MOUNT VERNON, WA: Fresh, seasonal, and top quality, Viva Tierra Organic is offering promotable volumes of new crop organic fruit from California beginning in July. The devoted organic growers in Viva Tierra’s California network produce exceptional summer apples and pears for a delightful eating experience, in contrast to the prevalence of storage fruit in produce departments this time of year.
“We have strong relationships with really great organic growers both in California’s Central Valley and the Sacramento Delta region,” said Viva Tierra Organic’s California Regional Marketing Lead Roy Ruff. “That’s important during this short but rewarding season.”
With shoppers drawn to regional, seasonal, limited edition-type produce, new crop organic apples and pears from California present opportunity to drive heightened interest and boost sales with fruit that offers a superior flavor and overall eating experience. With promotable volumes available, wholesalers and retailers are able to highlight the unique aspects of this fruit while it is super fresh and right out of the orchard, keeping excitement about organic apples and pears high as the northwest fall season approaches.
The California crop is on track to commence in July and typically peaks on 80s and smaller to provide both tray pack and bag promotion opportunities. Ruff adds, “Our brand-new eye-catching, high quality two- and three-pound pouches make merchandising a breeze and also tell the story of our commitment to organic. More and more, shoppers want to know where their food comes from.”
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“The distinctive programs from our three primary growing regions — Washington, South America, and California — offer truly year-round freshness by following the seasons and avoids keeping organic fruit in protracted storage,” said Ruff. “It ensures we’re able to provide apples that are crisp, juicy and full of flavor. Despite new techniques used in the northwest that appear to provide unbelievable storing capacity, the eating experience suffers. A lack of flavor and quality is detrimental to demand over the long run.”
“You can call us fruit nerds, but we get excited about our special California crop,” said Viva Tierra Organic’s Business Development and Marketing Manager, Chris Ford. “Our three-region program enables us to minimize our use of controlled atmosphere storage to a very short window between the end of fall in Washington and the start-up of the spring crop in South America. Long-term storage takes a real toll on flavor and quality so we just don’t do it.”
Marketing organic apples and pears has been Viva Tierra’s core business since 1984 long before conventional shippers more recently got in the game when consumers preference for healthy sustainable produce became apparent. According to Ruff, “with over 100 years combined organic marketing experience Viva Tierra’s sales team can help you with any promotional or marketing needs you may have, we are truly “Organic to the Core.”®
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Founded in Skagit Valley, Washington State in 1984, Viva Tierra Organic is a heritage organic company and a leading grower/marketer of organic apples and pears in North America and the largest importer of fresh organic apples and pears from South America. Based in Mount Vernon, Washington, with satellite sales offices in Epping, New Hampshire and Camptonville, California, the company ships fresh organic produce to retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers domestically and internationally, in the iconic VTO brand as well as private brands. www.vivatierra.com
