In addition to the redesign of Red Tomato’s EcoCertified fruit totes and pouches, Red Tomato broadened the scope of the certification to include a variety of fruits and value-added agricultural products, providing a more cohesive and impactful brand for consumers and growers, according to a news release.

The redesigned packaging is timed for the 2024 apple season and includes paper totes, pouches, poly bags, and master cases. “The rebrand will help consumers choose EcoCertified fruit, which means they are investing in local and sustainable growing practices. EcoCertified is a promise of amazing fruit that is both local and ecologically grown,” according to the release.

EcoCertified is designed to be a grower brand, an integral part of their marketing stories, and to build a stronger, more recognizable certification that stands for sustainable, ecologically responsible farming practices.

The updated packaging will be available in stores making it easier for consumers to identify and purchase EcoCertified products. Insights from consumer research indicate a strong preference for clear, concise labeling that highlights the product’s sustainable attributes.

The most ecological farming practices differ by locale. More than 93% of U.S. certified organic apples are grown in eastern Washington. The climate in the Eastern U.S. is more rain, diseases and insects. The national organic standards do not offer viable treatments for eastern orchards
growing at a wholesale scale, according to the release.

“EcoCertified orchards are a powerful, resilient force in our region’s food system, combining the most ecological growing practices with the best of local foods,” said Angel Mendez, Red Tomato’s executive director, said in the release.

Red Tomato partnered with the Hartman Group, a marketing research firm specializing in the natural and organic grocery industry.

Keywords such as “sustainable growing practices,” “protect pollinators,” “promote tree and soil health,” and “growers care for the land, community, and earth” were instrumental in the design process. The packaging highlights the taste, ecological practices, and local sourcing that define EcoCertified. The front of the pouch proudly states, “Happy Bees. Healthy Trees. Amazing Apples.” while the back emphasizes the rigorous ecological practices that protect bees, ensure thriving orchards, and balance vital ecosystems, according to the release.

“It’s very hard for farmers to grow apples this way,” Diane Rast, Hartman’s creative director, said in the release. “I visit the farms. I have been designing for years and I know the challenge of communicating a complex idea dealing with sustainable growing practices with just a few words and a choice illustration.”

The EcoCertified program was launched in 2005, as a partnership of non-profit Red Tomato, the IPM Institute of North America and a network of farmers, scientists and fruit experts, to advance environmentally responsible growing practices for locally grown tree fruit in the Northeast.

The program’s goal is to support growers by bringing together the local and ecological growing practices, educating the public about their value, and building a market that keeps local orchards thriving and local apples abundant.

The program has certified more than 30 Northeast orchards, representing more than 2,000 acres. EcoCertified is actively expanding to new regional chapters east of the Rockies, with a focus on the Midwest (Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois), Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

Based in Rhode Island, Red Tomato works with partners throughout the U.S., including scientists and farmer networks, regional and national grocery stores, K-12 schools, community-based nonprofits, and other vendors. In addition to apples, Red Tomato also works with tomatoes and other vegetables.

The post Red Tomato rebrands apples, expands EcoCertified distribution appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

The association is projecting the 2024 apple harvest at 124 million forty-pound boxes.

The estimate signals a return to historical norms after two years of volatility, with expectations of exceptional fruit quality across all varieties, according to a news release.

“There is a lot of excitement as we are seeing a more normal harvest and excellent fruit quality this year,” Jon DeVaney, WSTFA president, said in the release.

DeVaney credited the moderate spring and warm early summer for creating stable growing conditions, which have allowed growers to produce the size, color, and flavor that have made Washington apples famous.

Among the most popular varietals, Gala apples will lead the crop at 19% of production, followed by Granny Smith at 14.5%, Red Delicious at 13%, Honeycrisp at 12%, and Fuji at 10.5%. The Cosmic Crisp, developed by Washington State University specifically for the region, continues to grow in popularity, representing 9% of this year’s crop.

Organic apples are also on the rise, making up nearly 16% of the total harvest. Washington remains the nation’s leader in organic apple production, with more than 90% of the U.S. supply grown in the state, according to the release.

“Apples are synonymous with Washington state, and we are known for producing the world’s finest apples,” Derek Sandison, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, said in the release. “The 2024 crop is not only crucial to the state’s economy, generating $2 billion in 2022 alone, but also to its global reputation as a top apple producer.”

The WSTFA’s forecast, based on a survey of its members, is subject to change as the harvest progresses from August through November.

For a detailed look at the 2024 apple forecast, visit Washington State Tree Fruit Association.

Read the full news release and watch a video in which WSTFA’s DeVaney discusses the 2024 Apple Forecast.

The post Washington apple forecast predicts return to normal with exceptional quality appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

Key projects include evaluating alternative nursery practices to reduce graft union failure, testing drought-tolerant rootstocks, and examining the impact of stress on grafted rootstocks infected with trunk pathogens. Another project will assess the performance of rootstocks under drought and saline conditions in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

“These research efforts are essential for the prosperity of the California grape and wine industries,” said CGRIC Board Chairman Chris Lindelof.

