Chelan Fresh launches Joyfully Grown brand

Last fall grower-owned-and-operated Chelan Fresh took stock of where it had come from, who it was, and where it was going, it embarked on a series of individual grower interviews, feedback sessions and core identity “excavation” work. As the process unfolded, a story emerged that was distilled down to two simple words, transformative yet simple: Joyfully Grown.

As individuals shared what the concept of Joyfully Grown meant to them, a multi-layered fabric was woven — the joy of early morning sunrises over the orchards, joy in watching new generations work in the family enterprise, joy in the care of picking, packing and shipping. Joy, even in the challenges of late frosts, hailstorms, financial downturns and supply chain woes.

“Happy is a temporary feeling," said Daniel Gebbers, domestic sales manager. "And, a lot of times, you’re happy if something is easy. Something that’s joyful, on the other hand, might be really difficult, but you find joy in doing it. You find joy in that process and in the outcome. And, in our case, we find joy in the success we can give to our employees and our partners.”

“I didn’t realize how deeply joy resonated with our growers until I heard them give their own definitions of the word,” said Tom Riggan, CEO. “Although not everyone could be in the room when this decision was made, it clearly represents who we are as a company and the values we hold so dear. We do what we say we’re going to do, and we want to be known for that. We want to show the consumer that the fruit we are growing brings us joy, and we hope it brings them joy too.”

Today’s consumer audience wants to know where their food comes from and who is growing it, and wants to feel a connection to where their food comes from. The new Joyfully Grown brand makes this possible while also sharing joy with consumers, connecting them to the land, the trees and the harvest. Retailers can share in the same joy the growers have while selling the fresh fruit — building big, beautiful, abundant displays with the Joyfully Grown brand in vibrant, eye-catching colors, telling shoppers about where it was grown, what it will taste like and fun recipes and tips on how they can use it.

The new brand will encompass the company’s entire offering of non-proprietary apple varieties, which includes Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji and Pink Lady. Joyfully Grown will also encompass all varieties of pears, as well as Rainier and sweet red cherries.

Joyfully Grown Organics, a cohesive organic version of the new brand, will be released simultaneously. Both conventional and organic packaging will include colorful pouches, eye-catching merchandisers, and a new custom-shaped PLU for easy in-store recognition. The organic line has a set of colors that are easily recognizable as organic, including a lavender and kraft brown palette.

The Joyfully Grown brand and packaging capture the essence of what inspires and sustains these generations of devoted growers. It speaks to the care and commitment that goes into season after season of cultivating the land, working with Mother Nature, and all the challenges and rewards that growing fruit entails.

“Joyfully Grown shows the history of the experience, the attention to detail, and the quality that goes into our products,” said Julie DeJarnatt, director of retail strategy. “It bridges the gap for the shopper who comes in and thinks that apples just appear on their shelves, opening that doorway to the idea that these are real people who get up and choose to do this every single day and honoring what they go through to produce such a consistent, fresh, high-quality piece of fruit.”

The first shipments of fruit under the Joyfully Grown and Joyfully Grown Organics labels will be the fall 2022 apple and pear harvest. Cherries under the new brand will be available in late Spring of 2023.

For more information, visit www.chelanfresh.com/joyfullygrown/.