Imagination Farms has expanded its premium "Disney Garden" program by adding Vero Beach, FL-based Seald Sweet International. This addition defines the Disney Garden citrus program by coupling Seald Sweet International with SunWest Fruit Co. to offer a year-round program from California, Texas, Florida and all major offshore regions. Glen Reynolds, East Coast sales manager of Imagination Farms, said in a statement, "With our singular focus on increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables among children, a comprehensive citrus program with coast-to-coast domestic product and offshore imports was a priority for us. Seald Sweet is clearly a world leader in domestic and imported citrus, and their marketing strength will assist us in bringing multiple citrus items to the marketplace, further enhancing our role as a leader in fresh produce marketing to children. We are excited to have them as part of our program."

With years of experience in sales and marketing of domestic and imported citrus, David Mixon, senior vice president for Seald Sweet International, added, "As marketers, we are always looking for new opportunities to bring high-quality citrus to consumers. We are eager to begin shipping 'Disney Garden' citrus. We are proud to be a part of this innovative organization that is not only focused on marketing, but committed to getting kids to eat more fruits and vegetables."

Citrus makes up an important category in the produce department, and research has shown that over 60 percent of parents with children are likely to purchase oranges. The 'Disney Garden' program aims to offer retailers a comprehensive list of products and a year-round solution of seamless supplies from one growing region to the next, while offering consumers high-quality, innovative products.

Domestic citrus made its debut in the Disney Garden program last November with products from SunWest Fruit Co. in Parlier, CA.

Seald Sweet will enter the program this summer by shipping imports from South Africa, Peru and Chile, and will round out the year with its domestic programs in Florida and Texas. The Seald Sweet program will feature similar packaging highlighting Nemo & Friends to create a cohesive brand visual for the consumer on a year-round basis.

Mayda Sotomayor, senior vice president for Seald Sweet, commented, "Consistency is so important for the retailer and the consumer to build brand recognition. We believe our domestic and import programs are an excellent fit to bring year-round opportunities for citrus consumption and brand awareness."

Taking the "Disney Garden" brand beyond the characters to include health messaging to promote consumption through education is a pillar of the program's success, according to Imagination Farms.

"To continuously complement our nutritional message, we feature fun health facts on our packaging in the form of easy-to-understand messaging for kids and calls to action to visit the Imagination Farms web site [www.imagination-farms.com] for learn-and-win opportunities," said Melinda Goodman, director of marketing for Imagination Farms.

Domestic and imported citrus will be available in the "Disney Garden" brand directly from Seald Sweet International.