“We like the Salanova lettuces for the uniformity, color, and simplicity of cultivation"

Ten million heads of lettuce are hydroponically grown at Great Lakes Growers in Ohio, USA, every year: clean, fresh, and delicious. “We like the Salanova lettuces for the uniformity, color, and simplicity of cultivation. Our collaboration with Rijk Zwaan is one of the single most important factors in our success,” says CEO and owner John Bonner. He explains why Salanova helps him to move ‘freshly forward.’ ‘Freshly Forward, from Foundation to Future’ is the theme Rijk Zwaan has chosen to tackle today’s challenges together with its partners.

Cleanest produce possible
John’s roots as a grower run deep. After growing up and farming on the family farm in Burton, he left it to start a new hydroponic growing operation. Today, Great Lakes Growers is the Midwest’s premier supplier of hydroponic lettuces and herbs to the retail and food service channels. Its products are delicious, clean, nutrition-packed, and ultra-fresh because they go from the greenhouse to the store shelves or customers’ plates in less than 48 hours. “We believe the quality of hydroponically grown produce is superior. We grow everything in our state-of-the-art greenhouse using water, not soil. That ensures the cleanest produce possible,” states John.

Rijk Zwaan’s one-cut-ready Salanova lettuce is one of the growers’ critical success factors. John explains how it moves his business ‘freshly forward’: “We find that the Salanova varieties are unique in the marketplace relative to other varieties. We like them for the uniformity, colour and simplicity of cultivation. Their flavor and texture also set them apart from the rest. They look and taste great. That type of combination changes consumer behavior over time.”

For the future, he regards Romaine and iceberg lettuce as the next evolution for greenhouse growth in his market. “Rijk Zwaan can support me with this next hurdle by continuing to innovate and communicate, just as we have been collaborating for over ten years: trialing new varieties, sharing the data, discussing new technologies, and troubleshooting problems when they arise. The partnership with Rijk Zwaan over the years has been one of the single most important factors in the success of Great Lakes Growers. My customers value it just as much as I do,” John concludes.