Best New Retail Products Contest Nominee 2017

Seal the Seasons, Hillsborough, N.C., launched new North Carolina-grown frozen blueberries, frozen berry blend and frozen broccoli.

Seal the Seasons is a mission-based business that sells local, family farm produce to conventional grocery chains. The company focuses specifically on working with small and mid-sized farms, while also pledging 20% of profits to ending hunger.

“It’s a great way to get our product into a whole new market,” says Gary Wise, a produce grower in Mt. Olive, N.C. “We really have to market hard to the grocery stores, and Seal the Seasons helps take a large part of that.”

Seal the Seasons is currently available in most Carolina grocery stores, including Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, Whole Foods and many community grocers, and will be sold in Ingles and Sprouts Farmers Market grocery stores in early 2017.

“We believe that everyone deserves delicious, local food that’s good for you and good for the world,” says Patrick Mateer, chief executive officer. “I’m thrilled that over 600 grocery stores have decided to make local a priority. Grocers are critical to accomplishing our mission of more food grown on local farms.”