Stemilt Growers offers big volume of organic apple and pear favorites

Stemilt Growers produces nearly 30% of its apples and about 15% of its pears organically, says Brianna Shales, marketing director for the Wenatchee, Wash.-based marketer.

Stemilt has been growing organics since 1989 and produces consumer favorites like fuji, gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady and granny smith organically along with modern varieties growing in popularity like Cosmic Crisp and SweeTango, Shales said.

“Our brand, Artisan Organics, is our promise to consumers to artfully grow organic fruit for flavor first,” she said.  

Stemilt Artisan Organics apples and pears come from some of the best growing locations in Washington state to ensure that Stemilt delights consumers with a year-round supply of core varieties, Shales said.

“Volume is up for organics this year, and we’re looking forward to partnering with retailers on promotions for apples and pears,” she said. “We’ve received great weather this growing season, which has fueled fruit with sweet flavors for people to enjoy. We’re excited to see club varieties like Cosmic Crisp and SweeTango continue to grow in volume so we can share these apple options with the organic consumer."

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Stemilt has many ways to help retailers find sales success with organic tree fruit, Shales said. Those strategies range from pop-up displays and signage to assist with sales or display contests to be part of big feature promotions.

“The best practice for organic apple category growth is to run at least one multivariety promotion each month,” she said.

One long-term trend has been the rising demand for packaged organic fruit, Shales said.

“It’s very important for retailers to secure ring at the register from organic purchases so they get their dollars for the category,” she said. “We know this can be a challenge, especially with self-checkout stations, so Stemilt has launched a new sustainable packaging solution called EZ Band. The EZ Band is a four-pack of apples made from 100% paperboard including a tension band holding it all together.”

Shales said Stemilt designed the package to be easy for retailers to stock, easy for consumers to shop and easy to ring up bulk organic apples at the register in one scannable unit.

“We now have a whole lineup of EZ Bands available including fuji, gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady and granny smith along with Cosmic Crisp and SweeTango,” she said.