGreens, in order to present its Cap Vert project. “It is an aeroponics production system, which consists of spraying a nutritive solution on the roots of our salads and aromatic herbs. It is a…

“We are now having issues with the weather being too warm”

After a difficult start to the year things are busy at McCormack Family Farms who have been growing baby leaf salads and herbs in Ireland for over 20 years. The weather made planting challenging at the start of the year and heavy localised hail saw the loss of 10 ha of baby leaf and spinach for Stephen…

Ismail Altun von Mack und Gerstner

"We have over 20 different herbs in our assortment"

Mack and Gerstner offer over 20 different types of herbs: "We have herbs such as basil, thyme, rosemary, savory, majoram, oregano, bay leaves and many more in our assortment. In winter we also have mugwort and lemon leaves. We offer packaged or bagged herb mixes of 80-100g throughout the year. We offer…

"We endeavour to export and market the products to high-end consumers in the European, China and Middle Eastern markets.”

Rwathia Agrofarm is a general partnership incorporated in 2019 in Kenya to engage in farming and exporting of organically grown fresh produce-mainly fruit and herbs. The company supports local farmers and locally grown fruits and herbs. “Through a total response of speed, adaptability and…

Agri innovator invests in Barbados

Dutch-Canadian investor Ralph Birkhoff is the founder and chief operating officer of Connecticut-based Alquimi Renewables and co-founder of its farming operations group Island…

Nickel-free basil with added selenium

The new nickel-free basil line with added selenium has been developed and produced by Orto Ricci in Anzio (Rome) and will soon become available in leading Italian retail chains. Testing was conducted for a year and a half in collaboration with Alessandro Cinelli from Agronova. "Nickel-free basil with added…

US: Living herb greenhouses to expand in California

Rocket Farms, a grower of indoor flowers, fresh-cut herbs, and potted edibles, is announcing Phase 1 construction of their facility expansion in Half Moon Bay, CA. The company is currently rebuilding 128,000 square feet of existing space and implementing a new living herbs greenhouse. "We aim to grow…