WENATCHEE, Wash. – Stemilt’s Artisan Organics™ peach and nectarine season continues to thrive through these hot summer months with excellent quality and “some of the best flavor” to date, states Brianna Shales, Stemilt marketing director. Retailers can load now to boost their category for the weeks to come and delight consumers around the country with some World Famous sweet and juicy organic stone fruit.
“There are promotable bag opportunities for the next two weeks while peach and nectarine sizes trend smaller,” explains Shales. “Bag options include our well-known organic Lil Snappers® 2lb. resealable pouch bag as well as the grab-and-go no-handle paper tote which meets consumer demand for sustainable packaging and allows retailers to sell random-weight stone fruits.”
Sizing will increase for both peaches and nectarines around the middle of the August, giving retailers the chance to promote bulk for the remainder of the season. Peaches are projected to last through the month of September while nectarines will wrap the middle of September.
“This year’s crop is honestly one of the best I’ve had,” explains Shales, who’s been part of the Stemilt family for over 13 years. “They are incredibly juicy, the texture is exactly what you imagine a perfect piece of stone fruit to be, and the flavor is remarkable. I’m getting hungry just talking about them!”
Stemilt is seeing higher-than-typical sugar, or Brix, levels on its peaches and nectarines, which Shales chalks up to the Pasco, WA area’s long, hot days and Douglas family growing practices. The high sugars and great size profile give retailers the opportunity to promote organic stone fruit in Stemilt’s Top Pick™ pack. The special and bold pack designates premium fruit from the upper part of the tree where sunlight and precise picking deliver an incredible flavor experience.
“The Douglas family are long time growers of peaches and nectarines and understand what’s needed to make this fruit thrive,” explains Shales. “Plus, they have a very skilled work force that knows what to look for when harvest begins.”
The Pasco, Washington region is settled in the south eastern corner of Washington state, where the locale is quite favorable for organic fruit thanks to the dry climate and many days of sunshine. The Douglas Family is patient when it comes to harvest, picking when the fruit is tree ripe and moving through blocks three or four times before the tree is fully harvested.
“The Douglas’s have trained their crew members to look for stone fruit with full yellow backgrounds, a plump, circular shape and an almost glossy finish. They start at the top of the tree when they begin harvest and move outwards and downwards based on the fruit’s state,” explains Shales. “We know their patience, techniques and overall knowledge of stone fruit harvest is paying off as consumer comments are rolling in about the wonderful taste and overall sensational quality they are experiencing. We are thrilled that we are fulfilling our mission of delighting consumers and look forward to this continued success in the months to come.”
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About Stemilt
Stemilt is a family-owned grower, packer, and shipper of tree fruit. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt’s mission is to cultivate people and delight consumers through excellence with its World Famous Fruits. Stemilt is a leader in sweet cherries and organic tree fruits, and a key supplier of apples and pears. The company stewards an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business through its Responsible Choice® program, which has been in place since 1989. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com.
