UNC students Alex Piasecki and Patrick Mateer probably didn’t know that they were on the verge of creating a successful locally frozen produce company when they first started working at a donation station at the Carrboro Farmers Market in 2014. It was here that they noticed a mismatch between supply and demand — with family farmers having excess produce.
“Fresh strawberries have a short season when they are available locally grown in North Carolina,” said Alex Piasecki, co-founder of Seal the Seasons. “We noticed that consumer demand and farmer supply didn’t have the same timing and farmers often had leftovers from farmers markets. We also observed that most of the frozen fruit sold at grocery stores is grown and imported from other countries. We saw a way to offer the flavor of fresh grown, field-ripened North Carolina strawberries and other fruit year-round in the freezer.”
They partnered with Piedmont Foods Processing Center, washing and freezing strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. These locally grown frozen fruits were first sold at Weaver Street Market, with local flavor making a difference for consumers. From these early days with the concept established and growing in North Carolina, the company gradually expanded its local supply chain model, collaborating with family farmers from regions like New Jersey, New York and Michigan. They grew slowly, focusing on one region at a time. “We work with family farmers in each region to source fruit for that region,” said Piasecki. Nationally, Seal the Seasons is the No. 1 locally grown food brand in the United States distributing its products to 4,000 retail locations across 36 states.
“In North Carolina we work with many local farms, like Cottle Farms or TC Smith,” said Piasecki. “These farmers bring their harvested berries to Cottle Farm’s Berry Cold fruit and vegetable processing center in Faison where the fruits are washed, sorted and frozen within 24 to 48 hours. In any given year, together we wash and freeze between 250,000 to 400,000 pounds of strawberries.”
The strawberries are harvested in the field using a harvest knife that removes the calyx, or the green stem of the strawberry. “A farmer is likely to harvest 7,000 to 15,000 pounds at a time,” said Piasecki. “At Berry Cold in Faison, the berries sit in a cooler to remove the field heat, then they go through a double wash process where they are washed, rinsed and blown dry. The fruit is then carefully sorted and graded to ensure only the best strawberries make the cut. The washed, capped berries are then rapidly frozen in an IQF (Individual Quick Freezing) tunnel that moves the berry slowly down a conveyer belt where they freeze completely. The strawberries roll off the conveyer belt like very large marbles and are sealed and packed into bulk boxes for cold storage. The whole process of field to frozen is typically 24 to 48 hours.”
“We package the bulk frozen fruit into two pound bags as we get purchase orders. Our locally grown, locally frozen and locally sold products are available in many local grocery stores in the Carolinas like Lowes Foods, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods and Ingles,” Piasecki added. “The amazing thing is the berries don’t leave eastern North Carolina until they are shipped to the grocery stores.” This rapid harvest-to-freeze process ensures that consumers enjoy the freshest possible frozen fruit, all while reducing waste and supporting local farmers.
Seal the Seasons has established strong networking with farmers and began incorporating “Got to Be NC” on their packaging early on. The company has participated in the Flavors of Carolina show for nearly a decade, helping to connect with grocery buyers and the local foods community. It was at events such as Flavors of Carolina that the company began to connect with local grocery stores. N.C. State Cooperative Extension, as well as word of mouth through other farmers, also helped the company expand their network of farmers.
The company continues to focus on value-added processing, which includes creating new product lines such as smoothie kits that appeal to the growing demand for healthy, ready-to-use items. They are also exploring options to utilize fruits that may not meet the traditional “Grade A” standard, which would help reduce food waste and provide more affordable options for consumers. “Currently we only use Grade A fruit in our products,” said Piasecki. “But we are exploring ways that other grades could be utilized.”
Seal the Seasons was created from a good idea between two college students on how to help farmers with excess produce. The mission and vision of the company has not changed even with their explosive growth. They have been successful because they are committed to supporting family farmers, addressing market challenges and becoming a lasting asset to the agricultural community.