With organic apple production increasing both domestically and with New Zealand partners, Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers has expanded its program and brought on Category Manager Dan Davis to manage the company’s organic supply base.
Davis, who brings nearly 20 years’ experience in organic fruit production to the position, will be responsible for strategy and management of the supply base on all Oneonta organic programs to ensure the right grower base, the right varieties and the right packaging to meet customer needs.
OSRG Marketing Director Scott Marboe said, “We are very excited about adding Dan to the team. His knowledge and experience will really take our programs to the next level.” And Davis noted the operation’s “full line of different commodities makes it easier to use Oneonta as a one-stop shop for organic needs.”
High demand for organic apples
As the 2017 Washington organic apple season comes to a close, imports from New Zealand bolster Oneonta’s supplies and provide retail customers with year-round organics.
“This is the second year of a great partnership with Fern Ridge Fresh in New Zealand, and the program has increased dramatically,” explained OSRG National Marketing Representative Bruce Turner. Importing from the Southern Hemisphere gives us the ability to meet the growing retail demand for high quality organic apples, and we’re providing all the right varieties – Royal Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith and Pink Lady.”
“Those high-demand varieties are available in 18kg tray pack cartons and two- and three-pound pouch and poly bags,” Turner said. “We’ve also brought back our popular ‘Southern Starr’ label for the bags.”
The year-round organic apple program will move seamlessly from New Zealand to the Pacific Northwest as more of Oneonta’s Washington orchards transition to certify organic. Turner said significant increases in volume will hit this fall, and he added, “By 2019, we will have nearly 2,000 acres of organic apple production in all the most modern varieties and cultivars.”
Oneonta’s Washington production has shifted over recent years to the high-color Gala, Fuji and Pink Lady cultivars, and Turner said Oneonta is also looking at “huge increases in organic Honeycrisp and Granny Smith.”
Marboe said the decision to increase organic production is in line with Oneonta’s consolidation of the organic program to one packing facility in Yakima.
“Our shareholders continue to invest in new packing equipment to ensure that our capacity stays ahead of our growing organic volume,” Marboe said. “The flexibility of a dedicated organic packing line gives OSRG the ability to maintain the highest levels of certified organic integrity, something our customers expect and something we promise to deliver.”
Organic pears
Also, Oneonta has added certified organic Red and Green Anjous, Bartletts and Boscs to its fall line-up. “The pears will be packed at Diamond Fruit Growers in the ‘Starr Ranch Organics Label,’” Turner said. “And we have organic cherries in transition now which we will offer in 2018,” he said.
Contact:
Scott Marboe
Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers
Tel: 509-663-2191