Registered varieties adding to All Fresh GPS’ position
Registered varieties adding to All Fresh GPS’ position
“We have a nice crop,” said Scott Swindeman, a partner in All Fresh GPS LLC. “I would like to see the pricing be better, but we have a nice crop, a good size profile and high quality.”
“Our friends in the Northwest have a whopper” of an apple crop, he continued. “This is keeping prices a little depressed.”
Swindeman indicated that he didn’t expect pricing to change a whole lot in early 2015, but said business was good as of mid-December.
Representing Comstock Park, MI-based All Fresh GPS LLC at the PMA Fresh Summit in Anaheim on Oct. 18 were Allan Girvin, director of sales and marketing for (sister company) Heeren Bros. and Ed Klein, who joined All Fresh in early October as the company’s sales manager.Typically in the holiday period, retailers promote bulk fruit. “With a large crop on the West Coast and their size profile for bulk promotion,” pressure has been applied to Michigan packers, he commented. “After Jan. 1, you’ll see them promoting bags more. That will be a good thing. We have a good supply of all the normal varieties.”
All Fresh GPS, which is located in Comstock Park, MI, finished shipping Honey Crisp on Dec. 16.
Swindeman’s Applewood Orchards, Inc., located in southeastern Michigan in Deerfield, is one of three growers in the nation that has the rights to grow the registered Kiku variety. Two years ago, Applewood Orchards partnered with Michigan Fresh to create All Fresh. Thus, All Fresh is now marketing Swindeman’s Kiku crop. The Kiku typically has a brix level in the range of 17 to 19.
Next season, through All Fresh, Swindeman will be selling another licensed variety, Kanzi.
“Overall it was a great growing season,” said Ed Klein, All Fresh sales manager. “We have beautiful, highly-colored apples with a great profile. Variety-wise, we are in great shape and we will be shipping well into 2015.”
Klein said the Kiku is a “very sweet apple.”
“We are one of three growers in the country with the rights to grow Kiku,” he added.