Village Farms International Inc., headquartered in Heathrow, FL, has entered an exclusive distribution agreement with Great Northern Hydroponics in Kingsville, ON.

In a press release, Michael A. DeGiglio, president and chief executive officer of Village Farms, stated the agreement allows the company to extend its exclusive specialty tomato varieties with additional production capacity, “It allows us to expand our entire product line into the Ontario market, Eastern Canada as well as the Midwest and Eastern U.S. to both existing and new customers” explained DeGiglio. “The integration of our facilities will provide for better nationwide customer service, local product and a reduction in food miles.”

Village Farms will begin offering the new product volume to its customers later this year.

Village Farms’ True Rebel mix.Guido van het Hof, president of Great Northern, also commented in the press release, saying, “This is a great opportunity for Great Northern to expand its product line through the exclusive varieties provided by Village Farms. We have known and followed Village Farms, and are excited to be able to provide our production to its customer base.”

On May 18, Village Farms’ operations in Delta, BC, announced it had received funding to conduct a feasibility study for the capture and use of carbon dioxide from landfill gas.

The project has received support through the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia as part of adaptation funding provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, among other agencies.

“We are proud to support this ambitious initiative,” said Ken Bates, IAF chair and a crop and dairy producer in Delta. “As farmers we know the value of reducing or repurposing waste, and we congratulated Village Farms as they help create value for BC agriculture while enhancing environmental impacts.”

Village Farms and Florida Organic Farms International LLC in Okeechobee, FL, recently announced they had formed an exclusive distribution agreement

Florida Organic Farms is a U.S. Department of Agriculture certified organic farm.

In a press statement, DeGiglio said, “We are happy to be able to offer our customers local U.S. organically grown produce beginning in the fall.”

“This is a great opportunity for Florida Organic Farms to offer its organically grown products to retailers to meet the ever increasing demand for this consumer growth segment,” said Joseph J. Rieger, founder and chief executive officer of Florida Organic Farms.

Helen L. Aquino, director of brand management and communication for Village Farms, said the company recently appointed Chef Darren Brown as executive corporate chef. Brown has over 25 years of experience across numerous facets of the food industry.

“We are elated to have Chef Brown on board as a tried and true brand ambassador,” said Aquino. “His food expertise is perfectly suited in discerning our exclusive varietal flavor profiles.”

“Village Farms has so many exciting new varietals that are exclusive to them alone,” Brown noted. “The quality is only surpassed by the flavor, and when incorporated into a dish they really allow the food to speak for itself.”