Plant City-based, international grower and year-round marketer of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and pineberries, Wish Farms, is gearing up for the organic Georgia blueberry season.
Southern Georgia grower, Major League Blueberries, is owned and operated by Malcolm McCoy and former Major League outfielder and current Atlanta Braves television color analyst, Jeff Francoeur.
© Wish FarmsLeft: a look at the high-density 160-acre organic blueberry farm; right: Jeff Francoeur
Their high-density 160-acre organic blueberry farm features Farthing, Suziblue, San Joaquin, Spring High, and Legacy varieties. The weather has been ideal, and the vital pieces are in place for their crop to record strong yields.
"They are a top-quality producer that has invested heavily in the infrastructure of their farm," said Wish Farms blueberry grower relations manager Joel Whitehead. "Their attention to detail, as well as their clean, well-manicured fields are second to none; the innovative techniques they employ set them apart."
Automated harvesting is one of the modern agricultural practices utilized at MLB. It is an early adopter of the Netherlands-based Fine Field Harvy500. This environmentally sustainable, remote-controlled platform gives the farm flexibility to supplement its hand harvesting without sacrificing quality. The machine features a platform, allowing the farmer to choose whether to detach the fruit manually, using a power tool, or fully mechanically.
All blueberries harvested at MLB are packed at Wish Farms' state-of-the-art warehouse in Plant City. The QC process features WECO 360Tek technology, which takes up to 16 high-definition pictures of each berry, utilizing AI to remove fruit with fine defects.
© Wish FarmsAll blueberries harvested at MLB are packed at Wish Farms' state-of-the-art warehouse in Plant City.
MLB will begin harvesting organic blueberries around the third week of April and continue into June.
"Jeff and Malcolm have both been very successful in their careers," said Whitehead. "They bring the same excellence to their farming operation, and we have been proud to work with them for the last seven years."
For more information:
Nick Wishnatzki
Wish Farms
Tel: +1 (813) 752-5111
sales@wishfarms.com
www.wishfarms.com