WENATCHEE, WA - A week ahead of last year's harvest, Stemilt Growers has already begun harvesting and packing this year's apricot crop. Because of excellent weather conditions throughout the growing season, it plans to package 300,000 cartons worth of apricots this summer, a 35% increase from 2013.
“Weather has definitely been on our side this season, which is resulting in large-sized, clean, and very high-quality apricots. We’re harvesting Robada apricots now and will quickly move into our leading two varieties, Rival and Perfection. Stemilt will have promotable volumes to ship by the middle of next week, and encourages strong apricot promotions at retail from June 30th through July 14th,” said Roger Pepperl, Stemilt Marketing Director.
“The natural farming techniques used in organic production brings orchards into balance from a horticultural standpoint. This combines with the ideal climate in central Washington to produce larger apricots with great color and a true dessert eating experience,” said Pepperl.
Roughly 60% of Stemilt's crop is certified organic, according to a press release. The company markets its organic apricots under its Artisan Organics label. For smaller sized apricots, Stemilt plans to again utilize it's random-weight pouch bag “to increase purchase size and build incremental sales. It’s also a way for us to easily message the fact that the apricots inside are organic,” said Pepperl. It's larger fruits will be packaged in panta packs and tray packs.
The Douglas family, 4th generation fruit farmers operating out of central Washington, are responsible for the majority of Stemilt’s apricot crop. Their orchards are located in the Tri Cities, Columbia Basin, and the Wenatchee Valley.
