Earl McGrath, Freshfields’ Director of Produce Operations with a ripe Envy™ Apple tree (in Hawkes Bay)

Earl McGrath, Director of Produce Operations recently had the pleasure of visiting several of our produce suppliers in New Zealand.  The Oppenheimer group, a distribution arm for Enza Company’s Jazz™ Apples, Envy™ Apples, Taylor’s Gold Pears, and Zespri® Kiwifruit in the U.S., gave us a Farm-peak into some of these harvest-ready orchard farms.

Harvest Picking! Beautiful orchard of sweet Envy™ Apples in Nelson.

What makes Envy™ Apples so special? Grown in New Zealand, these high density apples are packed full of sweet crunch! We like to refer to both Jazz™ and Envy™ as ‘children’ of the Braeburn and Gala apples (similar genes!).

The size and weight of an Envy™ Apple is larger than most apples, adding to attractive nature. Active hand-picking of these blush beauties (hints the envy) only happens a few weeks a year at the end of apple harvesting season, making them a seasonal specialty native to New Zealand. Look for them at our Farm in the coming weeks!

Zespri® SunGold Kiwifruit in Nelson, New Zealand, just a week out from picking. Look for them at the Farm soon!

See to the left, the ready-to-pick Envy™ Apple tree–can you tell that the tree is bending at the weight of those delicious apples?

In Nelson, New Zealand, McGrath traveled to a kiwifruit orchard. Just one short week before picking, he witnessed the postcard-worthy golden fruit before it hits our shelves. The canopy of leaves, reaching to about 5 feet soaks up the sunlight to hide the true golden prize below, the SunGold® Kiwifruit.

Thanks to YOU, Freshfields Farm sold the most Taylor’s Gold pears in the WORLD per store for 2013 and 2014. That’s a whole lotta pears! Let’s make it a three-peat!

Some of the Farm’s favorite summer fruit are Lane Peaches. In season from June to August, these Georgia delights are sure to be a highlight to your summer. Mr. Duke Lane III of Lane Southern Orchards gives us more insight as to what makes Lane Peaches so special:

“Lane Southern Orchards is a century old farming operation in the heart of Peach County, focusing only on peaches for the last century and pecans for nearly 60 years now.”

“Georgia is known across the country as the ‘Peach State’. While Georgia grows less than 10% of all the fresh peaches cultivated nationwide, peach eaters know Georgia is where the flavor is! Georgia’s red clay soils and ridiculous hot summer nights create the perfect environment for flavor, flavor, flavor!”

“First off….DO NOT REFRIGERATE peaches until fully mature. Peaches lose flavor and moisture in refrigeration. While necessary at times, minimize cold storage. Peaches are ready to eat when they give slightly to touch. I like chin-dripping juicy peaches…the softer the better.”

 

“Our peaches make the difference for us. Sweet, Georgia Peaches…we have been blessed to be able to cultivate them. Our attention to detail ensures we get the right peach to the right customer. We hand pick and hand pack every single peach.”