June 10, 2017 Newsletter

Cherry Harvest Update

Our cherry orchards are getting close, but it will be 10 days or so before we have beautiful, sweet cherries ready for harvest.

The availability of our cherries at the start of the Washington season in mid-June will be less than the previous two years. We will see good promotable volumes in early July and all the way through early August.

Contact your Chelan Fresh sales representative for more information on having Washington’s Finest Mountain Grown cherries as a part of your summer produce program.

Orondo Ruby – A Brand New Cherry Blushing With Compliments

Chelan Fresh cherry harvest is less than 10 days away and the excitement continues to build for the Orondo Ruby® cherry. The Ruby is a new cherry variety that is making fans across the country. Cherry lovers go wild for the crisp skin, super-sweet golden flesh and juicy cherry perfection. Lovingly grown on the banks of the Columbia River in eastern Washington—where hot summer days and cool river breezes make for perfect growing conditions—Ruby’s show gorgeous red-blushed skin, a firm bite and tremendous flavor. The Ruby matures earlier in the season than Bings and Rainiers, and grown in small quantities, their window of availability is short. But they store in the fridge like no other cherry. (If you can keep yourself from eating them all.)

How Long Are The Ruby’s Here?

The Orondo Ruby® is grown exclusively on the Griggs family orchards in eastern Washington, lovingly cultivated and handpicked at the peak of sweetness. The yield is small compared to other cherries grown across the country, so as our fans already know, there is a limited supply each summer. But boy is it sweet. You can typically find the Orondo Ruby in stores for a few short weeks starting around the beginning of July.

Consumers say:

“Wow, great new product. Nice taste, sweet and super texture. We kept a bowl on the kitchen counter for snacking and by day two and three, they seemed to gain a bit of sweetness, which was fine, but the best was they held their firmness. Worth another trip to the Issaquah QFC for these Ruby’s.”

Call your Chelan Fresh sales representative and ask about carrying the Orondo Ruby in your store this season. Ruby’s are available from late June through the first 2 weeks of July.

Employee Spotlight

Name: Mario Camacho

Position: Export Sales Assistant

Favorite Apple: I would definitely go with the Rockit® Apple as my favorite.

Favorite Cherry: Skeena because of its firmness and sweet taste.

Favorite part of working at Chelan Fresh: The positive environment in the office, activities we do as a team during lunch, and dealing with our customers on a daily basis.

Favorite thing to do outside of work: I enjoy getting together with all my family on the weekends, watching my kids perform in sports, I love fishing and doing outside work at my house!

Category Opportunities

April performance numbers are in!

Nielsen just released their performance numbers for April. Apples delivered volume with Total Reporting US movement of 138 Million lbs. which was a -1.6% decrease over last year.

Topline Apple dollars are still challenging in this deflationary crop year, with Retail Dollar sales being down -$13M (-5%). Growth from next generation varieties, like Opal, Envy, Kiku, and Organics helped to offset the category dollars lost on Mature varietals this month.

We have attached a one-page snapshot below covering Apple headlines, but if you would like to look more closely at your market area OR your performance vs. your competition, please let us know. Click the image below to download the file.

Meet the Grower

Chelan Fresh is proud to represent the growers of Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties in Washington State. In the coming months we will regularly introduce them to you in our “Meet the Grower” series. Check in regularly with our blog – To The Core – to find out what’s happening in the orchards that produce some of Washington’s Finest Mountain Grown Fruit.