RIO RICO, AZ - All that traffic you see hovering around a certain destination in the produce department—well, it is highly likely to be the cause of one of my favorite spots in the store: the table grape display. As the seasons change and growing regions transition, consumers look to the table grape category to stay dynamic, consistent, and flavor-packed. Scott Rossi, Director of Sales and Marketing for Fresh Farms joins me as we sit on the cusp of May, to discuss how his team is impacting the produce department and what is yet to come.
“We are very excited to bring our retail partners our Mexican grape programs as consumers seek more year-round offerings and retailers look for a one-stop-shop for their table grape needs,” Scott shares with me. “Currently, we are harvesting Sweet Globes, Sugar Crisps, and Cotton Candy grapes from the Jalisco region and we will start picking the Guaymas region in two weeks.”
Fresh Farms offers a diverse selection of organic and conventional varieties. The organic offerings include Sweet Globes, Sweet Celebrations, Sweet Sapphires, Summer Royals, Cotton Candy, Primes, and Flames. On the conventional side, the company will offer Sweet Globes, Sugar Crisps, Primes, Great Greens, Ivory, Sweet Celebrations, Cotton Candy, Flames, Sweet Sapphires, Summer Royals, Sweet Bond, and Candy Snaps.
To decrease the products’ travel time for Fresh Farms’ retail partners, the company is shipping its table grape program through McAllen, Texas, and Nogales, Arizona, for U.S. customers.
“Mexico is an essential part of the year-round table grape equation and grows in impact every year,” Scott tells me. “Jalisco gives North America fresh green seedless grapes with an excellent taste and berry size. In addition, we offer sweet, fresh Cotton Candy grapes which bring both differentiation and value to our partners.”
Fresh Farms looks at its operations in Mexico through a lens of growth. The team is constantly expanding into more regions of Mexico including Jalisco and Guaymas, while also planting and experimenting with new varieties—some already in huge volume numbers. In addition, Fresh Farms has three in-house packing facilities in three different regions to ensure quality standards and consistency.
“As a family business, we take care of our workers and we believe that the passion we all share comes through in our drive to be the best, and in the quality of our fruit,” Scott adds. “We are one of the few grape shippers in Mexico that are Fair Trade certified and actually do more for their workers than any certification may ask for.”
For all things sweet, flavorful, and premium, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow and the companies we feature!
