Idaho apple crop could be the best 'in several years'
Idaho apple crop could be the best 'in several years'
PARMA, ID -- With more than a century of farming expertise at work in many of its orchards, Idaho has long contributed to the production of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Rome, Jonagold, Jonathan and Braeburn apples of the western United States.
Last year, as the result of spring freezes, the state saw a reduced crop, but 2008 is shaping up to be a good season for Idaho's apple varieties across the board.
"The Idaho apple industry is optimistic about this crop," said Candi Fitch, executive director of the Idaho Apple Commission.
Ms. Fitch told The Produce News in mid-August, "The fruit quality appears to be excellent. We experienced a cooler summer this year, and that bodes well for the apples. In fact, it could be the best crop in several years."
Harvest generally kicks off in late August with Galas, and apples from the state ship through the following spring, depending on variety.
While the industry is small by comparison to other apple-growing areas, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures, Idaho factored into U.S. production with approximately 35 million pounds in 2007. That was down some 20 million pounds from the previous season due to spring freezes. This year, the USDA has predicted that Idaho growers should bring in about 55 million pounds.
Many of the fresh shipper operations are family-owned companies that produce fruit as well as pack and ship for other growers in the state's apple- growing region between the Snake and Payette rivers in southwestern Idaho. The valley boasts a variety of microclimates, volcanic soil, good farming terrain and abundant water.
Among the older apple operations in the area is Henggeler Packing Co. in Fruitland, ID. Started as a farm in 1908 by C.B. Henggeler, the company has roots that extend back to Utah, where Mr. Henggeler had been an orchardist prior to the westward move. The packinghouse was started in 1943 by Mr. Henggeler's brothers, Tony and Joe, although that first year didn't see a single apple packed due to a total crop freeze in the region.
But the next year Henggeler Packing launched in earnest, and today a third generation of Henggelers is at the helm. Kelly Henggeler is general manager and markets the operation's apples, plums, prunes and peaches while his two cousins handle other responsibilities.
Ryan Henggeler supervises the production line and refrigeration, and Chad Henggeler manages several hundred acres of orchards that utilize integrated pest management and pheromone-release programs to mitigate pest issues. In July, Kelly Henggeler said that the company's variety profile has changed somewhat in recent years through plantings and an affiliation with J.C. Watson. Henggeler also packs for 25 other growers.
"Our primary variety used to be Romes and Red Delicious," Mr. Henggeler said. "Now it's split among Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious and Rome. We also pack Golden Delicious, Braeburn and Jonathan apples."
He added that the company's own orchards have seen considerable high- density plantings over the last five or six years, with 15-20 percent of the trees now in high density.
"They are coming into good production this year," Mr. Henggeler said, adding that 2008 volume will be "twice what it was last year due to the high density and also due to last April's frost."
He said, "Last year was one of the smallest crops we've seen, but we anticipate a large crop this year."
Galas were expected to come off the third week of August, followed by most other varieties in mid-September. Braeburns are the last to harvest in late October.
The facility has seven controlled atmosphere rooms, and packaging options include two-, three-, five- and 10-pound consumer bags as well as display- ready bins and 44-pound cartons. The majority of volume goes to domestic retail, with some to foodservice as well, and major markets are in California, Texas and New York.
"We're looking to expand again into foreign markets," Mr. Henggeler said of exports.
Trace-back is made possible through computerized inventory, and Mr. Henggeler said that sustainability practices have "always been there" for the family's business.
"It makes sense to care for the land," he said of the ground that is the family's livelihood.
And to offset some of the rising input costs, the operation has gone to a more efficient sprinkler system.
Still, fuel costs will make "a big impact at harvest when we start trucking fruit in from farms spread over a 60-mile radius," he said. "We might see a 20 to 30 percent increase [in costs], and supply and demand will also make an impact. We're a long way from some customers."
Henggeler Packing takes part in the "Idaho Preferred" buy local program through the state department of agriculture, working with Idaho Albertsons stores, Mr. Henggeler added. The fruit is marketed under the "Fortress" and "Fruitland" labels.
