Pears, almonds, cherries, and wine grapes are the main fruit and nut crops grown in California's Sacramento Delta region. This unique region is formed by the confluence of two large rivers: the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. The Delta provides clean drinking water to millions of Californians but also has a unique microclimate that allows certain fruits and nuts to flourish. For decades, Rivermaid Trading has been growing, packing, and shipping pears and cherries in the Delta region, sending them to customers around the world.
Trial blocks
"Over the years, we've trialed some limited acreage of other fruits, including, plums, apples, and Asian Pears," says Justin Bloss, Rivermaid's Sales and Marketing Manager. "We were able to justify these small trials because our sister company, The Gifting Company, could use the fruit in their e-commerce gift baskets, a synergy between the two companies." The person spearheading that side of the business, Chiles Wilson Jr., is always looking for experimental trials and one day he asked: "what about avocados?" The farming crew didn't think that was a good idea as avocados weren't commercially grown in the Sacramento Delta region. However, a giant avocado tree standing tall in the backyard of a nearby home suggested something different. "That tree was well established and thriving," said Bloss.
At that time, about six years ago, Chiles Wilson Jr. decided to take the avocado project on his own. He started sourcing and planting different avocado trees in hopes of commercially growing them one day. While browsing the internet in an effort to find the right trees for the microclimate, Wilson Jr. connected with a Chilean gentleman, named Mauricio Tapia, an experienced avocado agronomist and consultant. Tapia visited the Delta region and was blown away by the opportunities. "He concluded that the conditions to grow avocados are ideal, but frost is a threat," shared Bloss.
Chiles Wilson Jr. proudly shows full branches with avocados grown in the Sacramento Delta region.
Ample water available
After frost mitigating efforts were thought out, 10 acres of high-density avocado trees were planted under netting. During cool nights and mornings, overhead sprinklers are being turned on to protect the fruit against frost. Gradually, more acreage has been planted. While overhead sprinklers continue to be part of new plantations, netting has been eliminated as it doesn't provide enough benefits to justify the cost.
Three years ago, the first avocados were harvested commercially with Hass and Gem being the main varieties. "We're achieving excellent yields, and given the challenges other growing regions are facing, it's reassuring to know we can cultivate fruit more sustainably here in the Delta," commented Bloss. In addition, avocados in the Delta region are grown on flat land, which simplifies farming as well as harvest compared to the slopes many Southern California avocado trees are grown on.
Early harvest window
The harvesting window of avocados grown in the Delta is very unique. "We started harvesting Hass avocados last week, which makes the Delta amongst the earliest regions in California. In addition, we've learned that we have some flexibility as to when to pick the fruit," shared Bloss. Pears and cherries need to come off the trees at a certain level of ripeness, but avocados can stay on the tree for a longer time. Delta-grown Hass avocados are harvested between mid-January and April, followed by Gem around mid-March.
"After a couple tough years on most permanent crops in the region, it's an exciting opportunity to introduce a new commodity for growers to consider." The pear category and its growers have been faced with a few challenges, one of them being limited consumer education. "Similar to what the avocado industry has done so well, consumers need to be taught how to properly ripen a pear," commented Bloss. In addition, it's key to encourage retailers to avoid purchasing fruit that has been treated with ripening inhibitors. "A single bad experience can cause customers to bypass the pear section entirely on future store visits." California shippers have committed to not using these inhibitors. California cherries have also been through a couple of difficult years as a result of market timing, economic conditions, and rising farming costs, driven by inflation.
"All in all, we are committed to growing our avocado supply. Right now, we have about 30 acres of high-density trees that we hope to grow in the years to come. For the past two years, Rivermaid Trading has been partnering with a packing company in Southern California, bringing their fruit to market. However, it is the company's goal to join the packing ranks in the future as volume in the region expands.
For more information:
Justin Bloss
Rivermaid Trading
Tel: (+1) 209-210-6829
[email protected]
www.rivermaid.com