WENATCHEE, WA - A great meeting of the minds always makes for an exciting shift in fresh produce categories. And when that meeting results in forces joining together, the exciting move can prove to be an evolution in the making—as it did when Starr Ranch Growers teamed up with CMI Orchards. This strategic event will deliver more than 8 million cartons of core, organic, and specialty apples, pears, and cherries to CMI’s manifest. As part of the move, Diamond Fruit Growers in Hood River, Oregon, will bring an additional 2 million pear cartons into CMI’s portfolio.
“With the addition of Diamond Fruit Growers, CMI will not only supply the market with delicious pears grown in all three of the best pear-growing regions globally, but is also now one of the largest pear suppliers in the world,” Rochelle Bohm, Vice President of Marketing, shared. “The partnership with Diamond Fruit significantly strengthens CMI Orchards' global position. What sets us apart is our collective commitment to sustainability, driven by multi-generational growers deeply rooted in the industry. Together, we're dedicated to innovation, finding more efficient ways to deliver high-quality pears, and increasing pear consumption worldwide.”
The new partnership also means CMI will have year-round volume of its core pear varieties, plus the addition of Gem, Comice, Seckel, and Forelle pears grown in the Northwest.
The Diamond Fruit operation is nestled in one of the top three pear-growing regions of the world—Hood River, Oregon. CMI already grows pears in the Upper Wenatchee Valley, and partners with the Kleppe Family to import pears from orchards in the Rio Negro Valley in Argentina.
“With this enhanced portfolio and standard of excellence, our buy-side partners can anticipate an elevated quality of fruit and a more robust, reliable supply of those high-quality pears year-round,” Scott Agnew, Director of Export Sales, informed me. “The facility in Hood River has optical sorting technology and pre-sizing for versatility; this, coupled with being situated in a renowned pear-growing region, means Diamond Fruit Growers adds exceptional pear quality to our portfolio. Our collective commitment to sustainability, backed by multi-generational expertise and ongoing research and development investments, ensures we exceed industry standards.”
As you all know, we love a good origin story. So, I asked Rochelle if she could share with me the roots of such an operation.
“Diamond Fruit Growers is a grower-owned cooperative that was established in 1913 and is one of the largest shippers of fresh pears in North America. Add in the commitment of more than 60 family farmers who are dedicated to growing the finest fresh fruit in the world, and you find values very much aligned with those at CMI,” Rochelle expressed.
Diamond’s facilities and orchards are located between Mt. Adams to the North, Mt. Hood to the South, and on the Eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains. The geography allows Diamond Fruit to capitalize on the rich volcanic soils and premium climate for producing high-quality fruit with outstanding flavor.
“Integrating Diamond Fruit Growers into the CMI program will be a strategic and collaborative process. It’s important to us that we preserve the unique strengths and expertise that Diamond Fruit Growers brings to the table while aligning our operations for frictionless cooperation,” Scott reveals. “Sharing best practices and exchanging knowledge among our teams is going to be so important, as well as working closely with each other to ensure consistency in control measures, sustainability initiatives, and supply chain management.”
Scott adds that, ultimately, CMI’s goal is to harness the strengths of both organizations while preserving their unique attributes to create a seamless approach that benefits its customers, consumers, and the industry as a whole.
As if such a reveal was not news enough, the addition of Starr Ranch Growers resources to CMI’s manifest is only the beginning. Rochelle and Scott tell me that we can expect to see some exciting announcements in the coming months on CMI pears. Think new innovations, programs, and packaging.
No small tease, if you ask me. So, stay tuned, my produce-loving friends.
