Sponsored: Fresh Farms off to an early start on Mexican grapes

Rio Rico, Ariz.-based Fresh Farms is ramping up its early season production of some of the tastiest table grapes on the market this season.

Thanks to its Mexican grape program out of the Jalisco region, the company has a head start on the spring grape deal and is able to offer its customers varieties such as Sweet Globe, Ivory, Sugar Crisp and super-popular Cotton Candy more than a month before harvesting starts in the traditional growing regions, said David Watson, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

“Everybody goes nuts over Cotton Candy grapes,” he said. “Retailers like to place their orders as soon as they’re available and get them on the displays.”

Fresh Farms, the U.S. sales and marketing arm of the Molina family’s growing operation, kicked off its Jalisco venture six years ago, said Scott Rossi, Mexico grape senior consultant.

Jalisco starts in late March and enables Fresh Farms to market North American grapes while Chile still is shipping, he said.

Traditionally, grapes are not available out of Mexico until early May, at the earliest.

“Jalisco has been a game changer for the retailers, because they can come to North America and get grapes that don’t have to be put on a vessel or fumigated or ride for 14 to 17 days until they get to a port,” Watson said.

“We’re only a few days away from New York and a few days away from L.A. and the Midwest with fresh table grapes.”

 Establishing vineyards in Jalisco was no easy task.

“No one ever thought they would be able to grow grapes in Jalisco,” Watson said.

The region is mountainous, and irrigation pipes had to be run from the river through the mountains to flatter areas, where grapes could be grown.

“It’s really an engineering feat,” he said. “But the Molina family did it.”

In all, Fresh Farms offers about 15 varieties of grapes that also include Candy Snap, Candy Hearts, Summer Royal, Sweet Sapphire and even a few red globe seeded grapes, Rossi said.

“Red globes got moved to the side when the seedless varieties came in,” Watson said. “Now, the traditional seedless grapes are getting moved to the side, if you’re one of the growers who has the opportunity to plant the new preferred varieties.”

“The Sweet Globes and some of the other varieties that are out there are getting applause from consumers because they’re bigger, crunchier and they taste good,” he said. “People who eat grapes are surprised because they never had a green grape that tasted like that.”

Fresh Farms also has some new plantings of Allison red grapes that will be available at the end of April next year.

Buyers can expect plenty of high-quality, flavorful grapes out of Mexico this season, Watson said.

“The crop is really good this year,” he said. “There are good bunches, good sizing on the grapes, good flavor and they’re very clean.”

“If that holds, there will be a lot of good grapes for retailers to promote all through the season.”

Many of the grapes are grown under shade cloth that protects the crop from sunburn and pests.

When the Jalisco harvest is over, there is a seamless transition to Sonora in early May, and the company finishes the season in Caborca.

Fresh Farms also grows grapes in California and sources from South America for year-round availability.

Grapes are only one of several commodities Fresh Farms offers its customers.       

Soft squash, hard squash, eggplant, cucumbers, pickles, green and colored bell peppers, green beans, eggplant, sweet corn, watermelon and cantaloupes also are included in the company’s product line.

“Those programs are growing as fast as the grape business in some respects,” Watson said.

The company has been successful largely because members of the Molina family — including Javier, Juan Pablo, Charlie and Marco Molina Jr. — are deeply involved in the venture, he said.

The business is socially and environmentally responsible and vertically integrated with its own fertilizer business and soil regeneration program.

The company also is working on innovative, biodegradable packages for grapes.

The family, which has been growing grapes for 41 years, is a fair trade grower and provides housing for more than 9,000 employees, along with a small supermarket and even a doctor and dentist clinic.