Since the age of 30, TV anchor Dan Reighn connected farmers and their clients by bringing the food-to-table experience to the forefront of television. He now takes the viewers on an unforgettable journey through the modern world of agriculture through a brand new television show. The first stop includes Leamington and Kingsville where there is the most greenhouses across North America. He will introduce Mucci Farms, a multi-generational family business that has morphed into one of the top the production of greenhouse vegetables.

Bert Mucci, CEO of Mucci Farms, shares the business’s history: “My father and his two brothers founded Mucci Farms back in 1963. It began as field farming producing tomatoes and peaches to supply the H.J. Heinz Company.” The time spent at the farm was a defining event. “You truly knew how hard-working was like, even as a child,” he recalls. “After school and during weekends, we would be helping in the farm where our parents resided.”

Through the years it changed the way that business was run. “In the 1970s in the early years the company began their first commercial greenhouse that was just 4 acres,” Bert explains. “By the mid-80s, they had expanded to an 8-acre greenhouse, one of the biggest at the in the time.”

The community and innovation behind the operationsTraditional farming relies heavily on weather conditions, but greenhouse farming offers precision and control. “We manage 100% of the food that is fed directly to plants and the environment and also the technology,” he says. “The efficiency we can achieve at our plant, can’t be achieved on the field.”

Leamington and Kingsville are now referred to as”The “Tomato Capital of Canada,” thanks to the extensive greenhouses in the area. “I do not think that people are aware of how vast this region is when it comes to tomato production,” says Reighn.

Beyond the business aspect, Mucci Farms is deeply active in its local community. “We’re not only here to grow our business,” one team member describes. “We give money schools, and we want to provide healthy options for snacking that will eliminate chocolate aisles.” The business has seen incredible growth and now has more than 2,500 employees, up from 600 when it was founded.

Ajit is another Mucci Farms team member, is a fervent supporter of his job. “How many of us get up in the morning and claim their work is to find out the best way to provide healthy and nutritious food for people? It is our job to connect with everyone of any age by showing how farming can be contemporary, technological, as well as enjoyable.”

Technology and sustainability, as well as advanced technologies.

“These greenhouses are more efficient and use less soil and water than traditional farming,” Dan notes. “We capture all of our water then treat it with heat pasteurization and then send it back to the system” Ajit explains Ajit. “All the water we use is the closed loop system.”

It also has modern climate control. “We utilize Priva computer software that regulates the humidity, fertigation and CO2 injections,” Bert says. “Everything is controlled and monitored through an app, starting with light strategy and the curtains that block out light.”

Dispelling common consumer myths

One of the most common misconceptions surrounding growing greenhouses is that it’s a process of genetically modified crop varieties. “People believed that we were cultivating “Frankenstein tomatoes” because they’re perfectly shaped and blemish-free” states an Mucci Farms representative. “But it’s actually true that they are grown indoors, where they’re not exposed to insects, and we use biological control and a balanced diet. This is why they appear perfect.”

“We look to see what consumers are searching at,” says Danny Mucci who looks for fresh kinds of plants around the world. “We seek out unique characteristics, whether the trait is flavor, color or the size of the plant, but it’s important to consider its physiology. must also make sense within a greenhouse.”

A recent success has been the ‘CuteCumber poppers.’ “It’s an award-winning, one-bite treat,” says a team participant. “The breeder created it to be double-dippers. You only have to dip one time.” Dan’s reaction? “This is the best food I’ve ever eaten.”

The show on TV offers unique behind-the-scenes view of the way fresh produce is produced and the way dedicated farmers are shaping the market. According to Reighn, “Walking into Mucci Farms can be like walking into a Willy Wonka factory of tomatoes.”

View the entire episode in the following link: