Stemilt Growers expands unique AppleSweets line

Stemilt Growers Inc. made waves two years ago when it announced a new line of flavor-infused apple slices called AppleSweets. The Wenatchee, Wash.-based company has watched the apples fly off the shelves over the past year and is expanding the AppleSweets line to build on that success.

The 2007 launch of the apple slices had just one flavored variety – Wild Berry. The other two products in the line were called Delightfully Sweet and Totally Tart. Added this year were County Fair Caramel and Mom’s Apple Pie flavors.

“The flavors are appealing to kids and adults alike, as well as a great substitute to sugary, high-fat snacks,” said Roger Pepperl, marketing director for Stemilt Growers.

To encourage using the AppleSweets as an “anytime snack,” the company introduced the fresh-cut apples in a two-pound bag. The bigger bag reduces the cost per ounce, making the product more affordable for snacking.

“The price and bulk size of the two-pound bag is very attractive to consumers,” Pepperl said.

The two-pound bag also was introduced with a new packaging design. The packaging for the entire AppleSweets line was updated about a year after its launch, to highlight the product freshness. It does that by increasing the visible window on the bags to show more of the fresh-cut apple slices. The new design more than doubles the viewing area of the first-generation packaging, and the two-pound bag is mostly clear to show the quality and the number of slices per bag, Pepperl said.

While the company won’t say how the flavor is added – the patent is still pending – it does claim that the quality of the apples is part of the overall experience. The raw apples all are grown in Stemilt orchards in eastern Washington. They’re harvested at the precise ripeness and handled carefully during picking and transport. Once they make it to the processing facility, the apples are washed and sliced by machine. The cutting process uses a robotic slicer that only minimally damages the apple’s cell structure, resulting in less water loss and a better end product.

After cutting, the apple slices are washed in a calcium mineral solution that preserves the crispness and color of the flesh – which is important for consumers, because they want to see the slices through the clear packaging, Pepperl said.

From the time the apples enter the processing facility, or long-term storage facility prior to processing, a strict cold chain is kept in check all the way to delivery at retail stores, Pepperl said. The AppleSweets are handled and shipped at 34º F throughout the supply chain.

Organic and Sustainable

In addition to the new flavors, Stemilt Growers launched organic AppleSweets this year. The company is one of the largest organic growers in Washington, and with the growth of the organic segment, it only made sense for the company to offer the AppleSweets with organic apples.

“It appeals to the organic-minded consumer – a growing segment in our industry – and provides retailers with an additional tool to drive sales in the value-added category,” Pepperl said.

The USDA-certified organic AppleSweets are available in 2-pound, 13-ounce and 6-ounce packages.

Stemilt Growers has been in the organic tree fruit business for 20 years. This season, organic apple production was up by 65 percent and in 2009 the organic acreage will more than double when all of Stemilt Growers’ peaches and nectarines are certified organic. The company also grows organic pears and cherries The whole-fruit organics are marketed under the Artisan Organics brand, launched last year, and are handled by the company’s Chelan Falls, Wash., organic-only packing and storage facility.

“Organic production relies on natural farming methods that work to protect the environment and make for better tasting fruit,” Pepperl said.

Organic production is just one way the company practices sustainability. Since 1989, Stemilt Growers has used the Responsible Choice program, launched by company founder Tom Mathison. He encouraged the use of softer pesticides and fertilizers, water conservation and practices that protected the soil in orchards. That program has been expanded over the years to include Responsible Choice initiatives in packing and processing facilities as well as administrative offices.

In 2005, Kyle Mathison, a co-owner in the company, started a compost farm to reuse the natural waste from the orchards and packing facilities. The company collects leaves, culled produce, wood chips and other natural materials and composts them instead of sending them to a landfill. The compost farm creates a source of nutrient-rich fertilizer and provides enough for more than 1,000 acres of orchards. The compost saves 160 truckloads of waste going into landfills and reduce the need for manufactured fertilizers on the farm, Pepperl said.

“By reusing natural wastes, Kyle is able to customize fertilizer to meet the specific nutritional needs of different trees,” Pepperl said. “The compost makes for a healthier soil and boosts the trees’ natural defenses.”

The Responsible Choice for sustainability in the orchards is conserving water through drip irrigation and ground cover plants under the trees, which reduces moisture loss. Micro-system sprinklers apply water only when and where it’s needed and some of Stemilt Growers’ orchards have water retention ponds that are stocked with fish to maintain the natural ecosystem.

In the packing and processing facilities, the company is actively trying to reduce carbon emissions and waste by recycling and conserving energy. About half of the forklifts have been converted to electric from propane and cold storage rooms have been equipped with automated doors, Pepperl said. All of the cardboard that comes into the buildings is recycled into fiber trays used to pack whole apples – almost 1.7 million pounds of cardboard a year used to make 8 million fiber trays.

“We’re able to produce approximately 35 percent of our annual need for fiber trays with our own recycled material,” Pepperl said.

The company made its fruit box more environmentally sustainable last year, switching from white bleached board to a Kraft box, which uses less wood fiber and less water to make.

Fresh Innovations

On the fresh side of the business, Stemilt Growers is gearing up for the nationwide launch of its Piñata apple variety. The variety was bred in Germany and is a cross of Golden Delicious, Cox’s Orange Pippin and Duchess of Oldenburg varieties. It’s been a hit in Europe, named the Apple of the Year in Germany in 2000. Stemilt Growers bought the rights in 2004 – then named Pinova and sometimes called Sonata – and renamed it Piñata.

New plantings will be coming into production in the next few years, so Stemilt Growers has partnered with a Seattle-based chef to promote the variety. Chef Jasno Wilson of Crush Restaurant will be featured on point-of-sale material and a contest in stores will offer the chance to travel to Seattle to eat at his restaurant.



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