THE DALLES, OR - Oppy and Orchard View are looking to make cherries a part of key moments and memories for consumers as “Pick Your Moments” launches for its second year.
“We launched the Pick Your Moments brand positioning last year, and were excited how well it resonated with our staff, customers, and consumers, too,” said Brenda Thomas, Orchard View President. “As with any season, many great ‘moments’ have taken place in the orchard over the recent months as the cherries matured and our harvest time arrived. Now, the cherries we’ve grown can be part of special moments in our consumers’ lives, on their picnics and patios, hikes, road trips, and so much more. Summer is filled with great moments, and our cherries are grown to be part of them.”
The company’s exclusive marketer, Oppy, is urging consumers to join in on those moments throughout the summer.
“There are many variables involved in growing and selling cherries,” said David Nelley, Oppy’s VP, Categories. “Perhaps unique in the industry, Orchard View either owns or directly manages the cherries they pick, pack, and ship, giving them a particular advantage when it comes to quality.”
It seems everyone can ‘pick their moments’ on all sides of the industry. Thomas noted in a press release that retailers can ‘pick their moments’ with memorable promotional campaigns orchestrated with the help of Oppy’s business development team.
“We believe that we’ve grown the sweetest, best-tasting cherries available at any moment of the season, and our customers can promote them knowing they’ll consistently deliver the enjoyment summer cherries are all about,” she said.
Both Orchard View and the Northwest cherry industry as a whole are anticipating an uptick in volume, and both Orchard View and Oppy anticipate strong cherry supplies for July thanks to harvest starting about two weeks later than last year.
Growing in microclimates east of Hood River, where conditions are dry and temperatures moderated by the Columbia River, Orchard View said that it provides carefully selected varieties, including:
- Kordia
- Skeena
- Regina
- Santina
To help bolster its resources, Orchard View installed a Unitec optical sorting line in 2016 that can separate cherries by color and size while culling out quality concerns.
“The sorter’s 48-lane capacity efficiently delivers great consistency within the pack,” Nelley said. “Everything that’s picked is packed the next day. There’s no storing bins of picked cherries and this is a real difference. Orchard View already enjoys a reputation for sweet, juicy, strong cherries. Now they can handle capacity, and the optical grading makes the fruit even more eye-catching at retail.”
To encourage shoppers to pick and enjoy Orchard View cherries as they create key memories, the company touts high-graphic packaging and signage featuring the Pick Your Moments message.
Oppy also has staff located in The Dalles for the Orchard View season, having just wrapped up its inaugural campaign with the internationally sought-after Brookside California cherry label. The marketer added that it plans to continue bringing only the best-quality cherries to market, with Orchard View fruit available now through mid-to-late August.
