June 13, 2019 Newsletter

Quick Start to Washington Cherry Season

And so it begins, the long anticipated start to the 2019 Chelan Fresh cherry season.

This year the cherry season will begin quickly and continue with strong availability throughout late June into early August. Tim Evans, Sales Director for Chelan Fresh, states, “We are excited about the size and quality of our crop this year. We feel retailers and consumers alike will appreciate the good color, larger size and firm profile of our Chelan Fresh cherries. Red cherries and Rainier cherries will hit peak supply in time for large July 4th retail displays.” Evans also adds “Our projected volume will allow us to keep our customers with very good ad volume until August.”

In order to maintain that quality, our cherries are picked in the cool early mornings long before the summer heat can get to them. They are quickly transported to hydro cooling stations in the orchard or at nearby warehouse operations. Once in the warehouse, they are then gently placed into a cool water bath and sorted by the most technically advanced systems in the industry. These sorting lines take up to 16 photos of each cherry and sort by size, color, firmness and defects. It is these types of state–of–the art production facilities that allow our cherries to arrive at grocery stores across the country and provide a premium eating experience. Our cherries are held to high standards so they can land in consumer homes for the best summer bbq’s, picnics and summertime eating. Our Chelan Fresh cherry team is ready to take calls for all your cherry needs. 509-682-4252.

Capitalize on Summer Honeycrisp Supply!

It has been rumored if you have a good region to grow cherries, then you also have a good region for growing Honeycrisp apples. According to Domestic Sales Manager Daniel Gebbers, “Chelan Fresh still has consistent volumes of Honeycrisp apples ready to ship to retail customers all over the country”. “Our growing regions are some of the best in the industry with warm summer days and cool, crisp nights. These conditions allow our Honeycrisp to provide a quality eating experience and a true summer treat as consumers look for healthy on-the-go snack options to fuel their families”.

Chelan Fresh continues to lead the industry in Honeycrisp production and they are prepared to keep this in-demand apple on your shelves. If your Honeycrisp apple supply has been inconsistent, contact our Chelan Fresh sales team to keep Honeycrisp top of mind and on display in your store throughout the summer. 509-682-4252.

Ready for Ruby!

It is official – Orondo Ruby® harvest is less than 10 days away and for those that eagerly await this special cherry each year, the excitement is building. This cherry is exclusively grown on the banks of the Columbia River in Eastern Washington where warm summer days and cool river breezes make for the perfect growing conditions.

Orondo Ruby® may be nature’s perfect cherry with waves of complexity that blend into juicy-sweet layers of flavor. The scarlet red-blush of each cherry make it perfect for use in salads, baking and best of all – just plain eating! The Ruby also stores well so stock up, the season only lasts for a few short weeks.

If you are a cherry lover and have not yet tried the Orondo Ruby® you are missing out. The Ruby is available for a short season beginning 6/24- 7/12 so contact the Chelan Fresh cherry team for more information on having this perfect cherry in your store. 509-682-4252.

Meet the Intern

Chelan Fresh (CF): Hello Eric! Where are you from?
Eric Martinez (EM): I’m from Bridgeport, Washington, and currently live in Brewster, Washington.

CF: What school are you attending?
EM: I’m currently attending Washington State University and will be starting my third year there this upcoming August.

CF: What is your major?
EM: I’m double majoring in Business Marketing and Business Management, with an emphasis in professional sales.

CF: What skills do you want to gain from this experience?
EM: With this internship I aim to get a better understanding of the marketing industry, attain direct experience with creation of our products logos and how we advertise said products, as well as gaining some skills I can implement in my professional life outside of Chelan Fresh.

CF: What are your goals after graduation?
EM: My goal after graduation is to get straight into my MBA then go off to find full-time work in the marketing field, and eventually start my own business.

CF: What extracurriculars are you involved in and why?
EM: Back at school I’m currently a marketing intern for WSU Student Affairs where I create content for all university events, the Deputy Director of Communication for ASWSU (Associated Students of Washington State University) where I’m in charge of all ASWSU social media, and an active member in my fraternity Omega Delta Phi.

CF: What are you most passionate about learning — personally or professionally — and why?
EM: I’m most passionate about learning how to set myself up for success, whether that be in school or my professional life. I’m always thinking long-term and my decisions are made with my long-term goals in mind.

CF: Why do you think you might like to live in the community in which our company is located?
EM: What’s not to like about Chelan? With such an amazing town, friendly people, and beautiful lake it’s hard to stay away. Chelan is definitely somewhere I see myself living in the future!

CF: What is your favorite thing to do outside of school and work and what do you enjoy about it?
EM: My favorite hobby outside of my academics and professional life is spending time with my family. My family has and continues to do so much for me and my future. I would definitely not be where I am today without them always pushing me to be better than who I was yesterday.

Take a Ride on the “Wild” Side

Chelan Fresh has a new cherry offering that will have you taking a ride on the “Wild” side. Our “Wild” Sweet Cherry is a very large, firm, dark red cherry with high sugar and intense acidity. They deliver explosive cherry flavor with an incredible bite. This cherry is only available for a short time from June 27th through July 10th. Our Chelan Fresh cherry team can assist you in adding “Wild” Sweet Cherries to elevate your overall cherry program. 509-682-4252.