BelleHarvest is working with growing new varieties including Smitten, an apple originally from New Zealand but is expanding to include a partnership of growers in the United States. “This is the first year of significant domestic production and early indications are that consumers really love the apple,” says Sandwick.
Read MoreThe state of Washington continues to see ramped up planting and increased acreage over the last several years of the Smitten variety. Originally a patented variety from New Zealand, in Washington, Barclay Crane, managing director of Pegasus LLC says trees are already planted or budded, leading to roughly 1,000 acres in 2019 and expanding steadily beyond.
Read MoreThe state of Washington continues to see ramped up planting and increased acreage over the last several years of the Smitten variety. Originally a patented variety from New Zealand, in Washington, Barclay Crane, managing director of Pegasus LLC says trees are already planted or budded, leading to roughly 1,000 acres in 2019 and expanding steadily beyond.
Read MoreConsumers patiently waiting for Smitten™ apples sweet crunch, delectable tang, and juicy-goodness to return to the produce aisle are in luck. CMI Orchards’ new-crop apple season kicked off with an astonishing 400% increase in Smitten production.
Read MoreSmitten harvest at CMI Orchards has started, with an anticipated 400% in production over last season.
Read MoreSan Francisco-based CDS Distributing Inc. will have a significant increase in volume of Smitten variety apples this season, as the company marks its 40th year in business, said Jan Garrett, vice president of marketing.
The firm started marketing Smitten apples the week of Sept. 10 and expects to ship them at least until the end of the year.
Read MoreSteve Lutz, senior strategist for CMI Orchards, based in Wenatchee, WA, sees two key themes emerging with this year’s Washington apple crop.
Read MoreHoney Bear Tree Fruit Co. will have its first big crop of Smitten apples this year.The Wenatchee, Wash.-based company expects about 200,000 boxes of its newest variety.
Read MoreWenatchee, Wash-based Honey Bear Tree Fruit Co., in pairing up with Susan G. Komen this season.
Read MoreSmitten apples are coming off the trees in Washington, with this season marking the first good-sized crop of the variety from the state.
Read More"We'll be helping to unveil the new Smitten apple campaign this fall," Don Zornes pointed out. "The Smitten apple will be the official Pink Ribbon Apple partnering with the Susan G. Komen group."
Read MoreEvery year consumers eagerly await the arrival of a new crop of Washington apples. The latest developments in apple varieties are given a kick-start on promotions in the early fall when Washington state begins harvesting.
Read More“We’ll be helping to unveil the new Smitten apple campaign this fall,” Don Zornes, Smitten's marketing director, pointed out. “The Smitten apple will be the official Pink Ribbon apple partnering with the Susan G. Komen group.
Read MoreBelleHarvest Sales Inc., Belding, Mich., is offering a couple of new, “exceptionally great-eating apples” this season, said Chris Sandwick, vice president of sales and marketing.
One is the proprietary Smitten variety that also is available from Wenatchee, Wash.-based Pegasus Premier Fruit Co.
Read MoreSecuring shelf space in the produce department can be a challenge, especially at certain times of the year, Michigan apple grower-shippers say.
And persuading a retailer to stock a new variety can be like pulling teeth.
Read MoreFor Belleharvest Sales Inc., Smitten, a club apple variety, will be available on a commercial-volume basis for the first time this year, according Christopher Sandwick, the firm’s vice president of sales and marketing. Sandwick said there are “a number of orchards around the country” producing Smitten. But Belleharvest growers have exclusive rights to produce the new variety the Midwest. Belleharvest will represent the variety “in the Midwest and middle part of the country with our retail partners.”
Read MoreGood Fruit Grower caught up with two growers — Michael Zingler and Tony Blattner — who shared the stories behind their decisions to add a new variety, in this case the club apple Smitten.
Read MoreTwo of the many international introductions that are drawing interest are the New Zealand offerings PremA129 (to be licensed and sold as Dazzle), which is a cross of Scired (a Gala and Splendour cross known as NZ Queen) and Sweetie (a Royal Gala and Braeburn cross), and Smitten, which has grandparents in Falstaff, Fiesta, Braeburn and Gala.
Read MoreThe Bachelorette's Georgia Love and Lee Elliott pose for very cheesy Valentine's Day shoot complete with fruity bouquets. The couple spent equal time gazing into each-other's eyes as they did at their bouquet of hybrid Gala apples, given the name 'Smitten' by their creators.
Read MoreIf you’re a horse-betting kind of buyer, this one has the nice lines you want to see. It’s a cross between crowd favorites Gala, Braeburn, Falstaff, and Fiesta, conceived by the same New Zealand breeder of Envy™ and JAZZ™. The blush catches the eye, but it’s the crunch consumers will likely come back for.
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