Skylar Rae® Cherry Harvest in Full Swing

The sweet, crunchy, bi-colored cherries are hitting shelves for a profitable, short season

That long-awaited moment has arrived: Skylar Rae® cherries are back. With harvest now in full swing for CMI Orchards, consumers are eager to secure “The Sweetest Cherry You’ll Ever Eat™”.

“Skylar Rae cherries are extra special, from their remarkable origin story to their unique flavor and crunch,” says Sarah Barkley, Domestic Sales at CMI Orchards. “Bursting with super sweet flavor and juice, and delivering a satisfying texture, they’re far superior to any other cherry.”

The sweet, crunchy, bi-colored cherries are hitting shelves for a profitable short season. As CMI Orchards reported, while a January cold snap initially impacted bud development for higher elevation orchards, the mild winter and consistently warm temperatures that followed delivered an exceptional bloom, resulting in Skylar Rae cherries of top-notch quality.

Skylar Rae cherries were discovered by the Toftness family in 2004. Grown by selected growers in the US, Chile, New Zealand, and Australia, Skylar Rae cherries are set for further expansion, skyrocketing in popularity and increasing in volume.

With harvest now in full swing for CMI Orchards, consumers are eager to secure “The Sweetest Cherry You’ll Ever Eat™”

“Skylar Rae cherries sometimes develop a unique bronzing, giving the appearance of a sun-kissed tan,” adds Troy Toftness, Co-Owner of the Skylar Rae brand and Tip Top cherry variety. “This ‘caramel glow’ is a hallmark of their supreme sweetness, indicating the cherries have absorbed ample sunshine—a sure sign of the sweetest cherries on the tree.”

The top priority when developing these top-tier cherries is always flavor, as the grower allows the fruit to ripen on the tree until it achieves the perfect flavor. This short video explains the variety’s caramel glow feature, including visual examples of how to hunt down the extra sweet ones.

“Cherries inspire excitement year after year, coveted for their limited availability and summer seasonality,” Sarah concludes, “and Skylar Rae are only around for a few short weeks each year—so get them while supplies last!”

Take hold of increased cherry sales with the help of this beloved variety!

Article by And Now U Know

Northwest cherry crop report delayed due to inclement weather

The initial crop estimate for Northwest cherries will be delayed at least a week, due to the unusually cool weather experienced mid-April, according to Northwest Cherries of Yakima, WA.

The Pacific Northwest saw uncharacteristically low temperatures the week leading up to the Easter holiday, where orchards in Wenatchee, WA, saw over 16 inches of snow and record lows dropping to 26 degrees overnight, shattering previously held April records.

Orchard survey teams, working throughout all Northwest growing regions, have yet to compile usable data to estimate potential crop size. “Unfortunately, the ultra-cool spring weather across the Northwest has our estimators waiting for the little green cherries to show themselves,” said B.J. Thurlby, president of Northwest Cherries.

“The near-unanimous consensus is that at least another week will be needed in order to get even close to an accurate understanding of the crop,” said Thurlby. Northwest Cherries called for patience and as one grower stated, “Mother Nature is the biggest shareholder in the operation.” Based on the survey reports from their field teams, Northwest Cherries has rescheduled the release of the Round 1 crop estimate for the week of May 9.

While the cold weather was worrisome, Thurlby said “it appears there are some nice early district cherries emerging.”

The mid-April cold streak delayed the cherry “drop” period, where the fruit must finish splitting through their shucks. Historically, Northwest cherries would have already passed this stage, allowing for a more accurate look at the early-season crop.

Thurlby said, “Northwest Cherries has updated their estimated date of harvest to the first week of June.”

Thurlby and James Michael, vice president of marketing for Northwest Cherries, remain optimistic: “Part of what makes our crop so resilient, and stable is also what makes it so difficult to estimate in extreme weather scenarios such as this,” said Michael.

The team at Northwest Cherries has myriad analytical tools at their disposal. Their heat map data show the degree departures from freezing across all 33 growing regions, coupled with historical analysis comparing cumulative Growing Degree Days year-over-year, shows 2022 currently well behind all but two of the past eight years.

The key, however, as Michael explained, “is not all growing regions are the same –– bloom was well under way in many regions [before the cold hit] and there is every reason to believe that there will be windows of the season where volume will allow for promotions.”

