King Fresh Produce, LLC’s acquisition of the Oscar’s Organic table grape ranch and brands will provide the grower-shipper’s customers access to organic table grapes.
In late October, the Dinuba, CA-based grower-shipper of conventional table grapes, cherries and other fruits and vegetables publicized its purchase of the Fresno, CA, Oscar’s Organic. The purchase will provide King Fresh 60,000 cases of organic grapes, says Keith Wilson, King Fresh’s owner.
On Oct. 16, Oscar Carillo, Oscar’s Organic’s owner, retired. Carillo, 71, who has grown organic grapes and tree fruit since 1984, was the 15th grower to sign up with the California Certified Organic Farmers, the Santa Cruz, CA-based certification, education, advocacy and promotion organization.
Carillo plans to work as a part-time consultant with King Fresh’s field workers and show them the organic farming methods he developed throughout his three decades of organic farming. King Fresh plans to use Carillo’s longtime field managers in Carillo’s and King Fresh’s vineyards.
“Oscar is known to grow a real nice grape and good, quality product,” says Wilson. ““This allows us to test the waters of organics.” King Fresh is focusing its farming methods more toward organic production, and Wilson says his company will learn from Oscar’s experience.
In addition to grapes and cherries, King Fresh packs and markets strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, pomegranates and citrus including navels, lemons and mandarins. It also sources and sells avocados, melons and tree fruit. The company also exports grapes to Pacific Rim countries, Australia and Europe. It also imports grapes from Chile, Peru and Mexico.
Source: PerishableNews.com