Anticipation is building up for the start of the California stone fruit season. "We are running 10 to 14 days ahead of last year with early momentum pointing to a strong start to the season," says Michael Thurlow with Mountain View Fruit Sales. "In the past, we've experienced strong early-season demand, so we are excited for the fruit to be ready early this year."
Overall, orchard health is looking excellent. The trees are currently in the thinning stage and show a strong fruit set with good counts across orchards. Due to a dry and warm spring, thinning is more aggressive this season. This will help with optimizing the fruit size and quality and so far, the sizing of the different stone fruit varieties is progressing well. "From this point forward, precision management is the priority," Thurlow said.
© Mountain View Fruit Sales
Left: Michael Thurlow. Right: new design for Mountain View's stone fruit boxes.
Harvest of yellow peaches is expected to start between April 22 and 25 with the harvest of white peaches and apricots scheduled for the same week; April 23 and 25 respectively. On April 29, yellow nectarines will start, followed by white nectarines on May 3 and plums on May 16.
Up until now, the season has been tracking very positively. Crop, weather, and orchard management are all aligned for a strong early window. "We are always dependent on Mother Nature, but confidence is building as harvest approaches," commented Thurlow.
© Mountain View Fruit Sales
Recently taken photo, showing the fruit's size.
Taking a closer look at the fruit itself, he is very optimistic for the season. An ideal mix of warm days and cool nights is expected to result in enhanced flavor, color, and eating quality. For peaches specifically, a rapid size growth was observed over a seven-day period between March 23 and March 30. The fruit is now transitioning to a cleaner and more uniform shape. "We are also actively managing the early-season "tippy" fruit to ensure a better eating experience for consumers. It's our goal to offer well-shaped, properly sized fruit from the moment the season starts."
Mountain View's stone fruit will be featured in newly redesigned packaging with refreshed retail bins, boxes, and bags. The merchandising bins will be used to enhance store stone fruit displays, capturing additional impulse purchases. Redesigned packaging is available for all three brands, including Summeripe, Summertime, and Autumnripe stone fruit.
© Mountain View Fruit Sales
For more information:
Michael Thurlow
Mountain View Fruit Sales
Tel: (+1) 559-637-9933
[email protected]
www.mvfruit.com