Northwest Cherries in partnership with the research team at Category Partners conducted online and in-store audits during the 2021 peak cherry season comparing cherry and grape categories. Thurlby said, “cherries continue to reign supreme in total dollar-per-square-foot despite often having 53 percent less space than the grape category.”

“Previous reports conveyed cherries were the only summer fruit shown to have a strong statistical correlation between an increase of shelf space and an increase in sales dollars,” said Thurlby.

While the industry awaits the initial report from Northwest Cherries’ field teams, cherry growers remain optimistic, patient and resolute in the resiliency of their orchards and the teams that work them.

Article by Kyle Eberth, The Produce News

Low temps, record snowfall mark 2022 Northwest cherry bloom

Recent severe weather in the Northwest has raised concerns over the 2022 cherry crop; however, growers remain optimistic. Low temperatures have been recorded across all cherry-growing regions with some districts reporting lower than 30 degrees fahrenheit. Wenatchee, WA, tied a 1986 record of 26 degrees for April as well as a record 16 inches snowfall for April, obliterating the previous record of half an inch. While the unseasonable snow is shocking to say the least, low night temperatures are the major concern.

Industry experts agree that it’s too early for an accurate assessment of how the overnight lows may affect the cherry crop, given the fact that several cold nights are still expected through the weekend. “We know it will have some effect on cherries because areas that harvest in the June timing were in bloom during this time and pollination conditions were not ideal,” said Brianna Shales, marketing director for Stemilt Growers.

“We won’t understand the full effects until bloom finishes and the cherries set for this timeframe,” Shales said, adding that they expect the cold to delay bloom and subsequent harvest timing at orchards in higher elevations that are not in bloom at this time. These ranches will take longer to break out of dormancy and bloom.

Northwest cherry growers are a tenacious crew, however, and have been well prepared for the recent weather. “It seems we go a few years without a major frost event that covers the whole state and everyone forgets,” said Dan Davis, director of business development for Starr Ranch Growers. “This is why we have wind machines on all sites, and under-tree and over-tree watering systems deployed as needed.”

Davis reported that the company would be evaluating the full effects of cold temperatures toward the end of next week. “We’ll see what was damaged and what remained viable, and eventually we’ll see what pollinates when the bees get back to flying in the sun.”  

Of greater concern may be the additional costs required to keep cherry blooms warm this year. “Right now a big concern is that growers may be in the situation where they are able to save their crop with countermeasures, which are always expensive. Add to that other growing expenses, the cost of which have already drastically increased,” said James Michael, vice president of marketing for Northwest Cherry Growers.

“A weather incident of only a couple degrees can mean the difference between a successful season and a loss of the crop. You never wish to lose it, but if you’re an early season grower that's your one chance — your ability to keep going is being able to get a return. With record inflation at the grocery store challenging American consumers' decision making process, this puts serious pressure on growers.”

It’s a long season, however, and cold temperatures are “just the first challenge we face. We will have cherries, apples and pears,” Davis concluded. “This is just what we do, we will still grow a crop.”

Article by Adam Campbell, The Produce News

Second Company Joins in Selling Skylar Rae® Cherries

CMI Orchards LLC has announced that the company is teaming up with Stemilt Growers to grow and market the bi-colored Skylar Rae® brand cherries.

Bob Mast, President of CMI Orchards, says the company is thrilled to add Skylar Rae® to its manifest and sees huge potential for continued growth. “Stemilt has done an outstanding job developing the brand and market for Skylar Rae®,” said Mast. “We wholeheartedly believe that an alliance between two of the industry’s powerhouse growers, CMI and Stemilt, will amplify the retail merchandising possibilities for this incredible cherry.”

Skylar Rae® cherries were discovered by the Toftness family in 2004, growing by chance in a Sweetheart cherry orchard in Wenatchee, Washington. With unknown parentage (DNA) and a distinctively different flavor profile and texture, this new cultivar was granted it’s own price look-up (PLU) number—only the third cherry variety with its own number—for easy distinction and sales segregation from dark sweet Red and bi-colored Rainier cherries. “Having a unique PLU number gives retailers a spectacular opportunity to capture substantial sales with an additional value added segment within the category during the highly profitable, short cherry season,” said Mast.

