Washington
Industry leaders share how well-planned displays, proprietary variety rotation and wellness messaging turn store traffic into repeat purchases.
Marketers say retailers can capitalize on social media fibermaxxing conversations by featuring prominent fall pear displays and clear in-store nutrition signage.
With planted acres down across major growing regions, suppliers look ahead to stabilized pricing alongside major operational upgrades and steady consumer demand.
Growers across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon prepare for late-summer harvest, eyeing solid crop development, refined packaging, and a healthier market after a tough season.
With localized production suffering immense financial losses, Gavin Willis shares how growers hope upcoming trade talks will address stark differences in environmental and labor costs.
From H-2A wage rules to state regulations, the produce industry says escalating labor costs are eating into grower profits and reshaping the future of specialty crop farming.
The company says that as blueberries continue to lead the category, jumbo varieties offer an opportunity for retailers to differentiate.
Brewster Heights Packing & Orchards has filed for a voluntary court-supervised stalking horse asset sale to protect its premium orchards and navigate a historic agricultural margin squeeze.
Industry leaders outline how retailers can maximize the 90-day sweet cherry sales window through aggressive early promotions and strategic late-season displays.
As Washington growers face rising costs and labor scarcity, a new partnership with Semillero de Ideas is transforming experienced harvesters into technical consultants to optimize orchard efficiency and automation.
The Washington Red Raspberry Commission says a byproduct of Mexico’s fight against spotted wing drosophila is flooding the U.S. puree market with low-cost fruit that domestic processors can’t match.
While Honeycrisp volumes rebound, apple marketers say this year’s crop will offer solid bagged and organic promotions.
Along with sharing good news from the field, a number of grower-shippers say exports play a significant role in their sales programs.
While there have been no major disruptions, there’s some concern over the potential for immigration enforcement efforts to impact labor.
Washington and Oregon producers hope to avoid disruptions related to immigration enforcement.
While this year’s crop might be smaller, growers have a positive outlook on how things are shaping up in the field.
Fruit tree growers in Washington have several strategies for dealing with drought and being water resilient, but there are costs associated with all of them.
Fifth-generation Washington farmer Tate Mathison and his father, Kyle Mathison, are bringing new meaning to the term “cherry picking.”
Bulk onions marketed by grower-shippers in Washington and Oregon typically outsell packaged product, but they say consumer packs have been steadily gaining traction.
In 2023, onion utilized production in the Pacific Northwest was up 6% from the previous year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
The 2024 harvest is expected to get underway sometime between late July and early September, with start dates varying slightly by grower.
Consumer packs typically account for about half the fresh-market potatoes shipped by suppliers in Washington and Oregon, grower-shippers say.
Yakima, Wash.-based Washington Fruit Growers expects to market good volume of pears this year, said Dan Davis, director of business development.
Industrywide, early Northwest pear estimates are coming with about 30% less volume compared with 2023, said Kaci Komstadius, vice president of marketing for Sage Fruit Co., Yakima, Wash.
Cold damage over the winter will translate to lower Northwest pear output for 2024, industry leaders say.
Retailers should expect anything but a California cherry season like last year, according to Stemilt Growers.
Superfresh Growers, Yakima, Wash., is marketing blueberries with an exclusive supply agreement with Norris Farms, Roseburg, Ore.