Page 28 - Index

bi-color apples on the shelf. e crop harvests in October, with the rst shipments the third week of this month. e company supports promotion of the apple with marketing tools designed to drive introduction and trial such as store displays, digital coupons, social media support and sampling.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAGE FRUIT COMPANY
BREEZE. Crisp texture, intense avor, a white esh slow to oxidize and pink-red blush over a yellow background are distin- guishing characteristics of this chance seed- ling discovered nearly 20 years ago in New Zealand. First planted in Washington State in 2015 with its rst commercial harvest in 2017, the Sage Fruit Company is the exclu-
sive supplier thanks to a partnership with e Fresh Fruit Company (Freshco) of New Zealand. e apple harvests in early to mid-August. Availability of the Wash- ington crop is August through January, with o shore availability from April through July. Sage Fruit can provide retailers with in-store, Breeze-speci c display bins.
CHEEKIE. Like Breeze, this is a New Zealand variety from Freshco, and Sage Fruit is the exclusive U.S. supplier. e apple is crisp, juicy with a dark red blush, and has a slightly tropical, slightly tart avor. “We currently have test blocks in the U.S. and look to have commercial volume availability within the next 4 to 5 years,” says Sinks.
Cheekie apples from Freshco and Sage Fruit
Washington State University’s Cosmic Crisp
COSMIC CRISP. Developed at WSU, where it was rst known as WA 38, this Honeycrisp-Enterprise cross has had unprecedented uptake with approximately 11 million trees planted in the state since 2017, according to Evans. e apple’s esh is extremely crunchy with a sweet-tart avor. Its peel features tiny yellow starbursts over a red background. Industrywide release is set for December 2019. e initial commercial crop will have limited availability. However, volumes should grow exponentially in the next 5 to 10 years.
JUICI. is Braeburn/Honeycrisp mix, which has the taste and consistency of a Honeycrisp and is currently only grown in Washington State, was rst marketed three years ago. Harvest starts in late October with storage availability expected until March. “We are getting our rst crop of organic Juici this year, but it will be very small until more blocks transition over in the next two to three years,” says Brent Shammo, in marketing at Starr Ranch Growers, Wenatchee, WA.
Lucy Glo apples from Chelan Fresh
LUCY. Cultivated by a small group of Central Washington growers, these apples o ers unique attributes. Lucy Apples are part Honeycrisp — Lucy Rose has a red skin and berry sweet-tasting esh, and Lucy Glo is yellow-skinned with a blush red interior that’s tangy sweet in avor. ese apples, which reached test-market volume last year, are grown and marketed by Chelan Fresh, in Chelan, WA, and Stemilt Growers Inc., in Wenatchee, WA.
28 / SEP TEMBER 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS