WENATCHEE, WA - When summer arrives, so does Stemilt’s premium summer fruit! The premier grower is bringing its all-organic and delicious stonefruit to the market, livening up the produce aisle with its Artisan Organics™ peaches and nectarines arriving in mid-July.

“Our Artisan Organics peaches and nectarines are the epitome of summer fruit,” explained Senior Marketing Manager Brianna Shales. “The Douglas family are fourth-generation growers who have farmed peaches and nectarines organically for more than a decade. We’re anticipating a crop of large-sized peaches and nectarines that will also be big on classic flavors with loads of juice.”

Stemilt’s peaches and nectarines are all-organic and offer retailers a chance to build both the summer fruit and organic categories. According to a press release, the grower expects fruit sizing to jump and bulk promotions to become the norm. Peak sizing will be jumbo to extra-large, and retailers should plan for three solid ads on yellow peaches and nectarines between late July and mid-September.

“We expect smaller sizes to kick the season off,” said Shales. “That means retailers can carry peaches or nectarines in our kid-size fruit brand, Lil Snappers®. The 2-lb pouch bag has a mesh backing and is backed by a brand that consumers recognize and love.”

As the season continues in August, Stemilt’s new premium Top Pick™ program is ready to help retailers sell volumes of bulk fruit. Fruit that goes into Top Pick packs will ship at ideal ripeness and with high brix, or sugar, standards. The 1-layer Euro carton weighs 15 pounds.

“The new Top Pick pack is all about sharing the most incredible peaches and nectarines ever with shoppers,” said Shales. “Like the name implies, the fruit comes from the upper part of the tree and is bursting with flavor and vibrant colors. It’s easy to display and has a bold design to help drive impulse purchases. A program like Top Pick eliminates the customer’s guessing game for buying delicious fruit and helps put your summer fruit category in a positive direction.”

According to a release, the Organic Trade Association’s 2020 Organic Industry Survey found that organic offerings continue to be on the rise. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, organic was growing in popularity. Organic produce has seen significant spikes and overall growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, organic fresh fruit was up 7.0 percent.

Artisan Organics peaches and nectarines are a great differentiation point for organic categories in the summer months, Shales elaborated. Stemilt’s summer fruits come from the southeastern region of Washington State. Hot days, cool nights, and a lack of moisture combine with the Douglas family’s generations of growing experience to provide a perfect recipe for growing peaches and nectarines organically.

“Stemilt’s Artisan Organics peaches and nectarines can offer consumers that taste of summer they’re craving,” explains Shales. “While we continue to navigate the unchartered waters the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to grocery stores, we can all get excited about providing shoppers with a taste of familiarity, while bringing a smile (and a bit of juice) to their faces.”

Smiling customers with carts full of healthy produce is achievable with summer programs like Stemilt’s, so stock up soon! ANUK will continue to bring the freshest insights from the industry in the meantime.

Stemilt Growers