LOS ANGELES, CA - Known for their robust year-round sweet onion program, Progressive Produce and its Keystone Fruit Division are consistent drivers of growth in the category. With Progressive’s California flat sweet onions now in season, the supplier is bringing yet another strong addition to the market.

"The season for California flat sweet onions has begun, marking a significant addition to our diverse onion portfolio,” said Dr. Oscar Guzman, Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “These onions are cultivated with care under the optimal conditions of the Californian climate, ensuring a product that enhances any culinary experience, whether grilled, sautéed, or served raw."

The supplier will be showcasing these newly available onions at the West Coast Produce Expo, May 30 through June 1, at Palm Desert, California’s JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa. The variety presents an opportunity to support local agriculture while reducing freight costs and environmental impact, a press release stated.

“Opting for our California sweets not only supports regional farmers but also guarantees a fresher product for our customers,” added Guzman.

Progressive and its Keystone Fruit division offer a variety of onions from around the globe, including Vidalia®, Walla Walla, and Mayan Sweets from Peru and Mexico. As the release noted, the California flat sweet onions from Progressive Farms introduce a local variety known for its exceptional taste and versatility, and the reception from customers has already signaled a promising addition to the market.

One satisfied customer highlighted the superior flavor profile of Progressive’s onion offerings, stating that "Going into meetings, everyone talked about 1015s, but walking out, they were all praises for Progressive's Mexican and California sweets.”

California flat sweet onions are available in a 40 lb carton and a 2 lb bag, catering to both retail and foodservice providers.

Explore more about this latest portfolio addition at booth #204 during the show.

And stick around for more fresh produce news!

ORONDO, WA - Make room for a game-changing new apple variety! Gee Whiz is bringing a sweet new apple offering to the market with the launch of its Hunnyz apple, which the supplier will begin packing in late October.

“Hunnyz is a bi-color apple with an incredible honey-like sweetness backed with a subtle tartness, and the crunch factor is sure to wow,” shares Chief Executive Officer Digger Pond. “This is a non-GMO apple that is a natural cross between a Crimson Crisp and Honeycrisp, lending itself to non-browning characteristics.”

With consumers continuously on the lookout for an apple that packs an incredible crunch and good sugar/acid balance, Gee Whiz set out to develop a standout variety that delivers on both of these demands.

As Digger explains, the company has taken all of the reasons shoppers love Honeycrisp apples and made them consistently better with the cross of Crimson Crisp.

“This apple has been touted as the No. 1 best-tasting apple among all the new varieties out there in blind tastings,” Digger says. “It's important to promote this apple often, using the trending graffiti-designed boxes on the display as well.”

The grower reported that volumes will accelerate in the future, and the company will continue the stringent Gee Whiz growing practices on every single Hunnyz that hits the market.

And once consumers get their hands on this unique variety, the flavors will speak for themselves.

Don’t miss out on the chance to capture consumers’ attention with this premium, high-flavor apple variety!

KINGSBURG, CA - Those looking to learn more about HMC Farms® are in luck. I recently heard from Chelsea Ketelsen, Director of Marketing, that this family farm has a new and improved website.

“Our new website is informative, engaging, and easier to navigate than our previous site. It highlights the most valuable information from our old site, coupled with fresh from the farm updates,” Chelsea told me.

With the new site, HMC is providing easier access to the core values of HMC Farms, touching base on life on and off the farms with increased information on the fruit it grows, how it is grown, the community it has connected with, and much more. It also includes information on its foodservice offerings and organics, programs that have continued to blossom over the years.

“What I love about the new site is how it subtly tells the story of HMC Farms. It feels like a family scrapbook with historic photos intermingled with current images in a collage-type environment,” Chelsea explained. “It shows our family’s farming history and future in a glimpse. This new design gives the viewer an essence of who we are, who we were, and who we intend to be as we continue to pass our farms from generation to generation.”

HMC partnered with Purveyor to redesign its website in a way that really communicates what HMC Farms has to offer and what it takes to efficiently run a family-owned and operated farming business in the modern world.

“We truly just outgrew our previous site. Slowly adding bits of information over the past few years created a site that was unmanageable and unorganized from a viewer’s perspective,” Chelsea noted. “There were things we wanted to emphasize that didn’t have a place on our old site­—predominantly our proprietary variety Plumsicle^™. That variety deserves all the attention we can give it, and because the previous site was created before our Plumsicles were available, it was scarcely mentioned.”

If you have any questions about fruit, farming, or the HMC family, please visit its website. While you’re there, be sure to try out some new recipes, watch a few videos, read through blog posts, and let the company know what you think.

As we continue to report the industry’s latest, keep a tab open for ANUK.