Jon Watson, president of J.C. Watson based in Parma, ID, said that he is "proud to have a partnership with Henggeler Packing," and he added that his orchards are "zeroed in on Fujis and Galas."
Mr. Watson said, "The crop looks quite good this year."
Like the Henggelers, the Watson family has been growing apples in Idaho since the early years of the 20th century, with orchards now primarily between Parma and Homedale to the south.
In Wilder, ID, south of Parma, Garrett Fruit Ranch operations are under the direction of Gary Garrett, third generation of his family to grow fruit. Mr. Garrett said that the farm was started by his grandfather, Frank, and in the 1940s and 1950s was 90 percent plums and prunes, with the remaining 10 percent in cherries.
"Now we're 80 percent apples and 20 percent divided among plums, peaches and cherries," Mr. Garrett said in July.
Red Delicious make up 60 percent of the farm's 170 apple acres, with Galas comprising 20 percent, Fujis 10 percent and the balance split between Granny Smiths and Honeycrisps.
Honeycrisps were added to the manifest in 2005, and Mr. Garrett said that most of his apples are marketed through Nuchief Sales Inc.
"I do a small percentage of my own sales to local produce buyers," he added. Noting a decline for Red Delicious demand in this country, Mr. Garrett said that his company has been involved in a Mexican apple export program, and the upshot is that "it's still a desired variety out there."
Seventy percent of his volume goes to foreign markets, with Galas and Fujis finding homes in the Pacific Rim, and Galas also going to Central America and the Caribbean as well.
"The reason is that we're small and produce between 100,000 and 120,000 cartons of apples each year. We have no real inroads with domestic retailers," Mr. Garrett said. "Foreign buyers are not looking for a label but instead for quality. Sometimes we send a photo gallery via e-mail and sometimes go through brokers."
Garrett's domestic sales are to wholesalers, retailers and foodservice, with markets in Texas, Southern California and the East Coast.
Normally, apple harvest would start the third week of August, but this year's cooler spring delayed the crop somewhat, and Mr. Garrett said he'd start around Labor Day with Galas, followed by Golden Delicious, Reds, Fujis and Grannies.
An electronic sizer and sorter and a 30-person line pack 2,000 boxes each day, and Mr. Garrett said the shed operates "100 percent commit to pack." Garrett's production is increased some years with apples from outside growers.
"We pack until Christmas and ship another month," Mr. Garrett said, noting the company packs under the "Double AA Brand" label.
Further south with offices in Caldwell, ID, Symms Fruit Ranch has 1,300 acres in apples, and according to Sales Director Dan Symms, Red Delicious remains the top variety. But, Mr. Symms added, the 94-year-old family-owned company is the "largest grower, packer and shipper of Jonathans in the Northwest" with between 80,000 and 100,000 40-pound equivalents of the variety shipped each year.
Jonathans actually rank third in the varieties by volume, preceded by the Reds and by Romes and followed by Goldens, Galas, Granny Smiths, Pink Ladies, Jonagolds and Fujis.
"We have an integrated pest management program but are not fully organic," Mr. Symms said, adding that the company also grows and packs peaches, nectarines, pluots, pears and cherries.
Galas start the apple season, and Mr. Symms said Aug. 25 was to be the kick- off date for the fruit this year. Using controlled atmosphere and Smart Fresh, Symms ships through April, and Mr. Symms said the CA rooms have capacity for 300,000 boxes.
"In all we ship 700,000 boxes of apples, and we store Red Delicious, Romes and some Goldens in CA," he noted.
The shed runs two lines with modified presize, and Mr. Symms said that the operation "continually works to improve efficiency."
The amount fluctuates slightly year to year, but Symms exports approximately 75 percent of its apple volume, with Reds leading the way.
"We've actually decreased our apple acreage over the past two decades because market conditions have been difficult, but now it's coming back into balance," Mr. Symms said.
Domestic sales are to retail and wholesale as well as foodservice, and a substantial amount also goes to processing, he added.
As with his Idaho apple counterparts, Mr. Symms also contends with a tight labor situation and escalating operation costs.
When asked what he sees in store for the nation's apple industry, Mr. Symms provided a cautionary statement: "We are burdened with a lot of excessive government regulations," he said. "If it continues, many specialty crops will be produced outside this country."
