Superfresh Growers has apple orchards stretching from Hood River in Northern Oregon all the way to Washington State’s border with Canada.

With such a wide geographic and elevation range, Superfresh Growers staggers harvest dates and protects the overall crop from effects of localized weather events.

Picking began in early August with Gala and Honeycrisp varieties and will wrap up in November with Pink Lady apples.

Superfresh Growers produces all core varieties, with an emphasis on Gala, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Honeycrisp and Cosmic Crisp. Its organic program also features the core varieties, with peak volumes of Gala apples.

Walking the orchards with retailers, Superfresh Growers’ representatives are seeing well-distributed fruit size, vibrant color and exceptionally clean fruit with minimal defects, said Catherine Gipe-Stewart, director of marketing.

“So far, the feedback has been filled with enthusiasm for this crop,” Gipe-Stewart said. “Retailers are eager to promote, with plenty of options and volume to support strong programs.”

Promotions for fresh-picked apples are already in motion for the early-harvest varieties and will carry on through late summer into early fall, she said. Autumn Glory apple, a Superfresh Growers proprietary variety, presents a strong opportunity for retailers’ pre-Thanksgiving ads.

“Autumn Glory aligns perfectly with consumer interest in warm, spiced flavors during the cooler months,” Gipe-Stewart said.

Category data shows that Autumn Glory consistently outperforms many other proprietary varieties during late October and November promotions, making it a proven driver for seasonal sales.

“With its signature ‘spiced sweetness in every bite,’ Autumn Glory offers both a unique flavor profile and strong market appeal, making it an ideal centerpiece for holiday and autumn-themed promotions,” she said.

As Washington growers see Cosmic Crisp production ramp up, Superfresh Growers has seen its conventional and organic Cosmic Crisp production follow suit. Conventional tonnage of the variety has increased 63 percent at Superfresh Growers, and organic has surged by 147 percent, Gipe-Stewart said.

“Cosmic Crisp volumes have risen steadily each year as planted trees have matured,” she said. “Organic production saw an especially large jump from 2022 to 2023, up 143 percent, followed by continued growth the next year before leveling off for the 2024 and 2025 crops — the timing of this growth couldn’t be better, as it is feeding the incredible demand we are seeing from consumers.”

Pink Lady production has also grown dramatically, with conventional volumes up 98 percent from the 2022 harvest to the 2025 forecast. Organic Pink Lady production has grown 142 percent over the same period.

Nearly a third of households pack homemade lunches, she said, and consumers are hungry for both value and convenience:

• 58 percent are looking sale items
• 53 percent want foods that require minimal preparation
• 53 percent seek items that help balance out a “full meal”
• 56 percent prefer fresh over processed options

“Their lunch carts are filling up with chips and pretzels, cookies and desserts, juice boxes, sandwich supplies, crackers — and fresh fruit,” Gipe-Stewart said. “Apples are a perfect fit for this trend: crisp, portable and ready to eat, they deliver great taste with zero prep, making them an easy go-to for busy lunch makers.”

Superfresh Growers is seeing a wide mix of sizes in the orchards, which creates a healthy spread to balance its manifest, said Dave Gleason, horticulturist.

“While thorough hand thinning will remove most of the smallest fruit, sizing may be more varied than in past years,” Gleason said. “Overall, we expect fruit to be larger than last season. All varieties seem to have this widespread. We will not know the full spread until all the fruit is in the barn in December.”

Using an integrated pest management approach allows Superfresh Growers to be vigilant about pest activity, he said. Populations of beneficial lacewings are thriving in some Wenatchee orchards, he said.

Every year, each orchard block has a management plan that’s refined depending on the fruit’s needs as it grows.

“Not every block can fit the early market requirements or has the legs to be held until August next year,” Gleason said.  “Tree age, vigor balance, crop load, orientation, location, rootstock, fruit size — all can interact to bias the harvest and market decisions.”

Superfresh Growers welcomed another packer into its organization this season, supplying apples and cherries. Conner O’Malley, president of sales and marketing for Superfresh Growers, said the new packer is “best in breed” operator, growing across diverse regions in Washington. Most importantly, he said, the new partner shares the Superfresh Growers’ culture. “Their passion for what they do matches the intensity Superfresh brings every day,” O’Malley said.

“We are stronger together, and we are excited to welcome this new line into the Superfresh family.”