What Ringer & Son Sales Agent Deb Pate called a “bumper crop of peaches” from Colorado’s Western Slope started shipping in late June, with volume expected to hit mid-July, somewhat earlier than normal. Pate said with the late-season variety that comes on in early September, the season will go possibly to the end of that month.

“There will be a slight drop in volume in August, but it will go up again with that late variety,” she said.

Olathe Sweet Corn from Ringer & Son will hit the shelves July 18-20, slightly later than an average season. (Photo by Kathleen Thomas Gaspar)“The Garnet Beauties and Redhavens are the first to ship,” she said, adding that Ringer continues to work with Clark Family Orchards and Fuller Fruit.

“We’ll also have pears during that same timeframe,” she said. The majority of the fruit goes to Colorado and regional receivers.

Olathe Sweet Corn from Ringer will start shipping July 18 to 20, “just a few days later than an average season,” said company President Joshua Johnson. Johnson told The Produce News on June 25 that though the corn got off to a later start, “We’ve had some nice 100-degree days recently, and the crop looks great. It’s growing like corn!”

The Olathe Sweet variety is grown by Mountain Fresh LLC, owned by Mike Ahlberg and his sons, Zach and Seth. The longtime corn growers have an exclusive agreement with Ringer for brokering the famed Western Slope product, and Johnson said this year’s crop of mostly yellow and bi-colored will go directly to retail.

“This year we have a new variety called the Fast Lane, and it’s an earlier bi-colored that is extremely sweet,” Johnson said.

“We have our established markets,” Johnson said, noting “California is looking for corn this year.”

The deal is expected to go to the end of September.

Though longtime sales agent Gene Schneider left Ringer to work as sales director for Hirakata Farms this spring, Ringer continues to sell cantaloupe for the Arkansas Valley grower, and Johnson said heavy rains in that part of the state has set the cantaloupe season back by as much as two weeks.

“Several acres of Hirakata’s farm are running late because of flooding and some hail,” Johnson said. It is expected the first loads will start shipping around Aug. 1.

Ringer also works with select Front Range growers on seasonal items, and salesman J.R. Roll is on that desk.

Now well-established in its new location closer to downtown Denver, Ringer & Son is seeing “very steady” business at its retail operation, Mountain Fresh Market, which Roll manages. The market offers conventional and organic fresh produce year-round, and it is also providing shoppers with local and regional seasonal items as well.

“It has been very well received,” Johnson said of Mountain Fresh Market. “We’ve increased our business by 150 percent since we opened in December, and we’re adding to our organics all the time. Right now about 20 percent of what we sell is certified organic, and we’re talking to an architect about expanding the market space by another 2,000 square feet that we have in this building. We plan to handle meat in that section. We’re working with High Plains Meat, which is all free-range and processed locally and has no preservatives. And we’re also working with Good Eatin’ Premium Meats for sausage.”