<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Porterville, CA</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Jordan Okumura<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">05.02.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>As Homegrown Organic Farms welcomes its California and Oregon blueberry seasons the company is also kicking off its 2013 tree fruit season. The company will be by packing and shipping all of its stonefruit out of Homegrown's new packing and cold storage facility in Kingsburg, California. Blueberries will also tap into the resources of the new facility. The season will run through the end of August and will feature an array of varieties of yellow and white peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and pluots. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/homegrown050213body.jpg" alt="Images 043013" />Cherie France, Marketing Manager, tells AndNowUKnow, "The prime location will enhance logistical efficiencies and improve customer service. The facility features the latest in post-harvest organic controls including ozonation drench technology. All stonefruit will be handled in totes to insure quality by reducing unnecessary pressure on the fruit during harvest." </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Homegrown Organic Farms will be having a grand opening/open house event on May 9, 2013 from 10:30-2:30 for anyone that would like to stop by. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>This season the company will be harvesting quite a few exciting and classic varieties. Beginning this week, Homegrown will start with its Tasty Rich apricots and will transition to the classic Earlicot variety later in May. The company's yellow nectarines will feature everything from the low-acid, high flavor of the Honey Kist to the ever sweet Honey Royal. Yellow peach varieties include Country Sweet, a high color, low acid, sweet flavor peach, and Summer Zee, a large piece of fruit with an excellent tart flavor.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/homegrown050213body2.jpg" alt="images050213" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Flavorosa Pluots will come in late May. The variety is very juicy and intensely flavorful. Also in the company's portfolio is its extremely sweet and juicy Mariposa Heirloom plum that will come into season mid-July. The Black Kat Plum will close out Homegrown's stonefruit season that offers fresh, sweet flavor and taste. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Ms. France, tells us, "We are continually working to expand our stonefruit program with the newest varieties in production in order to provide our customers with only the best! On the horizon we have several new white flesh nectarine plantings which should come into production in a few years," she continues, "We are also looking forward to the first harvest of the Summer Flair yellow nectarines – a very new and exciting variety for us. Our first crop should come into production come Summer 2015." </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>"Consumers love to know where their food is coming from and who their farmer is. Our resources really help to bridge the gap between consumers and their growers and we love to help folks make that connection," Ms. France, notes. Homegrown offers a full line of resources to help retailers merchandise and promote Homegrown products including grower photos and bios. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.hgofarms.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=61 " target="_new"> Homegrown Organic Farms</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
