From May through October, beginning with cherries and apricots and continuing with both white flesh and yellow flesh peaches and nectarines as well as plums, Scattaglia Growers & Shippers in Traver, CA, has “a complete program on all commodities in the stone fruit category, and all colors,” according to Managing Partner Louis Scattaglia.

Importantly, the varieties the company has in its program have been selected for flavor, Mr. Scattaglia said. “Over the last eight to 10 years, we have been transitioning out of varieties that didn’t have the best eating quality.”

That transition is complete now, he said. But through its growing, harvesting and post-harvest practices, SGS continues to focus “on flavor and taste. That is what brings the customers back” to the store frequently to buy more fruit.

The key to a successful season, he said, is to get consumers into the stores “multiple times per week, and the best way to accomplish that is with great eating fruit.” At SGS, “that is what we are all about,” he said.

“We are really excited about this coming year,” Mr. Scattaglia told The Produce News. “It looks like it is really going to be good, and the weather has been conducive to high-quality product. I think our customers are going to be happy with that.”

SGS started its cherry harvest the first week of May. The company has Brooks and Tulare varieties for the early part of its cherry program, followed by Bings and Rainiers. He expected good supplies, particularly for the early part of the season. “At this early stage,” there appeared to be “a good set of fruit” for the early part of the season. “Toward the middle and later portion, the crop set is a little bit lighter on the Bing variety,” he said. “But in general, there should be good promotable quantities.”

The company anticipated good supplies of apricots for the first week in May, he said. “Then we will transition into peaches and nectarines around mid-May. Then we are full steam ahead from that point forward” through the end of the season with the peaches and nectarines, with plums coming into the mix around the last week of May or the first week of June.

In addition to stone fruit, SGS will also have a full line of grapes this summer, and later on will also have kiwifruit and persimmons, he said.

“So far, it is setting up to be an exceptional year for tree fruit quality-wise, Mr. Scattaglia said. In contrast to last year, when inclement weather created some supply disruptions, “the weather has been really good this spring, and right now, at this early stage, the quality looks exceptional. We have a lot to look forward to this season. We have a long season ahead of us, and we can’t wait to get started. After last year’s storms, we are going to have a lot of fun this year and we are going to satisfy a lot of people.”