C&K Market emerges from bankruptcy, expands store offerings
C&K Market previewed what customers can expect in the future as it emerged from bankruptcy protection on Aug. 10. Stores will emphasize local produce, including more organic items and a larger selection of general merchandise offerings. Some stores will also see the addition of salad bars, hot prepared food options and sushi.
Rice Fruit bullish on Honeycrisp, Kiku
John Rice, president of Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, PA, told The Produce News that although the company is well known for its apple production, it also does a sizeable business in peaches.
“We have about 250 acres of peaches that start harvesting the last week of July,” said Rice. “But this year we started about ten days late because of the cold winter and cool spring which delayed bloom. Apples are in the same situation, but that also means that we’ll be harvesting several days later than normal on both.”
Fowler Farms bullish on managed varieties
There has been a lot of activity in the realm of updates and improvements at Fowler Farms in recent times. Lee Peters, vice president of sales and marketing for the Wolcott, NY, firm shared a list of some of the major projects at the facility.
“We have completed renovated our engine rooms and controls that operate all of our storage capabilities,” said Peters. “This was a two-year project that we’re pleased to report is now completed and in operation.”
Continuity and longevity helps keep Stanley Orchards strong
“We are a multi-generational, family operated sales company,” Ron Cohn, president of Stanley Orchards Sales Inc. in Modena, NY, told The Produce News. “We represent New York and some New England growers for domestic sales. We also export to Israel, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Russia, the latter of which is somewhat contentious this year. And we import from Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and Peru. In all, we’re dealing in eight countries at this time.”
New apple star, ‘SweeTango,’ heralds the arrival of autumn
“ ‘SweeTango’ brand apples herald the arrival of fall,” Timothy Byrne, president of Next Big Thing, A Growers’ Cooperative, headquartered in Lake City, MN, told The Produce News. “The apple is crisp, juicy and loaded with flavor. We tell”people to ‘get some ‘SweeTango” and toast the fall.’ “
The cooperative is the exclusive growing and marketing agent for “SweeTango” apples in the United States and Canada. Byrne said that the 45 growers who are members of the co-op are truly seasoned apple growers, and they are spread across the country.
D’Arrigo proud to support Eastern apples
Matthew D’Arrigo, vice president of D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of New York Inc., located at the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Cooperative Market in the Bronx, NY, said as of early August the Eastern apple crop appeared to be in good condition.
“It looks like we’re set for a very good-size apple crop with nice quality,” said D’Arrigo. “We are looking forward to getting behind a beautiful crop from the Northeast.”
Stellar Distributing Inc.’s fall fruit mix keeps customer shelves stocked
Stellar Distributing Inc. provides its customers with just the right mix of fall fruit to keep customer produce displays stocked with quality product. “[We market] kiwi, limes, grapes, figs, pomegranates, persimmons and chestnuts,” Salesman Brian Lapin told The Produce News. The company is headquartered in Madera, CA.
Sunview Marketing Int’l has big fall program, has had for many years
The fall season is increasingly important for the California table grape industry, as many growers have substantially increased their plantings for the late season in recent years and continue to do so.
At Sunview Marketing International in Delano, CA, “we have a big program” for fall, and “we have always had a big program for many years,” said Scott Boyajian, director of sales, in an interview with The Produce News Aug. 6.
For Fruit Royale, earlier harvest could mean earlier end to season
The 2014 California fresh grape harvest started early for most growers, but as the season rolls along, some are seeing the later varieties also trending ahead of schedule, while others are seeing the later varieties showing closer to normal timing.
Bari’s fall fruit program: grapes and pomegranates
Bari Produce LLC in Madera, CA, expects to harvest and pack around 1.25 million boxes of fresh grapes this year, according to Justin Bedwell. Most of those will come during the fall season.
The company also grows and packs stone fruit during the summer months and pomegranates for the fall season.