Hudson River Fruit sees good things ahead for apple season
Hudson River Fruit sees good things ahead for apple season
Hudson River Fruit Distributors, a leading Eastern apple grower-shipper in New York’s Hudson River Valley, is excited about the upcoming apple season.
Alisha Albinder Camac, vice president and a fourth-generation member of the family-owned company, said favorable weather has set the stage for a good harvest.
“Growing conditions have been outstanding, with ample sun and rain, and no major weather events,” she said. “Apples are looking outstanding so far, with a nice size profile, especially on the SnapDragons and Evercrisps.”
Albinder-Camac said the Evercrisp is a relatively new variety for HRFD that is a cross between Honeycrisp and Fuji. “It’s a very sweet, later variety that has been in the market for about five years now, and it is growing in popularity.”
As for SnapDragons, Albinder Camac noted that although the variety has been on the market a few years longer than Evercrisp, it’s still continuing to build momentum and customers are seeing double-digit growth from the prior year.
Albinder Camac said HRFD will bring back its basket bags this year, as they proved to be popular with consumers and retailers alike.
“The basket bags have been wildly successful and draw a lot of attention at retail because they convey a farm fresh feeling,” she said. “We offer them in either a 4- or 5-pound pouch, and our retail partners say the basket bags generate twice the sales as the traditional five-pound lay down poly bag. The basket bags are customizable and can be used for any variety.”
Albinder Camac added that the company is also promoting its 2-pound Little Chief line, which comes in seven different varieties that are perfect for back-to-school and snacks on the go. This pack is also perfect for those counting calories and want a small-sized apple to fit into their diet.
This coming season marks the first since Hudson River Fruit Distributors lost its founder and patriarch, Harold Albinder, who passed away in June at age 87.
“This is our first season without Harold, but he is still very much with us as he laid the foundation for everything we do here,” said Albinder Camac. “He was a great man and we miss him dearly, but we are happy to carry on his legacy of providing the best apples possible.”
