Blue Mountain Fruit Company located in the Town of the Blue Mountains is a packer, marketer, and exporter of Ontario apples. The impressive 82,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art computerized packing plant is the most recent development for this family-run business with a rich history in the industry.
In 2001, Irma and Marius Botden, owners of Botden Orchards Ltd. implemented innovative technologies and management practices to increase apple quality and sustainability in Ontario. Such innovations included high-density orchard plantings, precision GPS planting, drip irrigation, eco sprayers and advanced pre-sorting and grading systems.
Prior to their departure from the Netherlands, Irma and Marius negotiated the rights to become the exclusive growers of the Red Prince apple in Canada and imported rootstock from their nursery in the Netherlands. In 2001, they became Botden Orchards, and have since been dedicated to the continual discovery and implementation of innovative agricultural technologies and best apple production and management practices. Along with the Red Prince apple, the Botden family grows varieties such as Honeycrisp and Ambrosia.
In August 2013, Botden Orchards became a fully integrated operation as a grower/packer/shipper with the acquisition of Blue Mountain Fruit Company. In operation since 1961, Blue Mountain Fruit Company is a Canadian leader in apple packaging and sales dedicated to sustainable growing practices and increasing the volume of local apples for Canadian consumption.
While Marius and Irma Botden built the foundation; the second-generation family members are now taking leadership responsibility with Gerbe Botden as Orchard Manager, Gitty Botden as Plant Coordinator and Sacha Botden as Production Manager ensuring philosophical continuity.
In July of 2019, after a 5-year research and contracting process across Europe and North America, the Botden family broke ground for the new facility. “The equipment we had in place was aging and we wanted to improve our processes and packaging through-put”, says Gerbe Botden, Orchard Manager. “We looked at packaging operations and high-speed packaging lines with a goal to retain apple quality.” he continues.
The new facility incorporates some of the following innovations:
- Integrated storage facility to control quality air/temperature/inventory control to ensure quality is maintained until packed.
- Automated Pre-Sorter to meet retailer standards with dynamic sorting capabilities.
- Waxer/Dryer removes all debris, polishes, and wax to the exact standard for each variety and improves shelf life.
- Automated Weigher & Bag Fillers to ensure apple combinations to achieve targeted weight specifications, while gently handling apples and applying traceability code
- Automatic Tray Fillers to ensure consistent presentation to customers.
- Computerized Printing and Labeling with Traceability code is applied to each box containing information all the way to the block that the apples were harvested from.
- Automatic Palletizer ensures loads are secure and the product is received with the highest quality.
Every harvest season, The Blue Mountain Fruit Company packs and stores apples from the Botden’s own 500 acres of orchard and they pack for an additional 20 Ontario Growers.
To learn more about The Blue Mountain Fruit Company visit their website.