Sunny Valley adds a vegetable grower to its summer product mix
Sunny Valley adds a vegetable grower to its summer product mix
Fresh fruit is the specialty of Sunny Valley International Inc. in Glassboro, NJ. This summer, however, vegetables are going to play a larger part in the firm's marketing mix, according to Phil Neary, Sunny Valley's director of operations and grower relations.
"We have dabbled in vegetables from time to time over the years," Mr. Neary told The Produce News April 14. But recently, "we were approached by a vegetable grower to take his whole deal. It's a relatively small deal overall," but it will be a strong program for regional retail markets, Mr. Neary said.
The grower, Benny Tomarchio, who owns Bald Eagle Farm in Harrisonville, NJ, specializes in "Jersey Fresh" grape tomatoes and prefers to focus on growing and packing operations vs. marketing. That is why he contacted Sunny Valley, which is a marketer with strong retail sales contacts.
"We will be marketing all of his crop," said Mr. Neary, which includes Roma and round vine-ripe tomatoes, peppers and some squash.
Bald Eagle's primary crop, however, is grape tomatoes, which will be packed mostly for the retail business in 12 one-pint clamshells per flat. Mr. Neary said that Mr. Tomarchio might also pack a small volume of 20-pound loose- fill grape tomato boxes for foodservice. The vegetables are packed under the "Bald Eagle Farm" label, which is "a very patriotic-looking label," Mr. Neary said. These vegetables will also use the statewide "Jersey Fresh" logo.
A series of plantings will extend the timing of this vegetable deal over several months. The first grape tomatoes will come on in early July. "We will have very good volume from mid-July until the middle to end of September." Volume then will taper off into October, lasting perhaps as long as the first frost.
Bald Eagle Farm expects to pack around 75,000 flats of grape tomatoes this summer. Mr. Neary said that it is a small volume "compared to the big national companies, but this is more of a local and regional deal." Within the philosophy of the Bald Eagle sales and marketing program is an emphasis on sustainability and having a small carbon footprint.
In 2008, Sunny Valley will be marketing about 25,000-30,000 boxes of "Bald Eagle" Roma tomatoes. Mr. Tomarchio also is planting to catch the early market on round vine-ripe tomatoes and bell peppers. The vine-ripe tomato harvest should begin in early July and is expected to finish in early to mid- August. The peppers will begin around the first week of July and will run for four or five weeks.
Mr. Neary described Mr. Tomarchio as "a very good grower with high yields and good quality." All the Bald Eagle vegetables are grown on stakes with drip irrigation.
Mr. Neary added that "the south Jersey vegetable industry has been slower" to adopt food-safety measures than some parts of the produce industry. As a result, "we are aggressively working with Benny to get food-safety" precautions, including third-party audits, in place "under his whole program."
"We have dabbled in vegetables from time to time over the years," Mr. Neary told The Produce News April 14. But recently, "we were approached by a vegetable grower to take his whole deal. It's a relatively small deal overall," but it will be a strong program for regional retail markets, Mr. Neary said.
The grower, Benny Tomarchio, who owns Bald Eagle Farm in Harrisonville, NJ, specializes in "Jersey Fresh" grape tomatoes and prefers to focus on growing and packing operations vs. marketing. That is why he contacted Sunny Valley, which is a marketer with strong retail sales contacts.
"We will be marketing all of his crop," said Mr. Neary, which includes Roma and round vine-ripe tomatoes, peppers and some squash.
Bald Eagle's primary crop, however, is grape tomatoes, which will be packed mostly for the retail business in 12 one-pint clamshells per flat. Mr. Neary said that Mr. Tomarchio might also pack a small volume of 20-pound loose- fill grape tomato boxes for foodservice. The vegetables are packed under the "Bald Eagle Farm" label, which is "a very patriotic-looking label," Mr. Neary said. These vegetables will also use the statewide "Jersey Fresh" logo.
A series of plantings will extend the timing of this vegetable deal over several months. The first grape tomatoes will come on in early July. "We will have very good volume from mid-July until the middle to end of September." Volume then will taper off into October, lasting perhaps as long as the first frost.
Bald Eagle Farm expects to pack around 75,000 flats of grape tomatoes this summer. Mr. Neary said that it is a small volume "compared to the big national companies, but this is more of a local and regional deal." Within the philosophy of the Bald Eagle sales and marketing program is an emphasis on sustainability and having a small carbon footprint.
In 2008, Sunny Valley will be marketing about 25,000-30,000 boxes of "Bald Eagle" Roma tomatoes. Mr. Tomarchio also is planting to catch the early market on round vine-ripe tomatoes and bell peppers. The vine-ripe tomato harvest should begin in early July and is expected to finish in early to mid- August. The peppers will begin around the first week of July and will run for four or five weeks.
Mr. Neary described Mr. Tomarchio as "a very good grower with high yields and good quality." All the Bald Eagle vegetables are grown on stakes with drip irrigation.
Mr. Neary added that "the south Jersey vegetable industry has been slower" to adopt food-safety measures than some parts of the produce industry. As a result, "we are aggressively working with Benny to get food-safety" precautions, including third-party audits, in place "under his whole program."
