"Currently, there are 30 hectares of greenhouses in Ostellato (Italy) developed by Fri-El Green House, and this could even increase to 60 by 2028," said Florian Gostner, CEO of Fri-El Green House, at a meeting by the company at their Ostellato location. The event highlighted the range of products currently grown over those 30 hectares: premium cluster tomatoes, cocktail tomatoes, mini plums, snack cucumbers, and long cucumbers.
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The speakers' table
In 2024, the company estimates a turnover of 40 million euros for 14,700 tons of product. The workforce comprises about 600 employees, 40% women, with an average age of 34.
"But we are likely to expand to other products, such as berries and strawberries," Gostner pointed out. The press meeting was coordinated by Sandra Gostner, marketing manager, who also introduced Davide D'Ignazio (sales manager in Italy) and Giulia Bozzoli, head of cultivation.
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Florian and Sandra Gostner (ph P. Benini)
A unique feature of Fri-El's vegetable brand H2Orto is hydroponic. The greenhouses in winter get their heat from the biogas plant close by. "But we are also building a geothermal plant, which will help us be completely energy-independent and achieve zero emissions. The system involves extracting hot water (150° C from the underground at over 5000 meters of depth), utilizing its heat, and re-injecting the same water back.
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An aerial view of the hydroponic greenhouses
"On top of that, we also rely on our photovoltaic systems and many different rainwater recovery systems: our mission is to have a true circular economy," Gostner emphasized.
"We grow our crops in greenhouses made out of iron and glass, spanning over 30 hectares," said Giulia Bozzoli, head of cultivation. "To keep growing year-round, half of our greenhouses use LEDs. The produce not suitable for sale is used for the biogas plants for energy production."
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Giulia Bozzoli, head of cultivation
"For pest control, we adopt an integrated pest management system. Releases of beneficial insects are made, which are capable of reducing the population of those that could damage the cultivation. Pollination is carried out by bumblebees. We are talking about a virtuous cycle with a circular economy system aimed at the utmost respect for the environment and the product," she concluded.
"Thanks to our greenhouses, our products are always available in main supermarket chains in Italy, Austria, and Germany. This is what makes our company unique in Italy. The company has decided to invest from January 2024 to July in growing 10 hectares of Dutch long cucumbers and snack cucumbers."
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Davide D'Ignazio
"We intend to sell the long cucumbers in a wrapped format for the Italian market and in bulk for the foreign market. We are confident that adequate logistics will ensure it arrives everywhere with no problems and an adequate shelf life."
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"The mini cucumber is about 10 centimeters long with an average weight of 40 grams and is offered in 200-gram packages. The initial production will be on three thousand square meters in hydroponics, obviously. The plan is to differentiate production and not to focus solely on tomatoes - which remain our flagship product."
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"The sales are positive, but we are always ready to accept new challenges and improve. In 2024, we expect significant growth in terms of production and revenue. An important element to pursue is the packaging of 100% of our production. This will allow us to further improve our nickel-free certification and better reduce waste for the GDO chains."
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Chef Simone Finetti: after debuting on Masterchef, he attended the most important cooking schools
"In light of the strong demand from the Italian market, we have decided to triple the surface area dedicated to the cultivation of Strabena. Thanks to the transplants carried out in January 2024, we were able to achieve the planned results in March 2024."
At the end of the event, chef Simone Finetti prepared some dishes based on H2Orto products.