About

Schuyler Farms is an Ontario-based agri-food company engaged in the growing, storage, processing, and packaging of apples and cherries for North American markets. The company operates a high-throughput packing and processing facility in Simcoe, Ontario, supplying fresh-market fruit, bulk product for processors, and value-added inputs for juice, sauce, and bakery applications. Schuyler Farms processes approximately 30 million pounds of apples annually, with peak throughputs of up to 20,000 pounds per hour.

Project

Through this Development and Commercialization supported project, Schuyler assurance system for high-throughput apple processing. The solution uses deep learning algorithms and precision imaging to automate fruit quality inspection, addressing labor shortages and grading inconsistencies faced by Ontario’s agri-food sector.  Schuyler  Farms will be working with the ventureLAB TDS to develop and refine algorithms with the use of the sites infrastructure and advisory services.

Impact

The project will deliver a pilot-ready, AI-enabled computer vision QA/QC system that has been fully integrated and validated in a high-throughput apple processing environment within a 4-month timeline.  Within 12 months of completion, the solution should help reduce QA workload, reduce product loss and help increase the quality of shipped product – all helping to reduce costs and improve revenues for Schuyler Farms.