Since its establishment in 1993, the CGRIC has contributed approximately $7.5 million to fund 133 research projects. The Commission, funded by an assessment on rootstock sales, has played a significant role in developing new rootstock varieties and improving grapevine resilience.

Grape growers can learn more about the CGRIC’s efforts and the new projects by visiting the Commission’s website at graperootstock.org.

The post New research projects funded to boost rootstock resilience for California grape growers appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

The Irrigation Technology Field Day is scheduled for July 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Taggares Fruit Company, east of the Tri Cities of Washington.

The event is designed to help growers learn more about irrigation basics, irrigation technology, soil and water influence, plant water needs as well as regulated deficit irrigation in one of WSU’s commercial experimental blocks.

The project involves a collaboration between USDA ARS, WSU and industry partners, with funding support from the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission.

“This event is an opportunity for growers to learn about the impact of water management in fruit quality and current technologies that can help us guide irrigation practices,” according to a news release.

The agenda includes:

• Plant water relations, impact of water deficit in development and quality. Lee Kalcsits, WSU.
• Soil-water relations. Troy Peters, WSU.
• Tools & Technologies to assist monitoring crop water demand/stress. Lav Khot, WSU.
• Plant and soil base monitoring for water management. Phytech.
• Regulated deficit irrigation project updates. Andrew Bierer, USDA-ARS.

Bernardita Sallato, a WSU tree fruit Extension specialist, is the event’s organizer.

This event is funded by the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and in-kind support from Phytech

Based in Kfar Saba, Israel, Phytech is a digital farming platform technology provider that helps growers improve farming production through AI-based agronomic recommendations.

The event will be at 17855 WA-124, Burbank, Washington.

Learn more about the event here.

The post WSU schedules irrigation tech field day appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

The webinar covering piece rate recordkeeping is scheduled for July 11 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT.

The event is sponsored by the Washington Winegrowers Association and the Washington Growers League.

“Learn how to comply with piece rate laws while managing labor costs effectively. This webinar will cover compliant piece rate record-keeping and explore various perspectives on workforce efficiency and regulation compliance,” according to a news release.

“Targeted at vineyard and winery employers, it addresses the industry’s response to piece rate laws and offers practical solutions for balancing compliance with economic efficiency.”

For more information, visit here. 

Based in Cashmere, Washington, the Washington Winegrowers Association supports members by addressing industry needs through collaboration and partnerships to enhance Washington’s wine industry.

Headquartered in Yakima, Washington, the Yakima, Washington, the Washington Growers League is a non-profit, non-partisan association that provides services and support to agricultural employers in Washington as well as representation on critical agricultural labor and employment issues.

The post Washington growers to hold piece rate recordkeeping webinar appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

The funding is part of $300 million allocated to 66 U.S. organizations under the USDA’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), designed to build demand for American food and farm exports in high-potential markets worldwide.

Fruit concerns include:

• Washington Apple Commission, $7 million
• Pear Bureau Northwest, $4 million
• California Cherry Marketing and Research Board, $750,000
• Cherry Marketing Institute, $450,000
• U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, $1.3 million,
• Cranberry Institute, $1 million
• California Table Grape Commission, $3.3 million
• California Prune Board, $4.2 million
• California Fresh Fruit Association, $1 million
• California Agricultural Export Council, $1 million
• Washington State Fruit Commission, $900,000
• New York Wine and Grape Foundation, $1.3 million,
• Northwest Wine Promotion Coalition, $2.4 million
• Organic Trade Association, $2.5 million

The full list of recipients is here.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack authorized $1.2 billion in Commodity Credit Corp. funding in launching RAPP to help U.S. exporters expand their customer base beyond established markets, focusing on regions including Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia.

The post Tree fruit, berries, grapes receive USDA market promotion funds appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

Michael Schadler, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange (FTE), is scheduled to begin as president of the Wenatchee, Washington, in September, according to a news release.

Schadler, who has led the tomato exchange since 2017, succeeds Todd Fryhover, who is retiring. Fryhover joined the commission in 2006 in a consultancy role before becoming president in 2008.

Schadler was also manager of the Florida Tomato Committee and executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange.

Formerly the apple commission’s export operations director, Fryhover for 20 years worked for apple shipping companies, including Chief Wenatchee Growers, Dovex Export Co. and Sun Chief Marketing.

Fryhover succeeded former president Dave Carlson, a Wapato grower who had been president for five years.

Before joining the tomato exchange, Schadler was director of international marketing at the Florida Department of Citrus. He was also with Bryant Christie, a consulting firm focused on a variety of agriculture-related issues.

“Michael’s background with trade associations, international marketing, advocacy, and grower relations make him an ideal fit for this position,” Fryhover said in a release. “I have confidence Michael and WAC staff will work seamlessly to represent the Washington apple grower community and take our programs to the next level in these challenging times for Washington State tree fruit.”