(For more on Idaho apples, see the Sept. 15 issue of The Produce News.)
Last year, as the result of spring freezes, the state saw a reduced crop, but 2008 is shaping up to be a good season for Idaho's apple varieties across the board.
"The Idaho apple industry is optimistic about this crop," said Candi Fitch, executive director of the Idaho Apple Commission.
Ms. Fitch told The Produce News in mid-August, "The fruit quality appears to be excellent. We experienced a cooler summer this year, and that bodes well for the apples. In fact, it could be the best crop in several years."
Harvest generally kicks off in late August with Galas, and apples from the state ship through the following spring, depending on variety.
While the industry is small by comparison to other apple-growing areas, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures, Idaho factored into U.S. production with approximately 35 million pounds in 2007. That was down some 20 million pounds from the previous season due to spring freezes. This year, the USDA has predicted that Idaho growers should bring in about 55 million pounds.
Many of the fresh shipper operations are family-owned companies that produce fruit as well as pack and ship for other growers in the state's apple- growing region between the Snake and Payette rivers in southwestern Idaho. The valley boasts a variety of microclimates, volcanic soil, good farming terrain and abundant water.
Among the older apple operations in the area is Henggeler Packing Co. in Fruitland, ID. Started as a farm in 1908 by C.B. Henggeler, the company has roots that extend back to Utah, where Mr. Henggeler had been an orchardist prior to the westward move. The packinghouse was started in 1943 by Mr. Henggeler's brothers, Tony and Joe, although that first year didn't see a single apple packed due to a total crop freeze in the region.
But the next year Henggeler Packing launched in earnest, and today a third generation of Henggelers is at the helm. Kelly Henggeler is general manager and markets the operation's apples, plums, prunes and peaches while his two cousins handle other responsibilities.
Ryan Henggeler supervises the production line and refrigeration, and Chad Henggeler manages several hundred acres of orchards that utilize integrated pest management and pheromone-release programs to mitigate pest issues. In July, Kelly Henggeler said that the company's variety profile has changed somewhat in recent years through plantings and an affiliation with J.C. Watson. Henggeler also packs for 25 other growers.
"Our primary variety used to be Romes and Red Delicious," Mr. Henggeler said. "Now it's split among Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious and Rome. We also pack Golden Delicious, Braeburn and Jonathan apples."
He added that the company's own orchards have seen considerable high- density plantings over the last five or six years, with 15-20 percent of the trees now in high density.
"They are coming into good production this year," Mr. Henggeler said, adding that 2008 volume will be "twice what it was last year due to the high density and also due to last April's frost."
He said, "Last year was one of the smallest crops we've seen, but we anticipate a large crop this year."
Galas were expected to come off the third week of August, followed by most other varieties in mid-September. Braeburns are the last to harvest in late October.
The facility has seven controlled atmosphere rooms, and packaging options include two-, three-, five- and 10-pound consumer bags as well as display- ready bins and 44-pound cartons. The majority of volume goes to domestic retail, with some to foodservice as well, and major markets are in California, Texas and New York.
"We're looking to expand again into foreign markets," Mr. Henggeler said of exports.
Trace-back is made possible through computerized inventory, and Mr. Henggeler said that sustainability practices have "always been there" for the family's business.
"It makes sense to care for the land," he said of the ground that is the family's livelihood.
And to offset some of the rising input costs, the operation has gone to a more efficient sprinkler system.
Still, fuel costs will make "a big impact at harvest when we start trucking fruit in from farms spread over a 60-mile radius," he said. "We might see a 20 to 30 percent increase [in costs], and supply and demand will also make an impact. We're a long way from some customers."
Henggeler Packing takes part in the "Idaho Preferred" buy local program through the state department of agriculture, working with Idaho Albertsons stores, Mr. Henggeler added. The fruit is marketed under the "Fortress" and "Fruitland" labels.
Jon Watson, president of J.C. Watson based in Parma, ID, said that he is "proud to have a partnership with Henggeler Packing," and he added that his orchards are "zeroed in on Fujis and Galas."
Mr. Watson said, "The crop looks quite good this year."
