Case Studies in Successful Grower Products and Promotion

7/8/2014
Case studies in successful grower
products and promotion
Bill Gerlach
Melissa’s Produce
Grower success stories:
growing and marketing
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Flavor
Geography
Technique
Dream
Novelty
Education/Technology
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Success Stories
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Ojai Pixie Tangerines
Pixie, a Kincy open pollination cross
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Second group of Founding
Growers
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Promotion
http://portal.sliderocket.com/DJKJM/OjaiPixie-Tangerines
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Website
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Strategic Conclusions: Take-homes
Open pollination of
Kincy (King X Dancy)
• Points of Differentiation
• Right Growers
• GlobalGAP and food
safety
• Farm Visits
• Collaboration
• Marketing Plan
• Public relations, sampling,
tradeshows
• Celebrity endorsements
• Social media
• Introduce packaging
options
• Passion and persistence
matter!
New Mexico chile country
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Fabian Garcia
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Chile landscape
Hatch Valley
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Alignment with a state of the art onion and chile
packer in Hatch Valley
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Bins Dumped in Hopper, Beginning of Washing Process
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Washing Bin
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Chile Line
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Packing Room
Chile Bagger, All Bagged Hatch
Chiles Coming of Same Line
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Pre-Cooling/Forced Air Cooling/Storage
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Chile Roasting time!
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Hatch Chiles
Hot 23#
Medium 23#
Hot 25#
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
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Korea
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David La Do, California dragon fruit
pioneer
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California and Florida
San Diego County
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Riverside Planting
Riverside County plantation
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Dragon Fruit Clones
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Rungis Market--Paris
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The beet goes on…
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Beets in France
Plant
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Our European Supply Team
100% beet, nothing added
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Organic Line Extension
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Mexican chile and tomatillo grower
Advantages of doing business with
this Mexican farm
• B. A. University of Arizona
• Custom built greenhouse
from Almeria, Spain
• State of art plastic IRT mulch
from Israel
• Patented design on melon
support yielding 30% more
marketable tonnage
• SCS, Primus certified
• Filtered well water for drip
irrigation
• Economies of Scale
• Isolation from pests
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Diversified field and greenhouse
ranch
• 900 hectares
• 60 hectares greenhouse
• Special double vent
system
• Third party certified
• Soil solarization
• Well water, filtration, and
chlorination
GAP certification: Mandatory hand
washing and black hairnets prior to
entry to packing plant
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Packing plant
Cantaloupe Quality Control
• Only one of 8 growers
authorized for import
• Cantaloupes fed by
conveyor into wash
lines
• Chlorinated rinse
• Blow dryer
• Hand sort for decay
• Auto sort for size
• Packed by grade
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Cantaloupe process
Innovative!
• Patented Growth Ring
• Custom made for
Guadalupe in Japan
• Prevents melon from
sitting on plastic
• Prevents soft spots and
sunburn
• Prevents mold and
decay build up
associated with
sunburn
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Specially constructed greenhouses
• Traveled to Europe to
study optimal design
• Custom vents to expel
heat
• Fungicide foot dip entry
• Certified seeds from
Europe
• Germinated own seeds to
make own transplants
• Cukes, melons, onions,
chiles, bells
• Gas heat unnecessary
Anaheim Chile
Jalapeños
Serranos
Poblanos or Anchos
Yellow Chiles
Red Fresno Chiles
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Chile Bagging, Packing, and
Weighing
Modern Stainless Steel Packing
line and Forced Air Cooling
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Something we could use more of
from New Zealand
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Summary: Success
• Flavor
• Geography
• Technique
• Dream
• Novelty
• Technology
• Perseverance
Right growers, right attitude, right spirit of innovation
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Thank you!
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Bill Gerlach, Research and Development Director
Melissa’s ™ World Variety Produce Inc.
Los Angeles, California
www.melissas.com
billgerlach@melissas.com
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