Schadler graduated from the University of Washington in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in international studies. He is also a member for several trade committees including the USDA Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables, the Canadian Produce Association North American Trade Committee, Florida Farm Bureau Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee, International Fresh Produce Association Government Relations Council, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, and others.

“Having been away from Washington for more than a decade, I’m excited to be returning and to have the opportunity to work on behalf of the state’s signature crop,” Schadler said in the release. “I’m looking forward to helping the apple industry manage a very competitive international landscape. There are a lot of headwinds, but the industry is well positioned to continue building on its long-term export success. It will be a privilege to join the Washington Apple Commission this September.”

Established in 1937 by the Washington State Legislature, the WAC is a non-profit, promotional organization dedicated to marketing and advertising fresh Washington apples internationally. WAC is one of the oldest U.S. commodity commissions. It is considered a governmental agency since it is state mandated, but is governed and partially funded by growers.

The post Washington Apple Commission taps Florida tomato leader as new head appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

The Winery Sanitation & Food Safety Webinar is scheduled for June 27.

The web seminar is designed to train viticulturists and winemakers on best practices and information necessary for operations to comply with Food and Drug Administration requirements, according to a news release.

The seminar, Winery Sanitation & Food Safety Compliance: Training the Trainer Webinar, is organized by the Washington Winegrowers Association and Washington State University (WSU) Viticulture & Enology, runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“This webinar is a fantastic opportunity for wineries to fulfill the Food Safety Modernization Act training mandate and review Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) that are expected under FDA’s regulatory jurisdiction and differ from state requirements,” according to the release.

Led by WSU’s Thomas Henick-Kling and Tom Collins, the course will help attendees assess their cleaning and sanitizing programs in order to realize where deficits exist and make corrective actions, understand what records need to be kept, how to train all winery workers, and gain valuable insights into how to mitigate costs incurred by poor sanitation in the winery.

This is a brief agenda of the webinar:

• Winery Sanitation Basics including Barrel Hygiene
• Sanitation Verification
• Basic Food Safety Certification Training
• Q&A

Find more information here.

The post Washington Winegrowers Association to hold food safety webinar appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

On June 10, the U.S. Apple Association via its USAppleTracker report reported the total number of apples in storage on June 1 was 57 million bushels, 36% more than last June’s total of 42 million bushels and 34% higher than the 5-year average for that date.

May’s movement of 19 million bushels was 28% above movement volumes for the same period last year.

Fresh apple holdings in June totaled 40 million bushels, 38% more than the inventories reported for last June. Processing holdings totaled 17 million bushels, 32% larger than last year on June 1 and 19% above last year’s value. Processor movement last month was 6.2 million bushels, 50% above last May’s figure.

Of the Top 5 apple producing states – Washington, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia – only Michigan and Virginia reported storage declines.

Washington storage increased from 34 million bushels to 47 million bushels, experiencing increases in fresh and processed holdings from June 2023 to June 2024. The five-year May holdings average is 36 million bushels.

Michigan storage fell from 2.6 million bushels during the period to 2.5 million bushels. Processing holdings slightly increased from 1.05 million bushels to 1.06 million bushels, while fresh storage slightly declined from 1.57 million bushels to 1.51 million bushels during the period. The five-year average is 1.3 million bushels.

New York holdings increased from 2.7 million bushels to 4.2 million bushels, higher than the 2.9 million bushel five-year average.

For Pennsylvania, holdings increased from 1.3 million bushels to 1.7 million bushels, more than the 1.1 million bushel five-year average.

Virginia’s holdings declined from 671,879 bushels to 518,167 bushels, smaller than the 732,261 bushel five-year average.

For Oregon, holdings increased from 399,480 bushels to 459.062 bushels, smaller than the 480,504 bushel five-year average.

The leading 15 varieties in storage, in order by volume, were Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Cosmic Crisp, Pink Lady/Cripps Pink, Golden Delicious, Ambrosia, Rome, Idared, York, McIntosh, Envy, and Empire. There were few changes in the report.

The report captures more than 95% of the national storage capacity, according to Christopher Gerlach, USApple’s director of industry analytics.

View the report here.

The post Apple storage continues to rise appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

Key findings indicate increased yields across various vegetable categories, including tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce. Farmers attribute this success to timely irrigation, efficient pest management, and the adoption of innovative cultivation techniques.

Dr. John Smith, a horticulture specialist with UCCE, emphasized the significance of sustainable farming practices in achieving these results. “Our ongoing research and extension efforts aim to equip farmers with the knowledge and resources needed to optimize their crop yields while minimizing environmental impact,” Dr. Smith stated.

Furthermore, the report highlights ongoing collaborations between UCCE and local growers to address emerging challenges, such as water conservation and soil health.

Overall, the Kern County Crop Report underscores the resilience and adaptability of the agricultural community, positioning it for continued growth and success in the upcoming season.

The post Kern County Crop Report highlights positive outlook for tomatoes appeared first on Fruit Growers News.