Like the Henggelers, the Watson family has been growing apples in Idaho since the early years of the 20th century, with orchards now primarily between Parma and Homedale to the south.
In Wilder, ID, south of Parma, Garrett Fruit Ranch operations are under the direction of Gary Garrett, third generation of his family to grow fruit. Mr. Garrett said that the farm was started by his grandfather, Frank, and in the 1940s and 1950s was 90 percent plums and prunes, with the remaining 10 percent in cherries.
"Now we're 80 percent apples and 20 percent divided among plums, peaches and cherries," Mr. Garrett said in July.
Red Delicious make up 60 percent of the farm's 170 apple acres, with Galas comprising 20 percent, Fujis 10 percent and the balance split between Granny Smiths and Honeycrisps.
Honeycrisps were added to the manifest in 2005, and Mr. Garrett said that most of his apples are marketed through Nuchief Sales Inc.
"I do a small percentage of my own sales to local produce buyers," he added. Noting a decline for Red Delicious demand in this country, Mr. Garrett said that his company has been involved in a Mexican apple export program, and the upshot is that "it's still a desired variety out there."
Seventy percent of his volume goes to foreign markets, with Galas and Fujis finding homes in the Pacific Rim, and Galas also going to Central America and the Caribbean as well.
"The reason is that we're small and produce between 100,000 and 120,000 cartons of apples each year. We have no real inroads with domestic retailers," Mr. Garrett said. "Foreign buyers are not looking for a label but instead for quality. Sometimes we send a photo gallery via e-mail and sometimes go through brokers."
Garrett's domestic sales are to wholesalers, retailers and foodservice, with markets in Texas, Southern California and the East Coast.
Normally, apple harvest would start the third week of August, but this year's cooler spring delayed the crop somewhat, and Mr. Garrett said he'd start around Labor Day with Galas, followed by Golden Delicious, Reds, Fujis and Grannies.
An electronic sizer and sorter and a 30-person line pack 2,000 boxes each day, and Mr. Garrett said the shed operates "100 percent commit to pack." Garrett's production is increased some years with apples from outside growers.
"We pack until Christmas and ship another month," Mr. Garrett said, noting the company packs under the "Double AA Brand" label.
Further south with offices in Caldwell, ID, Symms Fruit Ranch has 1,300 acres in apples, and according to Sales Director Dan Symms, Red Delicious remains the top variety. But, Mr. Symms added, the 94-year-old family-owned company is the "largest grower, packer and shipper of Jonathans in the Northwest" with between 80,000 and 100,000 40-pound equivalents of the variety shipped each year.
Jonathans actually rank third in the varieties by volume, preceded by the Reds and by Romes and followed by Goldens, Galas, Granny Smiths, Pink Ladies, Jonagolds and Fujis.
"We have an integrated pest management program but are not fully organic," Mr. Symms said, adding that the company also grows and packs peaches, nectarines, pluots, pears and cherries.
Galas start the apple season, and Mr. Symms said Aug. 25 was to be the kick- off date for the fruit this year. Using controlled atmosphere and Smart Fresh, Symms ships through April, and Mr. Symms said the CA rooms have capacity for 300,000 boxes.
"In all we ship 700,000 boxes of apples, and we store Red Delicious, Romes and some Goldens in CA," he noted.
The shed runs two lines with modified presize, and Mr. Symms said that the operation "continually works to improve efficiency."
The amount fluctuates slightly year to year, but Symms exports approximately 75 percent of its apple volume, with Reds leading the way.
"We've actually decreased our apple acreage over the past two decades because market conditions have been difficult, but now it's coming back into balance," Mr. Symms said.
Domestic sales are to retail and wholesale as well as foodservice, and a substantial amount also goes to processing, he added.
As with his Idaho apple counterparts, Mr. Symms also contends with a tight labor situation and escalating operation costs.
When asked what he sees in store for the nation's apple industry, Mr. Symms provided a cautionary statement: "We are burdened with a lot of excessive government regulations," he said. "If it continues, many specialty crops will be produced outside this country."
(For more on Idaho apples, see the Sept. 15 issue of The Produce News.)
