Chelan Fresh growers picking at prime time
Chelan Fresh growers picking at prime time
Mac Riggin, director of marketing for Chelan Fresh Marketing, said conditions bode well for a good quality crop this season. “We have good harvest weather now,” he said at the end of August. “You can kind of feel the fall in the air.”
Chelan Fresh has been moving fresh tree fruit since 2004. Serving as a link between growers and retailers, Chelan Fresh represents more than 419 growers from its headquarters in Chelan, WA.
Growers did experience some hail events earlier in the season. “Everyone got hit with some hail,” he stated. “But it just thinned the crop a little.” Summer temperatures were hot. “It wasn’t crazy hot,” Riggin went on to say.
Gala production began in the latter part of August, and Riggin said production for late apple varieties will conclude the last week of October. He said Chelan Fresh will market 11 million boxes of apples this season. “Apples will be up one size,” he noted, adding that quality is good. Approximately 35 percent of the company’s apple volume is exported.
Riggin said marketplace dynamics will be interesting this season. “We usually don’t beat Michigan to the market,” he said about timing.
This season, Chelan Fresh will secure 2.4 million of its apple bags with specially printed Kwik Loks that will give consumers a discount in the “Jif-To-Go” promotion. Riggin said peanut butter is a natural complement to apples, and the promotion will run through Oct. 31. A variety of flavors are available in small sized ups.
“We are also doing Fuel Up to Play 60,” he said. Chelan Fresh will again team up with the National Football League and the National Dairy Council to encourage children to “fuel up” with healthy items such as apples and engage in regular physical fitness activities. “The schools participate at different levels,” Riggin said. Recent studies show the positive effect that participation has had on students through reinforcement of the link between quality nutrition, physical activity and academic performance.
On the grocer side, Riggin said students’ knowledge about the program provides instant recognition at retail for fresh items supported in the program. “So parents can buy these bags,” he stated.
