Locally-grown fruit from family farms is now available 365 days a year in 24 Whole Foods’ Northeast division stores in New Jersey, New York and Western Connecticut. Whole Foods recently began carrying Seal the Seasons’ New Jersey Blueberries and New York & New Jersey Berry Blend (New York Blackberries, New Jersey Strawberries and New Jersey Blueberries).
This is Seal the Seasons’ second region with Whole Foods Market, as they already sell product in the South region. The South, which includes stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, sells local North Carolina Blueberries, Strawberries, Berry Blend and South Carolina Peaches. The Northeast division carries Seal the Seasons’ New York and New Jersey product line.
Consumers desire local produce year-round, but they can currently only access it a few weeks a year when a crop is in season. By partnering with local farmers in New York and New Jersey and freezing produce, Seal the Seasons makes local fruit available 365 days a year for its shoppers.
Family farms have been closing at an unprecedented rate over the past two decades. Since 2000, approximately 21% of small family farms have closed their doors. The season to sell fresh fruit is typically only a few weeks and, thus, there is a similarly short season for farmers to sell their fruit. Seal the Seasons is committed to growing market opportunities for local and regional American farms by freezing their fruit to be sold year-round.
