Erry giant Driscoll's and indoor vertical farming company Plenty Unlimited have announced a joint development agreement to grow Driscoll's proprietary strawberries year-round on Plenty's vertical indoor farms.

Together, the two companies will work to bring strawberry varieties to market, taking advantage of the benefits of a controlled growing environment while simultaneously creating opportunities for berry expansion in regions that have historically been difficult to serve.

“It is clear that Plenty's vision and ability to pioneer the potential of indoor growing technology makes them a leader in this space,” said J Miles Reiter, Driscoll's Chairman and CEO. “As one of the few berry companies with a dedicated global R&D program, we believe our proprietary, flavor-focused berries combined with Plenty's technological leadership will create a competitive advantage in the marketplace as we we expanded to more effectively serve the future consumer.”

According to the two groups, Plenty will incorporate Driscoll's proprietary genetics and berry expertise into its advanced indoor growing technology using its plant science expertise.

Through this controlled environment, Plenty aims to “deliver great flavors from Driscoll's varieties” while optimizing texture and size.

The indoor environment is designed to eliminate natural unpredictability, allowing both companies to meet the future needs of consumers around the world, including geographic locations that are unsuitable for growing strawberries.

Using data analytics, machine learning, and custom lighting, Plenty's agri-food platform has achieved a yield improvement of over 700 percent on leafy greens in the past 24 months while maintaining flavor and quality.

"For more than 100 years, Driscoll's has been innovating in search of the best tasting berries," said Nate Storey, Plenty Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer. “As they embrace the rise of indoor farming, we are proud that they have chosen Plenty as their partner in developing tasty berries grown indoors in a clean and controlled environment.

“We are aligned on our mission to bring the most delicious food to our consumers while reducing our environmental impact,” Storey added. “Our goal is to bring fresh, flavor-forward, locally grown berries to consumers around the world.”

Driscoll's strawberries will be initially grown and developed at Plenty's Laramie Farm, Wyoming, the world's largest privately owned vertical farm research and development center.