Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers is looking forward to a nice crop of organic cherries this year, says Brianna Shales, director of marketing.
Stemilt is in its 32nd year of its Artisan Organics program. A grower of organic apples, pears, cherries, peaches, nectarines and apricots, Stemilt Growers is nearing the summer season where cherries and stone fruits take center stage. “We are expecting a nice crop of organic cherries, with key timing from mid-June through July,” she said. Stemilt’s stone fruit crop is all organic, she said. “The last two seasons were shorter for apricots, but this year, they avoided frost and set a nice crop,” Shales said.
Organic apricot shipments will begin in mid-June.
In mid-July, Stemilt’s all-organic peach and nectarine program begins, she said, with volume in August and September. “These fruits have been certified organic for over a decade and are full of complex sugars and acids,” she said. “It’s shaping up to be an exciting summer for Artisan Organics!”
Last year, Stemilt introduced paper totes for a sustainable option to help retailers merchandise bulk fruits.
“Our peaches and nectarines grow big, so it’s an ideal solution to move more tonnage,” Shales said.
“We also have a box we call Top Pick, which selects the best fruit picked at the top of the tree and packs it in a bright box with the message ‘The Most Incredible Fruit Ever.’ It’s a great way to deliver on that flavor promise and promote organic peaches or nectarines through an eye-catching box display.”
The company will also continue to supply key organic apple varieties through the summer thanks to expanded storage capabilities for organics.
By fall, Stemilt Growers will harvest the new crop of organic apples and pears, with good volumes of organic SweeTango, Honeycrisp and fuji apples and more.
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