Oppy celebrates 100 years at Orchard View Cherries
Oppy’s California cherry season is expected to end around June 20, just in time to overlap with the start of the Pacific Northwest cherry season.
Jon Bailey, lead for Oppy’s cherry category, said the marketer’s 2023 volume of Northwest cherries is expected to be up.
“While last year was our shortest crop in a decade, we’re looking forward to a big crop this season, potentially Orchard View’s largest crop ever,” Bailey said. “We’re expecting 1.4 million boxes of excellent quality and size.”
The Dalles, Ore.-based Orchard View Cherries is celebrating 100 years, with four generations of the Bailey family contributing to that legacy, he said.
Oppy’s marketing program is focusing the 100-year anniversary at Orchard View Cherries, which includes refreshed POS materials, shipper bins, social media content and more.
“It’s been a labor of love for four generations in The Dalles, Ore. — working, learning and growing together to bring forth an abundance of perfect cherries eagerly awaited around the world,” Bailey said. “In 1923, my grandparents Walter and Mabel Bailey established Orchard View Farms, while my mom and dad, Don and Edwina, planted additional acreage and built cold storage and packaging facilities between the 1970s and 1980s. I’m honored to be a part of the family business, alongside our president, Brenda Thomas, growing our beautiful cherry orchards with commitment and care.”
Crop timing
Bailey said peak supply for Orchard View Cherries is anticipated around July 4 through the end of July, with the crop finishing up about Aug. 10.
“We’re always experimenting, looking for that bigger, juicier, more-flavorful cherry. While we grow tried-and-true varieties — from chelan, bing, kordia, rainier, lapins, regina, skeena and sweetheart — matching each variety to its ideal microclimate and elevation on the banks of the Columbia River, we also have some new varieties coming from black pearl, burgundy pearl and ebony pearl, along with royal helen and royal hazel.”
Retailers can boost cherry sales with end-aisle displays, Bailey said, since those displays have the best visibility for shoppers.
“In-store promotion is key as cherries are not typically on everyone’s shopping list and continue to be an impulse purchase — we hope that consumers continue see cherries as that truly seasonal item to treat themselves to when they see them at retail,” Bailey said.
Export interest is strong, he said.
“We expect a better export season, as we’ve faced challenges between the expense and availability of air freight and currency exchange in recent years,” he said. “With aerial transport and freight rates down, along with the larger crop, good fob pricing will spur demand, which will be better for our export customers."
Aside from unforeseen economic variables, Bailey said the table is set for a successful cherry season.
No changes in cherry packaging are anticipated, he said, with the marketer offering 2-pound top-seal packs and high-graphic pouch bags.
