Seattle, WA – RipeLocker announces significant advancements in its collaboration with Gebbers Farms and Chelan Fresh, successfully enhancing the long-term storage and delivery of high-quality cherries for the 2024 season.
After six years of rigorous trials, RipeLocker has overcome the challenges associated with cherry preservation, optimizing harvest timing and storage techniques. The results are remarkable: cherries harvested in mid-July were delivered to a major national retailer in mid-August, where they passed quality control without exceptions.
George Lobisser, CEO/Co-Founder of RipeLocker explains, “Dropping acid levels, pitting, and brown stems make it difficult to hold cherries long-term. After six years of trials, we finally figured out the right techniques. I give credit to our collaboration between Johnny Gebbers of Gebbers Farms and our Director of Fruit Sciences, Brendon Anthony, PhD. They worked closely together to revise harvesting practices and RipeLocker storage protocols to successfully hold a cherry.”
In addition to the cherries delivered in mid-August, a few RipeLockers were used to store cherries until mid-September, perfectly timed for the Chinese Moon Festival. Tom Riggan, CEO of Chelan Fresh sampled these cherries and declared, “These cherries would have easily passed QC by our receivers. The Chinese market would have especially valued the green stems.”
RipeLocker is excited about next season as the national retailer plans to expand on what we did this season but with multiple varieties.
RipeLocker’s technology has already proven effective for other perishables such as blueberries, roses, and fresh hops and now stands as a game-changer for holding cherries. “Another opportunity we see is the ability for growers to harvest before climatic events like excessive heat, and store before demand,” touts George. This breakthrough not only extends the cherry season, but also enhances market opportunities for growers, packers, shippers, and retailers alike.
About RipeLocker
RipeLocker has patented a radically innovative storage solution to revolutionize the postharvest industry with a technology that harnesses the power of proprietary data analytics and insights to create respiratory profiles of perishables to predict and control outcomes that improve quality, extend shelf-life, suppress decay, and reduce supply chain losses. The company’s dynamic, low-pressure chambers prolong freshness after harvest by weeks, often months. When RipeLocker chambers are used, shippers and retailers reduce food loss and consumers benefit from a better-tasting and longer shelf-life product. RipeLocker, founded in 2016 and based in Seattle, WA, US, is a science-based and data-driven company. It continues to conduct efficacy trials of its RipeLocker chambers for a variety of different crops with the largest growers in the world. For more information, go to www.ripelocker.com.
About Chelan Fresh
Chelan Fresh is a fruit marketing company representing over 300 family owned farms who are committed to growing premium apples, pears, cherries and several stone fruit varieties for demanding domestic and international markets. Our fruit is grown in Central Washington where ample sunshine, gentle mountain slopes, fertile valleys and cool crisp air combine with the waters of the mighty Columbia River for ideal growing conditions.
