Sage Fruit expects increase in organic availability

Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co. will see an increase in organic volume across all of its commodities, says Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing.

“This fall and winter we will have organic SugarBee for the first time, as well as increased volume of organic Cosmic Crisp,” Sinks said.

Sage Fruit Co. is the sales and marketing firm for five Northwest tree fruit packing facilities that own Sage Fruit, Sinks said. The marketer’s organic fruit is grown throughout eastern Washington—from the Southeastern region, through the Yakima Valley and Chelan, up to Okanogan, he said. 

“For over three generations, our growers have been delivering the best tree fruit to customers worldwide,” Sinks said. The firm’s organic packing facilities are located in Chelan and Yakima, and Sage Fruit offers a wide variety of organic apples and pears year-round.

Fan favorites

Sinks said the firm’s most sought-after organic item by retailers is the organic Honeycrisp apple, with organic Gala running a close second. 

“Organic Honeycrisp is a high-end consumer favorite, which has an excellent ring at the register,” he said. “On the opposite side of that, though, organic Gala is an excellent option for the everyday, organic consumer because it is more price-friendly.”

Sage Fruit packs its organic commodities in the Sage label, but also has the ability to pack into private label if it is requested, Sinks said. 

Sage Fruit seeks to be a “one-stop answer” to all of its customers, and having a strong organic program helps accomplish that goal, he said. 

“We also want the Sage Fruit label to have an impact on the organic consumer,” Sinks said. “We want them to know that if they purchase Sage Organics, they will be getting a quality experience.”