The Toftness and Van Hoven families, owners of the Skylar Rae® brand, described the process behind adding another sales agency to market their cherries. “We thought long and hard about the need to add additional sales power and CMI was absolutely the best choice for us to expand our program and leverage the fantastic work and consumer interest already generated by Stemilt,” Troy Toftness said. “With CMI’s experience marketing some of the very best global apple brands available today, bringing them in to help us meet growing retail demands for Skylar Rae® cherries was a logical move.”

“We are humbled and honored to become part of such a successful program,” said Mast. “Skylar Rae® cherries are not only super sweet, but they have a unique flavor and firmness that truly stands out and leaves customers begging for their return each season. We are really excited to work with the Toftness and Van Hoven families, and Stemilt, to expand the market for Skylar Rae® cherries.”

Skylar Rae® cherries will be available from CMI Orchards from mid-June, 2019.

Article posted on Fresh Plaza

CMI Joins Stemilt in Marketing Skylar Rae® Cherries

CMI Orchards will join Stemilt Growers as the exclusive marketers of Skylar Rae brand cherries when they become available in mid-June.

Stemilt first marketed the cherries in 2015, and supplies have grown, as well as demand for the bi-colored cherry, marketed as “the sweetest cherry you’ll ever eat.”

Stemilt has done an outstanding job developing the brand and market for Skylar Rae,” Bob Mast, president of CMI Orchards, said in a news release. “We wholeheartedly believe that an alliance between two of the industry’s powerhouse growers, CMI and Stemilt, will amplify the retail merchandising possibilities for this incredible cherry.”

The cherry, discovered by the Toftness family, a grower, in a Sweetheart cherry orchard in Wenatchee, Wash., is the third cherry to receive its own Price Look-Up number.

“Having a unique PLU number gives retailers a spectacular opportunity to capture substantial sales with an additional value-added segment within the category during the highly profitable, short cherry season,” Mast said in the release.

The Skylar Rae brand is owned by the Toftness and Van Hoven families.

“We thought long and hard about the need to add additional sales power and CMI was absolutely the best choice for us to expand our program and leverage the fantastic work and consumer interest already generated by Stemilt,” Troy Toftness said in the release.

Article by The Packer

CMI Teams Up with Stemilt to Bring Skylar Rae® Cherries to Consumers

CMI Orchards LLC announced the company is teaming up with Stemilt Growers to grow and market the industry leading sweet bi-colored Skylar Rae brand cherries.

Bob Mast, president of CMI Orchards, said the company is thrilled to add Skylar Rae to its manifest and sees huge potential for continued growth with this high-flavor, exceptionally sweet, branded cherry. “Stemilt has done an outstanding job developing the brand and market for Skylar Rae,” said Mast. “We wholeheartedly believe that an alliance between two of the industry’s powerhouse growers, CMI and Stemilt, will amplify the retail merchandising possibilities for this incredible cherry.”

Skylar Rae cherries were discovered by the Toftness family in 2004, growing by chance in a Sweetheart cherry orchard in Wenatchee, WA. With unknown parentage and a distinctively different flavor profile and texture, this new cultivar was granted it’s own price look-up number — only the third cherry variety with its own number — for easy distinction and sales segregation from dark sweet Red and bi-colored Rainier cherries.

“Having a unique PLU number gives retailers a spectacular opportunity to capture substantial sales with an additional value-added segment within the category during the highly profitable, short cherry season,” said Mast.

The Toftness and Van Hoven families, owners of the Skylar Rae brand, described the process behind adding another sales agency to market their special cherries. “We thought long and hard about the need to add additional sales power and CMI was absolutely the best choice for us to expand our program and leverage the fantastic work and consumer interest already generated by Stemilt,” Troy Toftness said. “With CMI’s experience marketing some of the very best global apple brands available today, bringing them in to help us meet growing retail demands for Skylar Rae cherries was a logical move.”

“We are humbled and honored to become part of such a successful program,” said Mast. “Skylar Rae cherries are not only super sweet, but they have a unique flavor and firmness that truly stands out and leaves customers begging for their return each season. We are really excited to work with the Toftness and Van Hoven families, and Stemilt, to expand the market for Skylar Rae cherries.”

Skylar Rae cherries will be available from CMI Orchards from mid-June 2019.

Article by The Produce News