Colorful Harvest offering sweet red corn from Florida
Colorful Harvest offering sweet red corn from Florida
Monterey, CA-based Colorful Harvest LLC has announced an exclusive relationship with W.E. Schlechter & Sons of Belle Glade, FL, that will market Colorful Harvest's "Scarlet Sweet Red Corn" grown in Florida.
W.E. Schlechter, a third-generation corn and vegetable grower and a member of the Pioneer Growers Cooperative, will be the exclusive grower of the corn in Florida. The partnership marks the first time Colorful Harvest has grown the product outside California.
Colorful Harvest Chief Operating Officer Doug Ranno said that customer requests led the company to seek an East Coast grower-partner. His search for the best corn grower on the East Coast led him to W.E. Schlechter & Sons, he said.
"It's best to work with one grower," Mr. Ranno said. "These guys are the real deal. It's going to take [sweet red] corn to the next level."
In addition to their skill as growers, Mr. Ranno said that W.E. Schlechter & Sons and Pioneer "are some of the most credible corn experts in the country."
The sweet red corn sells nationally, but by having a grower and marketer of the product in Florida, Colorful Harvest can avoid the high freight costs of shipping the product back East, Mr. Ranno said. The sweet red corn is expected to harvest with limited availability in Florida during April, May and early June, and will harvest in California in late June, July and August.
"This gives the customer more options for a longer period," Mr. Ranno said.
Colorful Harvest intends to extend the growing season to 12 months a year and at a later date will assess the possibility of extending the growing season and growing the corn in other locations. The company has 150 acres of the corn growing in Florida and will begin harvesting there around April 1, Mr. Ranno said.
Bill Schlechter of W.E. Schlechter & Sons and grower-member of Pioneer Growers Cooperative said, "We are excited to partner with Colorful Harvest in their effort to bring colored sweet corn to market year round," adding that the item "will be a complement to our other premium quality products which are grown and marketed through Pioneer Growers."
Bryan Biederman of Pioneer Growers will be designated sales representative in Florida working directly with the Colorful Harvest sales office in Monterey, CA, to ensure maximum customer service for this crop. This will allow Colorful Harvest to have a person on the ground who can "look at the crop every day" and thus better service customers, Mr. Ranno said.
Missy Hardy will be the California sales contact for Colorful Harvest in its Monterey sales office. The sweet red grown will be available in 48 count bulk, 10/4 count mesh bags with recipe headers and in very limited value-added amounts, windowed and tray-packed in a 12/4 count over-wrap pack.
Retailers have placed the sweet red corn in both the produce department and in the deli section, Mr. Ranno said.
W.E. Schlechter, a third-generation corn and vegetable grower and a member of the Pioneer Growers Cooperative, will be the exclusive grower of the corn in Florida. The partnership marks the first time Colorful Harvest has grown the product outside California.
Colorful Harvest Chief Operating Officer Doug Ranno said that customer requests led the company to seek an East Coast grower-partner. His search for the best corn grower on the East Coast led him to W.E. Schlechter & Sons, he said.
"It's best to work with one grower," Mr. Ranno said. "These guys are the real deal. It's going to take [sweet red] corn to the next level."
In addition to their skill as growers, Mr. Ranno said that W.E. Schlechter & Sons and Pioneer "are some of the most credible corn experts in the country."
The sweet red corn sells nationally, but by having a grower and marketer of the product in Florida, Colorful Harvest can avoid the high freight costs of shipping the product back East, Mr. Ranno said. The sweet red corn is expected to harvest with limited availability in Florida during April, May and early June, and will harvest in California in late June, July and August.
"This gives the customer more options for a longer period," Mr. Ranno said.
Colorful Harvest intends to extend the growing season to 12 months a year and at a later date will assess the possibility of extending the growing season and growing the corn in other locations. The company has 150 acres of the corn growing in Florida and will begin harvesting there around April 1, Mr. Ranno said.
Bill Schlechter of W.E. Schlechter & Sons and grower-member of Pioneer Growers Cooperative said, "We are excited to partner with Colorful Harvest in their effort to bring colored sweet corn to market year round," adding that the item "will be a complement to our other premium quality products which are grown and marketed through Pioneer Growers."
Bryan Biederman of Pioneer Growers will be designated sales representative in Florida working directly with the Colorful Harvest sales office in Monterey, CA, to ensure maximum customer service for this crop. This will allow Colorful Harvest to have a person on the ground who can "look at the crop every day" and thus better service customers, Mr. Ranno said.
Missy Hardy will be the California sales contact for Colorful Harvest in its Monterey sales office. The sweet red grown will be available in 48 count bulk, 10/4 count mesh bags with recipe headers and in very limited value-added amounts, windowed and tray-packed in a 12/4 count over-wrap pack.
Retailers have placed the sweet red corn in both the produce department and in the deli section, Mr. Ranno said.
