Yakima, WA – FirstFruits Marketing, in an effort to increase awareness with consumers, invited bloggers from across the country to tour Broetje Orchards, home of Opal® apple, on September 27 and 28. Bloggers came for a day and a half tour for the chance to learn first-hand about growing, harvesting and packing apples as well as providing an opportunity to meet the inspirational people behind the apple company.
Ralph Broetje, founder of FirstFruits and Broetje Orchards, and wife Cheryl met with bloggers to share the history of Broetje Orchards, and how they grew into serving their employees and supporting the community. FirstFruits Marketing was started by the Broetjes four years ago when they decided they needed a marketing arm that was in line with their mission – “to be a quality fruit company bearing fruit that will last.”
Bloggers toured the Tierra Vida community which offers affordable, quality homes built in the interest of giving all employees the opportunity to become homeowners in a friendly, safe and nurturing environment. The tour continued near the packing house where the onsite affordable housing, elementary school and daycare were visited. They also learned about the company’s efforts around the world to build, empower and educate the underserved from daughter Suzanne Broetje, who serves as the executive director of the Vista Hermosa Foundation.
As a company, FirstFruits Marketing donates 10 percent of profits annually, with Broetje Orchards donating at least 50 percent to causes fitting the company’s mission worldwide.
“The story behind the Opal apple inspired me right down to my tippy toes and gave me lots to think about on just about every food and regular life level,” wrote Lindsay Ostrum in her blog Pinch of Yum.
Orchard tours included Wallula organic ranch and several different Opal blocks, with bloggers learning about growing, pruning and picking practices. While the picking crew went on a break, a couple of the bloggers strapped on bags and tried their hand at picking and placing apples in bins, which was eye-opening to them for the amount of skill required.
Many of the bloggers, who included Leslie Green from The Hungry Housewife, Katie Jasiewicz from Katie’s Cucina, Kevin Lynch from Closet Cooking, and Lindsay and Bjork Ostrum from Pinch of Yum, had never tasted Opal. Although the crop isn’t yet ready for picking, they learned how to spot a ripe Opal and started picking. Reaction was more than positive, as the bloggers were stuffing apples into pockets and purses to take home and eat later.
“In addition to the best apple flavor, juiciness, and texture, the everlasting pure color is the special sauce of the Opal apple. Which is why I hoard them,” wrote Lindsay Ostrum. “Don’t judge me!” was posted by Katie Jasiewicz on Facebook, accompanied by a photo of her purse stuffed with Opals.
The trip culminated with a tour of the packing house and controlled atmosphere storage rooms. Bloggers commented they never realized apples could be stored for so long and kept busy shooting photographs of the impressive operation of sending the apples floating out of the bins through multiple quality checks and sorting to final placement in bags and cartons.
“I will never look at an apple the same way again after learning what goes into producing apples. Farm to table… and it’s amazing. Some might say I’m going a little over board saying this was a life changing trip; however, it really was. The Broetje family opened their home and hearts up to a few of us bloggers and I cannot thank them enough,” wrote Katie Jasiewicz.
The purpose of the tour was twofold – to have the bloggers understand the growing, harvesting, packing and storage processes of Washington apples and to give them an opportunity to see inside an apple company like no other. Keith Mathews, CEO of FirstFruits Marketing says, “Our story is best told first-hand by those affecting the changes and witnessed in person – that’s why it was so important for us to have the bloggers out here in the orchard.”
Source: FirstFruits Marketing