Organic icon to bolster Stemilt Growers' efforts
Organic icon to bolster Stemilt Growers' efforts
WENATCHEE, WA -- Stemilt Growers Inc. has selected organic fruit grower and packer Harold Ostenson as the newest member of its horticultural staff and part of the Stemilt team that focuses on organic tree fruit cultivation, packing and post-harvest practices.
Mr. Ostenson, who started at Stemilt on May 23, has been a tree fruit grower for 30 years, with the last 20 focused on organic production and packing. Most of his fruit-growing acreage is located in the Columbia Basin, where he raises apples, pears, cherries, stone fruits and berries.
Considered by many to be an authority on the organic tree fruit industry in Washington, Mr. Ostenson has spoken at several conventions and conferences in recent years about growing, packaging and marketing organics. He's been quoted in a number of publications regarding his philosophies about the business, and he's contributed or led research efforts on controlling fruit pests and improving handling practices for organics.
Mr. Ostenson said he wasnt formally educated in fruit production or raising crops organically, but he has always had a strong science background. His father was a biology professor at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA, the city where Mr. Ostenson was raised. He became interested in growing fruit in the middle 1970s and decided eastern Washington was the best place to plant orchards.
Mr. Ostenson began as a conventional fruit grower and started transitioning his orchards to organic in the late 1970s. At that time there were "virtually no pest controls or other tools available for organic fruit production," he said. That fact made it a huge challenge to go organic. It took until the late 1980s for him to convert all of his orchards to organic.
In 1997, he built an all-organic packinghouse in George, WA, to pack his fruit. In 1998, Mr. Ostenson established a partnership that enabled him to open his facility to pack for other organic growers. The facility handled approximately 500,000 boxes of apples from the 2004 crop, along with cherries, apricots and other fruits for 30 outside growers. He plans to lease out the facility, although he believes that some of his former growers may also now bring fruit to Stemilt.
Mr. Ostenson said that he joined Stemilt because of the companys current reputation and role in the organic industry, along with its vision for the future. Stemilts Chelan Falls facility is the largest organics-only tree fruit packing facility in the nation. Stemilt bought the facility in 2003 and revamped the equipment and systems to take advantage of the newest and best organic packing technology. Last season, Stemilt shipped approximately 1 million 40-pound cartons of organic apples, 100,000 boxes of organic pears and 75,000 boxes of organic cherries.
In addition, Stemilt has a four-member sales group dedicated to organics, a 30-member sales team focused on conventional fruit sales, and a nine-member marketing staff providing data analysis, promotions and point-of-sale to support Stemilts organic business. Previously, Mr. Ostenson relied on several different sales desks to market the fruit he packed.
"Stemilt is at the forefront on organics and they want to stay there, he said. "Theyre looking down the road and they want to do new and innovative things that support the sustainability of the organic grower.
Mr. Ostenson, who started at Stemilt on May 23, has been a tree fruit grower for 30 years, with the last 20 focused on organic production and packing. Most of his fruit-growing acreage is located in the Columbia Basin, where he raises apples, pears, cherries, stone fruits and berries.
Considered by many to be an authority on the organic tree fruit industry in Washington, Mr. Ostenson has spoken at several conventions and conferences in recent years about growing, packaging and marketing organics. He's been quoted in a number of publications regarding his philosophies about the business, and he's contributed or led research efforts on controlling fruit pests and improving handling practices for organics.
Mr. Ostenson said he wasnt formally educated in fruit production or raising crops organically, but he has always had a strong science background. His father was a biology professor at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA, the city where Mr. Ostenson was raised. He became interested in growing fruit in the middle 1970s and decided eastern Washington was the best place to plant orchards.
Mr. Ostenson began as a conventional fruit grower and started transitioning his orchards to organic in the late 1970s. At that time there were "virtually no pest controls or other tools available for organic fruit production," he said. That fact made it a huge challenge to go organic. It took until the late 1980s for him to convert all of his orchards to organic.
In 1997, he built an all-organic packinghouse in George, WA, to pack his fruit. In 1998, Mr. Ostenson established a partnership that enabled him to open his facility to pack for other organic growers. The facility handled approximately 500,000 boxes of apples from the 2004 crop, along with cherries, apricots and other fruits for 30 outside growers. He plans to lease out the facility, although he believes that some of his former growers may also now bring fruit to Stemilt.
Mr. Ostenson said that he joined Stemilt because of the companys current reputation and role in the organic industry, along with its vision for the future. Stemilts Chelan Falls facility is the largest organics-only tree fruit packing facility in the nation. Stemilt bought the facility in 2003 and revamped the equipment and systems to take advantage of the newest and best organic packing technology. Last season, Stemilt shipped approximately 1 million 40-pound cartons of organic apples, 100,000 boxes of organic pears and 75,000 boxes of organic cherries.
In addition, Stemilt has a four-member sales group dedicated to organics, a 30-member sales team focused on conventional fruit sales, and a nine-member marketing staff providing data analysis, promotions and point-of-sale to support Stemilts organic business. Previously, Mr. Ostenson relied on several different sales desks to market the fruit he packed.
"Stemilt is at the forefront on organics and they want to stay there, he said. "Theyre looking down the road and they want to do new and innovative things that support the sustainability of the organic grower.
