California organic stone fruit is coming up ‘peachy’

While some shipments of organic stone fruits from California got underway about three weeks ago, most of the crops are now in full production with many promotional opportunities available for retailers through the Memorial Day weekend and stretching beyond for the next several months.

“We are seeing tons of product,” said Jarod Hunting, produce buyer for Earl’s Organic Produce, which is located in the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market. “There have been ideal growing conditions this season and growers are reporting a strong fruit set.”

Jarod Hunting, Produce Buyer, Earl’s Organic Produce

Though Northern California was hit with a late, one-day storm on May 4, which dumped two feet of snow in the Sierras, the fruit withstood the rain in the valleys without incident. Consequently, packers have had increasingly larger supplies—literally each day—for the past couple of weeks. Hunting said there are many promotional opportunities for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend with several different varieties of organic peaches and nectarines, as well as apricots and cherries.

“We are seeing tons of product. There have been ideal growing conditions this season and growers are reporting a strong fruit set.” - Jarod Hunting

Although it has been estimated that only about 1% of California’s cherry volume is organic, Hunting noted that Earl’s Organic Produce has a grower in the Brentwood, CA area that is supplying the wholesaler with a steady stream of product. “We’ve seen an excellent cherry crop for the last two weeks with Hazels and Corals,” he said, noting that California organic cherries should be around well into June, at least for Earl’s.

Hunting remarked that, while the company has seen a few early variety organic plums for sale, this is the one stone fruit commodity that will lag behind in terms of promotable volumes. He added that, at this time of year, Earl’s customer base is excited to see the stone fruit deal in full swing. “It seems to boost sales for the entire fruit category,” he said.

Hunting also spoke of organic mangos, which are also moving into heavier production and the arrival of different fruit categories help bolster sales across categories. “Both can fit in the shopping basket,” he quipped.

Stephen Paul, Deciduous Category Director, Homegrown Organic Farms

Stephen Paul, deciduous category director at Homegrown Organic Farms in Porterville, CA, was equally effusive about the trajectory of California’s organic stone fruit. “The early varieties have started,” he said on May 17, “and we are getting ready for the next round of varieties, which will have much higher volume. We are right on schedule. We have yellow peaches coming, lots of nectarines and the apricots are still going strong.”

Paul agreed that the organic plum crop is still a couple of weeks away with only small volumes available until early June. “But there is plenty of fruit out there for Memorial Day promotions. And we are going to have a hell of a Fourth of July (in terms of available organic stone fruit volume).”

Paul said cool temperatures slowed down early May volume, but the warmer weather is now cooperating. “We have been in the low 90s and the mid-90s are coming. The sweet spot for stone fruits is 85 F to 95 F and that’s what we have been getting,” he said.

Commenting on the May 4 storm, Paul, who is also a stone fruit family farmer, said the rain caused no damage and instead gave the fruit “a good shot of nitrogen.”

“But there is plenty of fruit out there for Memorial Day promotions. And we are going to have a hell of a Fourth of July.” - Stephen Paul

In late April, Paul told OPN Connect that a situation to watch this summer would be the disposition of organic stone fruit acreage that had previously been owned and marketed by Prima Wawona, which declared bankruptcy in 2023 and sold much of its acreage earlier this year. While that development is still being sorted out, Paul said: “I can tell you that at least 800 to 1,000 acres that were organic have been transitioned to conventional.”

Though that could lead to stronger demand, and higher prices, for organic fruit, Paul continually worries that marketers start with a price that is too high and end up hurting the overall market by subduing demand. “We are seeing some of that this year and we have to be careful,” he said. “We have a great crop [of organic stone fruit] and we don’t want to do anything that hurts the movement.”