SnapDragon apples are ripe for picking as harvest season is officially underway.
Grown exclusively by Crunch Time Apple Growers, a New York State-based cooperative of 151 growers, this year’s SnapDragon crop is expected to yield its largest haul yet. The cooperative also announced the addition of direct market growers in five additional states — Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Illinois — starting this year.
“The continued year-over-year growth that SnapDragon has experienced has us extremely confident in its performance this season,” Crunch Time Apple Growers Business Manager Jessica Wells said. “We know when retailers keep SnapDragon apples on the shelves consistently, consumers keep coming back again and again. We’re looking forward to another strong year with our largest crop yet.”
SnapDragon apples have demonstrated success among consumers and retailers, selling out every season since their release in 2014. To capture this bottom-line impact, Crunch Time Apple Growers partnered with Category Partners to study three leading East Coast retailers that provided consistent shelf space to SnapDragon during the prime-buying season from Dec. 1, 2019, to March 1, 2020. The findings showed:
- 75% of premium apple sales are driven by three varieties, and one of them is SnapDragon.
- SnapDragon performance in volume and dollars was substantially stronger than the composite of the top 10 premium varieties.
- Retailers that maintained shelf space throughout the season saw consistent sales increases each week, with the most significant gains taking place in the third month of sales.
- For retailers, revenue and volume consistently increased, indicating positive consumer reaction and sales performance built on repeat purchases.
“It comes down to the nature of the apple,” said fifth-generation farmer Joel Crist of Crist Bros. Orchards Inc. and Crunch Time Apple Growers board chair. “Its crunchy texture and sweet taste are extremely appealing. Coupled with a spicy undertone and hint of vanilla, SnapDragon makes for a unique eating experience that you just don’t find in other apple varieties. We are proud to grow SnapDragon apples and its cousin variety, RubyFrost, on our farm.”
The new direct market growers in the five new states will begin planting SnapDragon trees this year, expected to yield within the next three years.
“SnapDragon has been extremely well received at New York state farm markets, farmers markets and other direct-to-consumer outlets, creating raving fans across the state,” Wells said. “Growers across the country have seen the apples on the shelves at their local grocery stores and heard about them through various grower networks. There is tremendous excitement about these varieties among direct market growers and we are happy to welcome our new farms on board this year.”
New growers include:
- Schwallier’s Country Basket in Sparta, Mich.
- Lynd Fruit Farm in Pataskala, Ohio
- Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge, Iowa
- Cary’s Garden of Eatin in Urbana, Ill.
- Frecon Farms in Boyertown, Pa.
For more information on where to buy and how to stock SnapDragon apples, visit snapdragonapple.com.
The Link LonkSeptember 30, 2020 at 07:14AM
https://ift.tt/30BaLz9
SnapDragon Apple Harvest Gets Underway - Southeast Produce Weekly
https://ift.tt/3gnoK0A
Snapdragon
No comments:
Post a Comment