Superfresh Growers Continues to Expand Organic Offerings

With the continued growth of its organic footprint, Yakima, Washington-based Domex Superfresh Growers now touts that 25 percent of its apples, 35 percent of its pears, and a whopping 70 percent of its blueberries are organic.

“Superfresh Growers has a long legacy of farming organically,” said Director of Marketing Cat Gipe-Stewart. “Our pear orchards were some of the first farms to apply for organic certification in the 1980s. We are now the largest organic pear grower in the US.”

Cat Gipe-Stewart, Director of Marketing, Domex Superfresh Growers with Gabe

She relayed that the COVID pandemic helped take organics to a new level, including in the top commodity sectors for Superfresh. “Organics went from below 4.8 percent of produce to 6.6 percent in volume from 2020 to 2021,” she said. “It has remained at between 6.5-6.7 percent since 2021. This trend has similar patterns for apples and pears. Organic apples went from 8.1 percent to 11.7 percent of the apple category from 2020 to 2021. Organic pears went from 4.5 percent to 10.7 percent of the pear category from 2020 to 2021.”

“Our pear orchards were some of the first farms to apply for organic certification in the 1980s. We are now the largest organic pear grower in the US.” - Cat Gipe-Stewart

The marketing director added that although sales volume of organic apples and pears are about 1 percentage point down in 2023 from where they were in 2021, they are still significantly higher than pre-pandemic.

“I believe there is room for growth in organics, but there are multiple factors retarding potential growth,” Gipe-Stewart said, noting that retailer demand and the necessary price premium are two of those impediments to expansion. “We are packing more and more organic as conventional—as the market demands conventional over organic. We have the volume to support monthly promotions, but organics need ads to help utilize our volume and keep up the momentum.”

Superfresh organic pears

Gipe-Stewart also said that it costs more to grow organically, and “there is only a small percentage of organic consumers that are dedicated to buying organic regardless of the price. The majority of organic shoppers switch between organic and conventional as price allows.”

Nonetheless, Superfresh Growers is committed to the organic category and continues to be focused on sustainability efforts “to ensure we have a legacy for future generations,” Gipe-Stewart said.

Superfresh OG Blues 6-23

That is an important element of the fruit producer’s value proposition. The company has a six-generation legacy dating back to the 1800s. “Our CEO, Robert Kershaw, is fifth generation, with the sixth generation currently interning in the summer while attending university,” she reported.

"We have the volume to support monthly promotions, but organics need ads to help utilize our volume and keep up the momentum.” - Cat Gipe-Stewart

One of the company’s most recent developments was the naming of Conner O’Malley as its new president this year. “Conner has a unique knack for seeing the bigger picture and planning for the future with people, customers, and growers in mind,” Gipe-Stewart said. “As the Kershaw family’s sixth generation and other emerging leaders of this company move into management, he is the bridge to the future.”

On the sustainability front, Superfresh has a number of forward-thinking initiatives it has put in place. For example, the grower is measuring its greenhouse gasses and carbon accounting with One-Carbon World for Scope 1-2 Emissions, with the goal of carbon neutrality. It is also expanding its pollinator habitat to 1,500 acres, increasing its use of solar energy, and adding electric vehicles to its portfolio, including EV tractors and forklifts. “Sustainability continues to be a huge focus for us,” she said. “We are currently crafting company-wide sustainability goals and plan on monitoring our progress on them.”

Superfresh Zillah Cherry Line 2023

Superfresh Growers offers apples, pears, cherries, and blueberries, with certified organic options representing about 25 percent of what the company grows. Technology is an important part of Superfresh's operation. It recently added a new state-of-the-art cherry line, which greatly increases its production capacity, and it has also invested in shade nets for many apple orchards to protect apples from direct sunlight and increase water efficiency.

“The reduction of heat in apples through the growing season creates a more enjoyable eating experience,” Gipe-Stewart said. “We are invested in technologies that are at the cutting edge to provide the best-quality fruits. Technologies include robotics such as autonomous tractors and platforms and software photo technology to improve accuracy in sorting and grading at the orchard level.”

“Sustainability continues to be a huge focus for us. We are currently crafting company-wide sustainability goals and plan on monitoring our progress on them.” - Cat Gipe-Stewart

She added that during harvest all bins are scanned, ensuring traceability to a 1-6 tree radius. “This helps us understand fruit quality, food safety, labor flow, and crop volume,” she said.

In addition, orchard blocks have solar-powered stations that evaluate soil moisture, soil temperature, ambient air temperature, weather, solar radiation, humidity, wind direction and speed. This information is used to model and better manage canopy conditions, pests, disease, frost risk, and water optimization.

Superfresh organic pears (Bartlett) and organic apples (Honeycrisp)

Looking at the fruit category from an overview perspective, Gipe-Stewart opined that in the current environment, growers face three primary obstacles to business continuity: availability of a reliable and affordable workforce; excessive and unnecessary government regulations; and increasingly expensive material inputs. “Solutions for these problems are complicated and dependent on public education, solid markets and economies, and the support of federal and local agencies and elected government officials,” she said.