Direct Owl Announces the National Fresh Ingredients Award 2026: Celebrating Top Producers

National Fresh Ingredients Award 2026

Direct Owl, operated by Red Horse Corporation, has announced the winners of the National Fresh Ingredients Award 2026. This award highlights producers who received exceptional ratings from consumers over the past year, embodying the concept of being directly connected to producers through fresh deliveries. After five years of celebration, the event continues to grow in its recognition of quality ingredients.

About the Award

Since its inception in 2021 as the Direct Owl Grand Prize, the award has evolved into the National Fresh Ingredients Award, aiming to showcase producers dedicated to providing delicious ingredients. Each year, this award evaluates producers based on their performance throughout the entire year. This year, the awards are once again categorized by seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter, with a total of 16 producers recognized across four prize categories: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and New Producer Award.

Direct Owl aims to deliver seasonal ingredients straight from producers who invest their hearts and souls into their craft, ensuring that customers get to enjoy some of the freshest and highest-quality foods. The evaluation of award recipients considers various metrics such as customer satisfaction ratings and feedback submissions, allowing for a highly trustworthy and accurate representation of consumer preferences, rather than just sales figures.

Award Categories

Winners are chosen from each seasonal category:

- Spring: Gold, Silver, Bronze, New Producer Award
- Summer: Gold, Silver, Bronze, New Producer Award
- Autumn: Gold, Silver, Bronze, New Producer Award
- Winter: Gold, Silver, Bronze, New Producer Award

Spring Winners

- Gold Award: nouen_shimizu (Ibaraki Prefecture, Koga City) - Main product: Corn

Producer Page
Comment: "Thank you for selecting us for the Gold Award in the Spring category of the National Fresh Ingredients Award 2026! This honor is possible thanks to the support from the organizing team and all the customers who rated our product as delicious. We are truly grateful!"

- Silver Award: Kusaka Farm (Ibaraki Prefecture, Nangou City) - Main product: Sweet Potatoes

Producer Page

- Bronze Award: Yamaguchi Strawberry Farm (Gunma Prefecture, Numata City) - Main product: Strawberries

Producer Page

- New Producer Award: 33 Onion Farm (Hyogo Prefecture, Minami-Awaji City) - Main product: Onions

Producer Page

Summer Winners

- Gold Award: Ikeda Farm (Nagano Prefecture, Nagano City) - Main product: Shine Muscat Grapes

Producer Page
Comment: "We are honored to receive this Gold Award again, and we will continue to work hard to deliver delicious fruits to many people!"

- Silver Award: Niimi Farm (Nagano Prefecture, Iida City) - Main product: Peaches

Producer Page

- Bronze Award: Urushiyama Orchard (Yamagata Prefecture, Nanyo City) - Main product: Grapes

Producer Page

- New Producer Award: Murakaku Farm (Kagoshima Prefecture, Soo City) - Main product: Watermelons

Producer Page

Autumn Winners

- Gold Award: Eishin Maru (Hokkaido, Yubetsu Town) - Main product: Oysters

Producer Page
Comment: "Thank you! We are excited to celebrate our fifth consecutive win!"

- Silver Award: Corleo Farm (Ehime Prefecture, Uwajima City) - Main product: Mandarins

Producer Page

- Bronze Award: Farm Nakajima (Nagano Prefecture, Iida City) - Main product: Pears

Producer Page

- New Producer Award: KANEHO Co., Ltd. (Aomori Prefecture, Ooma Town) - Main product: Seafood

Producer Page

Winter Winners

- Gold Award: Tanaka Orchard (Kumamoto Prefecture, Ashikita Town) - Main product: Pine Mikan

Producer Page
Comment: "Thank you for this recognition! We will continue to work hard to deliver delicious fruit every year."

- Silver Award: Yamuro Farm (Kanagawa Prefecture, Miura City) - Main product: Vegetables

Producer Page

- Bronze Award: Komagata Farming (Niigata Prefecture, Minami-Uonuma City) - Main product: Shiitake Mushrooms

Producer Page

- New Producer Award: Suo-Oshima Young Fishermen (Yamaguchi Prefecture, Suo-Oshima Town) - Main product: Seafood

Producer Page

Selection Criteria

The award winners are evaluated based on a variety of metrics, including:

- Number of customer feedback reports
- Average ratings of the reports
- Report acquisition rates (percentage relative to the number of submitted orders)
- Total number of orders received
- Additional efforts by the producers

Emphasis is placed on the overall reliability and satisfaction, including delivery performance and responsiveness, ensuring that customers have a fulfilling experience.

About Direct Owl

Direct Owl operates as a direct market connecting producers with consumers and offers a wide variety of products including fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, and flowers without going through intermediate markets. This system allows producers to retain more profit while consumers receive higher quality products.