Project Grant 20223361037900

PROBLEM OR OPPORTUNITY. LEAFY GREENS (GREENS) ARE A HIGH VALUE, EASY TO GROW CROP FOR SMALL AND MID-SIZE FARMS (SMALL FARMS) BUT THEY REQUIRE LABOR-INTENSIVE POSTHARVEST PROCESSING TO WASH, DRY, AND PACKAGE. TO DRY THEIR GREENS, FARMERS UTILIZE A GREENS SPINNER TO SPIN DRY EXCESS WATER, EXTENDING THE SHELF-LIFE OF THE PRODUCT. SMALL FARMS SELLING GREENS NEED AN AFFORDABLE AND EFFICIENT GREENS SPINNER OPTION TO REDUCE THEIR POSTHARVEST HANDLING COSTS AS CURRENT PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET ARE EITHER TOO SMALL--CREATING BOTTLENECKS AND HIGH LABOR COSTS, OR TOO LARGE--LEADING TO PURCHASING BARRIERS AND COST INEFFICIENCIES. JOHNNY'S SELECTED SEEDS (JOHNNY'S) PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A COST-EFFECTIVE, LABOR-SAVING, AND HYGIENIC ELECTRIC GREENS SPINNER FOR SMALL FARMS THAT WILL VASTLY IMPROVE HANDLING CAPACITY FOR GREENS.PROJECT OBJECTIVES. THE GOAL OF THIS PHASE II EFFORT IS TO COMMERCIALIZE A MID-CAPACITY, ELECTRIC GREENS SPINNER THROUGH THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES: 1) CREATE A BETA I PROTOTYPE FOR TESTING AND ON-FARM TRIALS, 2) COMPLETE A LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS, AND 3) CREATE A BETA II PROTOTYPE FOR REGULATORY CERTIFICATION IN PREPARATION FOR COMMERCIALIZATION.DESCRIPTION OF PHASE II EFFORT. JOHNNY'S WILL BUILD ON THE ALPHA PROTOTYPE VARIATIONS FABRICATED DURING PHASE I TO CREATE A BETA I. THE TEAM WILL PERFORM RELIABILITY AND DURABILITY TESTING ON BETA I AND FIELD TESTING AT SEVERAL U.S. FARMS. JOHNNY'S WILL IMPLEMENT A COMPONENT AND PRODUCT PACKAGING DESIGN EVALUATION, WAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS, AND CUSTOMER SURVEY TO COMPLETE A LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS FOR ITS GREENS SPINNER. UTILIZING THE BETA I TESTING RESULTS AND LCA, THE TEAM WILL FABRICATE THE BETA II. BETA II WILL UNDERGO CERTIFICATION TESTING, MEET ALL WARRANTY REQUIREMENTS, AND INCLUDE COST-EFFECTIVE ASSEMBLY AND PACKAGING CONSIDERATIONS.ANTICIPATED RESULTS AND POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A MID-CAPACITY, ELECTRIC GREENS SPINNER READY FOR SALE INTO THE MARKETPLACE. THIS NEW PRODUCT WILL HELP LOWER SMALL FARMERS' PRODUCTION COSTS BY INCREASING THEIR POST-HARVEST HANDLING EFFICIENCY, ENABLING THEM TO REALIZE INCREASED PROFIT MARGINS ON THEIR GREENS SALES AND THEREBY PRICE THEIR PRODUCTS MORE COMPETITIVELY. IN ADDITION, SMALL FARMS COULD USE JOHNNY'S GREENS SPINNER TO EXPAND THEIR OPERATIONS TO SATISFY DEMAND FOR LOCAL FOOD.JOHNNY'S HAS A MORE THAN 40-YEAR HISTORY OF DEVELOPING NEW SEEDS AND TOOLS TO BENEFIT SMALL FARMS THAT WILL HELP ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT. THERE ARE MORE THAN 30,000 FARMS SELLING GREENS IN THE U.S. AND CANADA THAT WILL BE THE TARGET MARKET FOR THE GREENS SPINNER. JOHNNY'S HAS DETERMINED THAT MORE THAN 8,000 OF ITS EXISTING CUSTOMERS WILL BE IN THE MARKET FOR A GREENS SPINNER IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THIS PROJECT WILL HELP JOHNNY'S MAINTAIN ITS POSITION AS A LEADING INNOVATOR FOR SMALL FARMS AND WILL ENABLE FARMS SELLING GREENS TO REDUCE COSTS AND ACHIEVE GREATER PROFITS.