The outlook for California's upcoming stone fruit crop is good. "Most of the trees have blossomed already and contrary to last year, this year's bloom was uniform," says Ryan Howard with Family Tree Farms. "While this is a very good sign, there is still a lot of weather to come and the crop remains a moving target," he added. California has been receiving a lot of rain lately, but at this stage, it is too early for rain to affect the different stone fruit varieties. "The closer we get to harvest the more concerning rain, or really hail, would be."
Around May 1st, Family Tree's stone fruit harvest in California's Central Valley will start with their apricots, red apricots and peaches. Nectarines will kick off shortly after, followed by plums. Other specialty varieties like Plumcots and donut peaches won't start until late May or the first week of June. From that point, the state of CA will have continuous supply of stone fruit until the end of September.
White flesh
Unlike most other stone fruit growers and shippers, Family Tree Farms specializes in white flesh peaches and nectarines. While the company's volume on yellow flesh fruit is growing, white flesh fruit is still dominant. "Since we were established in 2001, our mission always has been to pack the most flavorful fruit in the world and white flesh stone fruit helps us fulfill that mission," Howard commented. "In all of the commodities we grow, high flavor, high sugar content fruit is what we are looking for and that's how we differentiate from other growers."
Vertically integrated and family owned
Family Tree Farms was established by the Jackson Family 24 years ago and the company is still family owned with the second and third generations involved in the business as well. "Back in the day, we started by trialing and testing different stone fruit varieties from around the world and the white flesh varieties as well as specialty varieties outperformed others." Over the years, yellow flesh varieties have gradually been added to the portfolio. As a result of water challenges and ongoing labor issues, California's stone fruit acreage has decreased in recent years. "The number of growers and shippers has gone down and with less people offering stone fruit, we feel it's important to offer the full package, including yellow flesh fruit."
Today, the company has its own R&D facility in Reedley, California where varieties from about 30 different breeding programs around the world are being tested, including Israel, France, Spain, and California. The company is fully vertically integrated and grows, packs, and markets virtually all the fruit it sells.
Educating consumers
Over the years, Howard has witnessed demand for white flesh varieties and specialty varieties increase. "I attribute that to flavor," he said. "Our retail partners come to Family Tree because of the consistent eating experience our stone fruit delivers. Our lineup of white flesh peaches and nectarines, highlighted by our Pearlicious white nectarines sets us apart from other suppliers. (It has the same sweet flavor and soft, juicy flesh, with a flowery aroma. The skin is cream-colored with a red blush, and the flesh is snowy white.)
In terms of demographics, Howard is noticing an increased interest from younger people. "They don't always know the different varieties, but they are interested in exploring and trying new fruit. We're out there on social media educating consumers, but we're also working with our retail partners on doing in-store demos and getting people to try the fruit. We think once they try it, they'll become a regular customer."
Next month, Family Tree Farms will be exhibiting at CPMA in Montreal. Stop by booth #1725 to meet the team.
For more information:
Ryan Howard
Family Tree Farms
Tel: (+1) 559.591.6280
rhoward@familytreefarms.com
www.familytreefarms.com