Goldenberry Farms Awarded for Innovation in Fresh Produce

At the Sixth Annual Produce Business Innovation Awards, Goldenberry Farms was awarded for innovation in fresh produce for its unique approach to tropical fruit presentation. Launched last July, the company’s Ramboos brand of rambutans aims to make eating fruit fun and exciting for kids through a rich backstory called “the Legend of Ramboo,” a magical place with delicious hidden fruit treasures. A finalist for the coveted Joe Nucci Award for Product Innovation at the 2022 New York Produce Show, Ramboos is yet another example of branding success by the young company.

Founded in 2019, Goldenberry Farms began as a low-impact farming investment near Medellin, Colombia, and has since rapidly expanded. The company grows and sources from a network of wholly owned and operated farms in Colombia, Ecuador, the United States and countries in the Caribbean Basin for its wide array of tropical fruits, which includes goldenberries/physalis, mangos, rambutans, red and yellow dragon fruit, lychees, purple passion fruit, granadillas and mini bananas. At present, the company’s primary export markets are in North America and Europe, but it plans to continue expanding into other markets in Asia and the Middle East.

For Lunar New Year 2023, the company announced special packaging for its namesake goldenberries to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. Fruits, especially red and orange ones such as oranges, cherries and apples, reach peak popularity in China during this period and are often given as gifts to represent good health, abundance and happiness. To take advantage of the season, Goldenberry Farms launched a new “Lucky Golden Fruits” packaging for its 100-gram goldenberry clamshells. The limited-edition packaging, colored red (for luck) and gold (for prosperity), was exported to all of the company’s global destinations, including Asia via Hong Kong.

As a vertically integrated business, Goldenberry Farms is its own grower, packer and exporter, as well as handling all product research, development, branding and merchandising using in-house expertise. According to company director Christopher Palumbo, the development of new products and appropriate presentation has been key to fostering consumer interest. “We believe that people wish to eat healthier, and the presentation of any food can really influence the desire to try it. As a company focused on tropical and exotic fruit, we try to develop easy ways for new customers to want to try something exotic, something new.”

Goldenberry Farms plans to launch a new website focused on traceability, which will provide information to consumers on where their food comes from, how it was grown and how it has been handled. The website will also allow buyers to track shipments and receive price quotes using real-time data and provide growers access to live field, mapping and climate data. To further promote sustainable packaging, last year the company switched to 90% recycled and 100% reusable clamshells for its products.

For Palumbo, these efforts all reflect the values and core mission of Goldenberry Farms. “This brand and our ‘Where Good Things Grow’ philosophy are truly invested in improving all aspects of food production, from a focus on sustainable and regenerative farming to empowering our employees with education and social programs, to delivering a healthier piece of fruit to our consumers — this project has really become a labor of love for all of us.”

Images: Goldenberry Farms