Case Study: a Regional Fruit Cooperative reduces crop waste and improves harvest planning with Sphere Partners

Regional Fruit Cooperative improves harvest planning 4–5 days ahead with Sphere Partners

The Regional Fruit Cooperative, a network of family-owned farms, struggled with inefficient harvest planning for its raspberry and apple crops due to volatile market windows and guesswork. This led to crop waste and rushed sales. They partnered with Sphere Partners to implement a lightweight AI and data analytics platform to better forecast demand and coordinate their harvests.

Sphere Partners developed a simple, cloud-based insights tool using open-source AI and Excel-friendly dashboards. The solution enabled the cooperative to align harvesting with buyer orders and weather trends, reducing spoilage. Farmers could now contact buyers 4-5 days in advance with accurate estimates, improving pricing and relationships. The project proved that AI can deliver significant impact without complex infrastructure.