WENATCHEE, Wash. – Like the moon, the size, flavor, and firmness of A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries is out of this world making them the grand finale to the cherry season. A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries are grown by 4th generation Stemilt farmer, Kyle Mathison, who harvests these mystical morsels with the lunar cycle at high elevations to extend the season delighting retailers and consumers with an end-of-the-season bonus.
“We save the best cherries for last with A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries,” says Brianna Shales, Stemilt marketing director. “Kyle grows these cherries with the cycles of the moon waiting for the perfect time to harvest when the gravitational pull is the strongest pulling the most aromatics and sugars into the fruit.”
A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries are the last to harvest in Stemilt’s cherry season. Grown in Wenatchee, WA, the cherries are grown at elevations of 2,640 feet above sea level and higher (or literally a half mile closer to the moon). Late-blooming cherry varieties like Skeena, Staccato® and Sentennial™ thrive in nutrient-rich soil and optimal growing conditions to provide a premium eating experience.
“The A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherry label is a way retailers can call attention to late season cherries,” says Shales. “An ideal growing season with brilliant weather has encouraged larger fruit sizes this year. A combination of warm days and cool nights has been prominent which will lend to cherries with higher aromatics, sugars, and rich, dark color.”
Cherry dollars are only available to capture for a few months out of the year, so any time retailers can extend the season with something special is incremental. Stemilt gives retailers and consumers access to varieties that only the grower has during certain times of the year to add bonus sales towards the end of the cherry season.
“It’s easy to let A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries stand out in high-graphic boxes they’re packed in and their own catch weight branded bag,” says Shales. “If you’re not running ads now, you should be while volume is available! A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries can help make up for any deflation retailers have experienced earlier in the season and those who carry them can sell for more with a premium product.”
Beyond the store, there are two windows to celebrate A Half Mile Closer to the Moon ® cherries with consumers including National Chant at the Moon Day on August 15 and Labor Day on September 4. Stemilt will have cherries in the last week of August allowing for a strong finish. As quality continues to flourish as the season gets later, it will match the higher retail pricing of cherries with high brix, firmness and flavor.
“As consumers take the first bite into these special cherries, they’ll experience an explosion of aromatics, sugars, acids and juiciness that can’t be found any other time of the year,” says Shales. “We can’t think of a better way to end the season than with A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries that delight consumers with flavors from the moon.”
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 Stemilt.com
