The Oppenheimer Group is adding a third grower to expand cherry offerings this season.
Oppy will market Katicich brand cherries from Katicich Ranch, Stockton, Calif., in addition to fruit from previous grower partners Felix Costa & Sons (Brookside label), Lodi, Calif., and Orchard View Inc. (Orchard View label), The Dalles, Ore.
California cherries start shipping in mid-May.
Oppy expects to match the success of last season, despite challenges facing the produce industry with the pandemic, James Milne, senior vice president of categories and marketing, said in the release.
“Retailer excitement for our cherry program is a reflection of just how much cherries are anticipated by customers everywhere, and how they’re typically viewed as a special treat linked to happy times,” Milne said in the release. “We expect the arrival of cherries to lift spirits and evoke a little more normalcy — and perhaps even optimism — for all who enjoy them.”
Orchard View shipments begin in June. Oppy has marketed the brand’s cherries for more than 10 years. The grower specializes in dark red cherries, grown on 3,400 acres. Oppy will offer Orchard View cherries in 2-, 3- and 4-pound top-seal units for the first time, as well as the tradition bags and clamshells, according to the release.
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