Overcoming unprecedented temperatures, Fresh Farms focuses on quality and innovation to meet consumer demands during a challenging grape harvest season.
The California grape harvest is currently in full swing, presenting Fresh Farms with both significant challenges and promising opportunities this season.
Unprecedented high temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley, reaching between 110 and 115 degrees, have posed considerable stress on the vines, causing delays in the maturation process as the plants struggled to adapt to these extreme conditions.
Shaun Ricks, Sales Representative at Fresh Farms, highlighted the impact of this year’s heatwave on the harvest.
He noted that the intense heat particularly affected colored grapes like Flames and Summer Royals, which were slow to gain color and have only recently begun to show their characteristic hues.
On the other hand, green grapes experienced only a slight delay and resumed their maturation process once the heat subsided, now running about two weeks ahead compared to last year.
“The intense heat has had a pronounced effect, especially on colored grapes,” Ricks remarked. “The green grapes were delayed only slightly but resumed maturation when the heat broke and are now about two weeks ahead of last year. Colored grapes are running about the same as last year.”
This season, Fresh Farms is focusing on a select range of grape varieties, including Sweet Globe, Great Green, Allison, Krissy, and Candy Hearts.
The company estimates a total pack out of 94 million, with final figures expected to be confirmed in December. Despite the challenging weather conditions, Fresh Farms has adapted its strategies to align with consumer preferences, ensuring that their grapes meet high standards of flavor, appearance, and packaging.
According to the press release, the company is actively adjusting its operations to overcome current challenges and position itself for future success. Fresh Farms is implementing prompt delivery practices by utilizing refrigerated trucks for transporting grapes from the field.
This method replaces the use of flatbed bobtails, ensuring the grapes are kept in optimal conditions, thus maintaining their quality throughout the supply chain.
Furthermore, Fresh Farms is committed to providing comprehensive support to retailers, ensuring that they know how to preserve the quality of the grapes once they arrive at the store.
The company emphasizes that effective grape category management involves more than simply storing the grapes in refrigerated cases; it requires an understanding of best practices to maintain their freshness and appeal to consumers.
