WENATCHEE, WA – Stemilt Growers has announced that in line with recent market research, the company is looking to satiate produce purchasing parents' need for quality with its signature program, Kyle’s Pick®.

“Cherries are an impulse purchase, and shoppers are more likely to buy them if they look fantastic. Delivering quality through our Kyle’s Pick program not only helps us reach the 25% of consumers who say lack of quality is a factor in not purchasing the fruit/vegetable, but also appeal to the impulsive cherry shopper. This person spends $6.68 on cherries on average when they purchase, and has a 43% larger shopping basket than non-cherry purchasers,” said Marketing Director, Roger Pepperl. 

According to the 2015 study “Dads’ vs. Moms’ Attitudes Related to Fruit & Vegetable Consumption” by Produce for Better Health Foundation, Stemilt said that nearly one in four consumers report quality as a deterrent to purchasing fruits and vegetables.

Kyle’s Pick cherries are named after Stemilt Co-Owner and 4th generation grower, Kyle Mathison. This is the cherries’ fourth season, the company said in a press release, adding that it only packs its best cherries in the designated pouch bags which matches the following qualities that Mathison himself grows:

• Largest sizes
• High firmness
• Dessert Flavors 

“It’s Kyle’s name on the package, which means the cherries inside have his seal of approval for quality. Kyle has spent four decades delivering cherries with dessert flavors that wow the consumer, and he’ll be the first to tell you that quality is a constant journey, not a destination. Kyle’s Pick cherries, many of which are grown by Kyle himself, are the ticket for retailers to promote quality throughout the peak cherry season,” said Pepperl. 

Stemilt says that its Kyle’s Picks program was built around the company’s quality-first mentality, and helps retailers tie the authentic story of the grower and their land to the fruit being sold. The Kyle’s Pick program is part of Stemilt’s Farm to Fork lineup, and will begin to ship on June 20 after a record early start to Washington cherries, following a warm spring. 

Kyle’s Pick cherries will be sorted with state-of-the-art electronic packing lines using high-definition cameras and computer imaging to digitally size and sort cherries based on firmness, size, and sugar level. The following varieties are used as premium selection for Kyle’s Picks: 

• Stemilt Hill Bings
• Sweetheart
• Skeena
• Staccato® 

“Stemilt is the leading producer of Skeena cherries in Washington State and we are strategically planting more. The 2016 cherry crop is moderately set on the tree, which has made way for large-sized Skeena’s,” continued Pepperl. “The growing conditions have been fantastic with warm days and cool nights. As they await harvest, the stage has been set for Kyle’s Pick cherries to impress shoppers and drive repeat cherry sales this July.”

Stemilt’s A Half Mile Closer to the Moon™ cherries will follow Kyle’s Pick around mid-July when the programs transition. Moon cherries are grown by Mathison out of his high-elevation Amigos Orchard in Wenatchee, WA. 

“The selling season for cherries is shorter than past years, which means now more than ever, retailers can’t afford to lose sales to poor quality and a poor consumer experience. Our signature programs, Kyle’s Pick and Moon cherries, put quality first in order to drive the impulse cherry sale, and get the shopper to buy cherries on their next trip too. Merchandising quality-first fruit and sharing the strong passion Kyle has for cherries is the way to win over consumers, and set your cherry category up for success,” finished Pepperl. 

Stemilt said that Moon cherries are grown between 2,500 and 3,500 feet above sea level, and like Stemilt Hill, have a cooler growing region during the summer. Moon cherries will be packed until early August.

Harvest the best industry news with AndNowUKnow as we continue to report through peak cherry season.

Stemilt Growers