Stemilt is diversifying produce departments with its signature apple variety, PINATA! The quality of this year’s crop is second to none, thanks to ideal weather conditions in the eastern Washington growing region. Stemilt expects to have supply through April. Volume is aligning perfectly with demand, offering retailers a great program to promote in January. Now is a great time to push the apple as an item that falls in line with healthy eating, snacking trends, and New year’s resolutions. Pinata’s tropical theme is present across all merchandising and POS support, helping Stemilt’s customers warm-up produce departments during the cooler months. Communications Manager, Brianna Shales, tells AndNowUKnow, “With more than 10 years of growth for our earliest plantings, the trees are reaching a level of maturity that is ideal for producing a high sugar and acid balance, as well as a crisp and delicious apple.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">SunFed’s protected agriculture season is here. The company recently expanded its portfolio with the addition of high tech greenhouses in Guatemala, growing TOVs and beefsteak tomatoes. Also new this year are hothouse eggplants from Mexico. Volume and quality are excellent on SunFed’s year-round line of colored bells and cucumbers, all from protected environments. Matt Mandel, VP of Sales & Marketing, tells AndNowUKnow, “We are constantly expanding our protected agriculture program in response to overwhelming demand and now harvest from 45 different growing operations. In addition to our great partners we have worked with for years, Central Mexico continues to be an area of growth for SunFed in 2014.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
