Eclipse expands strawberry acreage against the tide
Eclipse expands strawberry acreage against the tide
Eclipse Berry Farms LLC, which has its sales office in Los Angeles and its production in three coastal California districts to the north, has expanded its acreage this year significantly, though the industry is in more of a holding pattern.
Rick Hearst, who has been on the sales desk of the firm with Stuart Gilfenbain for the past generation, said the duo remains very bullish on the strawberry industry. Total California acreage is static this year and may be a bit down, but Eclipse has increased its acreage in all three of its California districts — Oxnard, Santa Maria and Watsonville.
“We also have a co-packing deal in Florida and acreage in Mexico,” said Hearst.
The company and its forerunners have had an Oxnard berry deal for the past 50 years. It added Watsonville production five years ago and got into the Santa Maria deal for the first time last year.
“We have a lot more acres in Santa Maria this year,” Hearst said.
The reason for the expansion in acreage and growing districts is simple. “Nowadays you almost have to be a 12-month deal,” he said. “That’s what the buyers are looking for.”
The fruit in the three California districts, as well as Florida and Mexico, assures Eclipse of supplies throughout the year. The first production of the season typically starts in Oxnard as early as December with the final shipments from Watsonville coming as late as November. Mexico and Florida fill that winter gap period.
Hearst said the expansion of volume works very well for the Eclipse team.
“We currently have a great team of people from the field to the sales desk,” he said. “Stuart and I have now become the older guys and we have a great staff of young people working with us. In our business you need that continuity from the older guys to the younger guys. I remember when I started, Marty Zwillinger was on the sales desk and he taught me a lot. Hopefully I can do the same for the younger guys.”