Wenatchee, Wash.-based Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers is enjoying growth in its proprietary varieties as more trees come into production, said Dan Davis, director of business development.
“Juici specifically has grown in production significantly this season, and we’ve got our first real crop of Karma to work with as well,” Davis said.
The vertically integrated apple, pear and cherry shipper offers both conventional and organic fruit on all of its core commodities.
Davis said promotional opportunities lie in the new varieties.
“With the core [varieties] being so reduced, it opens the opportunity to expose the consumers to newer proprietary varieties or Cosmic Crisp,” he said. “That’s really where the year-over-year growth is as our overall crop evolves, and this is a once-in-several-decades crop to help encourage trial of something new without compromising what is already known.”
Marketing of apples at the start of the year will feature a healthy eating theme.
“We’ve got organic promotions planned as people drive toward healthy eating,” Davis said. “The omnichannel evolution is omnipresent and something we work toward always. The customer experience is changing, and retail is giving the consumer more ways to access our products.”
The biggest marketing change for this season has been an increase in app-based outreach, Davis said.
“We’ve had a focus on Juici through the fall months, and as we head into the New Year, Koru will increase in terms of domestic promotion,” Davis said.
Starr Ranch Growers is working on new packaging films to have more recyclable plastic packaging going forward, with a new bag offering expected in the fall of 2023.
“Another focus of ours has been fiber-based packaging,” Davis said. “Increasing paper and full recyclability of plastic continues to be our focus moving forward.”
