Naturipe Farms Expands Southeast Blueberry Program; Larry Ensfield and Jerod Gross Share
SALINAS, CA - Blueberry season is upon us! I’m sure you have shoppers eagerly snapping up punnets of these juicy orbs as fast as you can place them. Naturipe Farms is ensuring you have the supplies ready to meet these demands, as it recently announced an increase in organic and conventional blueberry production in the southeast United States.
Over the last year, Michigan Blueberry Growers (MBG), an owner of Naturipe Farms, has made significant additions to its Southeast blueberry program. These changes have resulted in remarkable increases in organic and conventional blueberry volumes from Florida and have successfully supported MBG’s efforts to increase output in the southeastern United States.
“We are thankful to our growers for their constant diligence in their exceptional growing practices and for producing such high volumes as a result,” said Larry Ensfield, President of MBG. “The Southeast blueberries are the same quality our customers have come to expect from Naturipe—fresh, firm, and flavorful. With the strong numbers we are seeing, we are more than able to fulfill the high demand we expect on the East Coast.”
The timing for these changes is ideal, as production starts the fourth week of March (week 12) and peaks the first two weeks of April (weeks 14–15).
According to the release, the new program will allow Naturipe to be among the first to market with Florida blueberries, fulfilling East Coast needs and allowing for a smooth transition from Chile to Florida to Georgia.
“We at Island Grove have been proudly growing fresh conventional and organic blueberries in North, Central, and Southwest Florida for over 20 years. Our team is excited about joining MBG and growing under the Naturipe Label,” said Jerod Gross, General Manager at Island Grove.
Additionally, growers have been able to pick up additional pounds in Georgia that help to support weeks 15–20 of Southern Highbush and assist with early production of the superfruit.
A wave of blues are in our future, so catch a ride with AndNowUKnow as we report.
