Officials at Fowler Farms have a lot to say to attendees of SEPC’s Southern Exposure this year. 

The Wolcott, NY-based company once again had a solid year in the apples business with good movement and a lot of demand for its quality product, but, with drought conditions throughout the east coast last season, the apples that were produced were a bit smaller than previous years and it is important that customers know what is going on and how to handle it. 

“We had a really good year with very good movement,” said Austin Fowler, a company vice president. “But there is a lot to discuss with both our long-term partners and new customers in terms of the size of the individual apples and what needs to be done to ensure steady movement and sales.” 

Fowler said that the drought conditions created a situation where the yields were strong, apple size was smaller, which meant smaller apple sizes that took more product to fill bins and boxes. 

“We find that some larger retailers have programs that have long focused on offering consumers larger apples,” he said. “Now they must pivot a bit and come up with merchandising strategies that focus on smaller apples. That might mean different packaging and a different message that the apples may be smaller, but the quality is just as good if not better.”

The timing and nature of Southern Exposure allows Fowler Farms officials to engage existing and new customers about the trends, Fowler said. 

“We really look forward to SEPC as it is one of our favorite shows of the year,” he noted. “We want to tell our story, and the show creates an environment that we think allows us to work with our customers, retailers and apple people to keep them up to date on what is happening in the category. We always go home from the show with stronger existing relationship and a bunch of new friends.

“Based on crop size, we have really worked with our partners more than ever this year to try to allocate and keep a year-round supply as the national crop was not as big as forcasted,” Fowler continued. “It is all about communicating with the industry about what is going on so no one is blindsided by any events.” 

Company officials will be talking a lot about their new Sweet Maia apple, developed through the Midwest Apple Improvement Association, and expected to be harvested early in the apple season in the middle of August. 

“What has us really excited is that Sweet Maia is a very early apple and we think it will fill a void in the early part of the apple season,” Fowler said. “Historically, early apples are usually lacking something in terms of firmness, quality or taste. This apple checks all the boxes. It delivers on all fronts and we want the community to learn about it and how it will help them build sales. So, the time to start talking about it is at the show.”

Fowler added that the company is always laser focused at the show. “We have a story to tell and we have a lot of folks that we have worked with for generations that depend on us,” he said. “Our job is to be there, be visible and continue to work on the great mutual respect we have for each other. “This is a tough industry and it is important to be efficient, especially with costs skyrocketing and our prices not following through. We do everything we can in our culture to develop technology, systems and packaging to address these challenging times. Everyday we strive to improve through continuous enhancements.”