Asian pear experts join forces with Stemilt Growers
Asian pear experts join forces with Stemilt Growers
When it comes to organic Asian pears, Jeff and Kristine Boullioun, owners of Busy Bee Orchards in Oroville, WA, could be considered a pair of experts.
Their expertise -- and top-notch product -- will be a greater part of Stemilt Growers' fruit inventory this season as the Boulliouns transfer exclusive marketing rights to Stemilt for all their organic Asian pears. Stemilt has been responsible for marketing about one-fourth of the Boulliouns' Asian pears in both 2004 and 2005.
The Boulliouns have been in the business of growing tree fruits since 1981. They initially planted Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples in 1981 on their 58-acre farm. They replanted with pears in 1987, transitioned to organic in 1999, and today their organic orchards consist of three varieties of apples, one variety of pear and 11 varieties of Asian pears.
The Boullioun orchard and packinghouse, located in the northern Washington fruit-growing community, buzzes with activity from mid-August to early November as Asian pear harvest takes place. Jeff Boullioun said that each variety is picked and packed with the variety's characteristics in mind, making sure the fruit is harvested at its peak and packed in soft, white "socks" that keep the fruit from bruising.
"Each Asian pear is grown differently and handled differently," Mr. Boullioun said. "That's our distinct advantage over other Asian pear producers. We treat each variety according to its individual traits so the very best quality arrives in stores."
Mr. Boullioun said that the special treatment starts long before harvest. Each Asian pear tree is marked with colored paint to make sure workers at Busy Bee Orchards know the difference between the 11 varieties. Special pruning practices are used both for winter and summer pruning, because some varieties need heavy trimming while others need less. The same concept applies to thinning.
"Some of the Asian pears tend to be smaller and require more thinning so the remaining fruit can size up," he said.
Varieties are only picked when they are ripe and ready to eat. And each variety requires multiple pickings to assure that the pears are flavorful, juicy and crisp when shipped, he said.
Mr. Boullioun said that the Busy Bee Orchard approach is not unique in tree fruit farming, but it is unique for those growing Asian pears. When the Boulliouns first established their orchards, they planted all varieties side by side in each orchard block. Like many growers, they believed most Asian pears were similar enough they could be cultivated and harvested in the same manner. That belief quickly changed as the Boulliouns realized there is more to raising Asian pears than meets the eye.
"Eight years ago there were a lot of Asian pears planted in Washington, but today there are very few," Mr. Boullioun said. "A lot of growers ended up removing them because they learned, like we did, that the varieties each need special care and handling in order to be their best at retail."
The Boulliouns took their lesson as a challenge, and they learned the traits and needs of each type of pear. The result has been top-quality product and a flourishing business for their 17 acres of organic Asian pears. Mr. Boullioun believes that there is potential to grow the market because, when handled properly, the fruit has tremendous consumer appeal.
"In the past, many growers haven't harvested and packed them correctly," he said. "We only sell the Asian pear variety that is at its harvest peak. We don't mix the varieties in the pack. Each box consists only of the best of each variety, and we require that all of one variety is sold out before we market the next variety available."
The three varieties most widely planted at the Busy Bee orchard are Kosui, Hosui and Yoinashi. Other Asian pears grown on the farm include 20th Century, Ichiban, Shinseiki, Shinko, Atago, Shin Li, Arirang and Olympic.
Mr. Boullioun said that Busy Bee's harvest peak occurs when supplies from California are low, giving them a competitive advantage. In addition, the Boulliouns make sure to put up a high-quality pack. Large-size Asian pears go into single-layer boxes that hold 10 to 14 pounds of fruit. Smaller-sized fruit goes into two-layer boxes that hold approximately 20 pounds.
All the organic Asian pears will continue to be packed under the "Busy Bee Orchards" label, and point-of-sale cards are available from Stemilt to help decorate displays.
Their expertise -- and top-notch product -- will be a greater part of Stemilt Growers' fruit inventory this season as the Boulliouns transfer exclusive marketing rights to Stemilt for all their organic Asian pears. Stemilt has been responsible for marketing about one-fourth of the Boulliouns' Asian pears in both 2004 and 2005.
The Boulliouns have been in the business of growing tree fruits since 1981. They initially planted Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples in 1981 on their 58-acre farm. They replanted with pears in 1987, transitioned to organic in 1999, and today their organic orchards consist of three varieties of apples, one variety of pear and 11 varieties of Asian pears.
The Boullioun orchard and packinghouse, located in the northern Washington fruit-growing community, buzzes with activity from mid-August to early November as Asian pear harvest takes place. Jeff Boullioun said that each variety is picked and packed with the variety's characteristics in mind, making sure the fruit is harvested at its peak and packed in soft, white "socks" that keep the fruit from bruising.
"Each Asian pear is grown differently and handled differently," Mr. Boullioun said. "That's our distinct advantage over other Asian pear producers. We treat each variety according to its individual traits so the very best quality arrives in stores."
Mr. Boullioun said that the special treatment starts long before harvest. Each Asian pear tree is marked with colored paint to make sure workers at Busy Bee Orchards know the difference between the 11 varieties. Special pruning practices are used both for winter and summer pruning, because some varieties need heavy trimming while others need less. The same concept applies to thinning.
"Some of the Asian pears tend to be smaller and require more thinning so the remaining fruit can size up," he said.
Varieties are only picked when they are ripe and ready to eat. And each variety requires multiple pickings to assure that the pears are flavorful, juicy and crisp when shipped, he said.
Mr. Boullioun said that the Busy Bee Orchard approach is not unique in tree fruit farming, but it is unique for those growing Asian pears. When the Boulliouns first established their orchards, they planted all varieties side by side in each orchard block. Like many growers, they believed most Asian pears were similar enough they could be cultivated and harvested in the same manner. That belief quickly changed as the Boulliouns realized there is more to raising Asian pears than meets the eye.
"Eight years ago there were a lot of Asian pears planted in Washington, but today there are very few," Mr. Boullioun said. "A lot of growers ended up removing them because they learned, like we did, that the varieties each need special care and handling in order to be their best at retail."
The Boulliouns took their lesson as a challenge, and they learned the traits and needs of each type of pear. The result has been top-quality product and a flourishing business for their 17 acres of organic Asian pears. Mr. Boullioun believes that there is potential to grow the market because, when handled properly, the fruit has tremendous consumer appeal.
"In the past, many growers haven't harvested and packed them correctly," he said. "We only sell the Asian pear variety that is at its harvest peak. We don't mix the varieties in the pack. Each box consists only of the best of each variety, and we require that all of one variety is sold out before we market the next variety available."
The three varieties most widely planted at the Busy Bee orchard are Kosui, Hosui and Yoinashi. Other Asian pears grown on the farm include 20th Century, Ichiban, Shinseiki, Shinko, Atago, Shin Li, Arirang and Olympic.
Mr. Boullioun said that Busy Bee's harvest peak occurs when supplies from California are low, giving them a competitive advantage. In addition, the Boulliouns make sure to put up a high-quality pack. Large-size Asian pears go into single-layer boxes that hold 10 to 14 pounds of fruit. Smaller-sized fruit goes into two-layer boxes that hold approximately 20 pounds.
All the organic Asian pears will continue to be packed under the "Busy Bee Orchards" label, and point-of-sale cards are available from Stemilt to help decorate displays.
