Charlie's Produce: A West Coast Pioneer in Innovation

Charlie’s Produce has been part of the Farm to Fork movement in the Pacific Northwest since 1978. What started with three young men and a truck, has evolved into a full-service employee-owned company, with six distribution centers on the West Coast, stretching from Anchorage and Los Angeles. 

Relationships, sustainability, and innovation have been the driving force behind Charlie’s Produce. And by cultivating lasting partnerships, and searching for new opportunities, the company has been able to help growers, employees and customers achieve their full potential.

P. J. Cawley, Global, Farmer’s Own, Organics Manager said "At Charlie’s we enjoy engaging with the grower community and always look for the jewel in the rough to bring to market, so our customers are pleased with the products and come back year after year for that positive experience."

With that spirit of innovation Charlie’s recently introduced a new jewel - the YUMI variety Organic Black Seedless Watermelon. 

Originating in Hokkaido, Japan this organic black seedless watermelon was highly coveted for its black, shiny rind and notable crunchy texture. In earlier times, it could fetch as much as $5,000 per melon.

Once it was introduced to the United States, Charlie’s Produce began working with growers in Eastern Washington to cultivate the crop. As popularity grew for this midnight-skinned melon, their growing regions soon expanded to California.  

Laura Severance, marketing manager at Charlie’s Produce, said, “This melon is as tasty and refreshing as it is visually stunning. With its full-flavor sweet taste and crisp texture, I think it will be an instant summer classic. Spectacularly sweet, unbelievably juicy, sun-kissed flavor, YUMI redefines watermelon and summer in each bite.”

YUMI will be available starting this month in 700lb bins and 65lb boxes.

While innovation is key to the company’s success, continuing to support local growers is a priority that has been a hallmark for Charlie’s since its start.

“Our Farmer’s Own Organics label provides an outlet for small growers who would otherwise have no way of getting their products into large retailers or food service institutions, “Crawley said. “This relationship provides our growers with a reliable customer for their crops, and allows Charlie’s Produce a consistent supply of quality produce for distribution. We are proud to support an infrastructure that keeps farming viable for families and communities for years to come, and to be a partner in supplying quality organic produce to our valued customers.”

In addition to the new product launch, Charlies has been actively working to maintain food safety and a supply chain in light of the current Covid-19 pandemic. From the onset, the company quickly developed an action plan to maintain their essential role of delivering high quality food while safeguarding their employees' health and well-being.

The company has continually reinforced social distancing with mandatory face covering for all onsite personnel and has instituted flexible employee leave and pay initiatives.

Cawley said the company has worked on a variety of different initiatives to bring organic fresh produce to the tables of consumers in the Pacific Northwest since March. “We have geared our programs towards retail and home delivery programs as well as participating in the USDA’s box program. We have worked with our Foodservice customers to help develop suitable menus for take-out and delivery programs, in turn increasing our inventory and availability of our restaurant supplies. And we are assisting customers who turned their space into temporary markets and supplying grab-n-go items as well as those who created their own box (CSA) programs.”

Despite the chaotic times Charlie’s Produce sees opportunities for the future. “We are always looking at new strategies and trends to stay relevant in today’s produce landscape as well speculating on how we can best serve our existing customer base while bringing on new business in the future,” Cawley said.

“Things are changing every day. The biggest challenges I see are the rising costs of food production. The American consumer will most likely have to adjust to higher food costs for agriculture to continue to be sustainable in our country,” he said.