From Blossoms to Bounty: Pennsylvania’s Apple Harvest Begins
Rice Fruit Company Announces Start of the 2023 Apple Harvest with Exceptional Quality and a Commitment to Sustainability.
Rice Fruit Company, a leading producer of high-quality Eastern apples, is thrilled to announce the beginning of the highly anticipated 2023 apple harvest. With a commitment to freshness, sustainability, and delivering sweet-natured flavors, Rice Fruit is poised to exceed expectations once again.
In its 110th year of business, Rice Fruit recognizes that every apple season is different, filled with opportunities and challenges. This year is no exception; with a slightly early start, the Rice Fruit team has begun apple harvest on early varieties and will begin shipping this week.
«Every year, the anticipation renews itself, and this new crop is sure to exceed our expectations,» shared Brenda Briggs, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Rice Fruit Company. «We had sufficient rain and sunshine, along with cool summer nights, all leading to beautiful apples with fantastic flavor.»
Renowned for their dedication to delivering the freshest, premium apples, their commitment begins with a deeply rooted passion for horticulture and extends to an unwavering focus on sustainability. As a company built on the firm belief that one must leave the land better than one found it, Rice Fruit is deeply invested in reducing its ecological footprint.
«By embracing innovative practices and prioritizing eco-conscious solutions, we are ensuring the health of both our apples and the environment,» shared Briggs. With a long history of utilizing Integrated Pest Management programs, their grower partners effectively monitor pest pressure and eliminate unnecessary pass-throughs. Launching their pollinator garden this spring was another way to foster biodiversity and support vital pollinators, safeguarding the ecosystem that sustains their orchards.
Rice Fruit Company has also taken significant strides toward a greener future by incorporating renewable energy sources into its operations, like the solar-panel roof at its main packing facility. «Our steadfast commitment to becoming carbon-neutral further cements our position as a responsible steward of the environment. We have been concentrating on this for a long time and are committed to furthering our knowledge and practices.»
Rice Fruit Company takes great pride in selling one of the delights of nature- a beautiful, delicious apple. With over a century of experience in the fruit industry, the Rice Fruit team takes immense pride in their journey of progress, embracing cutting-edge technologies while preserving their cherished heritage.
This year’s apple harvest promises an abundance of fruit with an impressive crop size that will undoubtedly delight retailers, category managers, and wholesale distributors. The exceptional fruit quality makes Rice Fruit Company’s apples stand out from the crowd, ensuring consumer satisfaction and repeat business.
Rice Fruit Company will begin shipping their early apple varieties: Gala, Ginger Gold, and Honeycrisp, to seize the opportunity for first-to-market promotions. These high-flavor varieties offer the perfect opportunity for retailers and distributors to capitalize on the excitement surrounding the start of the apple season.
About Rice Fruit Company Rice Fruit Company, a family-run fruit packing business in the heart of Pennsylvania’s apple country, is dedicated to growing, packing, and shipping sweet-natured fruit to consumers near and far. A leader in innovative packinghouse technology, Rice Fruit is situated on the easternmost ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, whose peaks and valleys create a microclimate ideal for growing apples and many other delicious fruits. Rice Fruit is committed to delivering fruit at the height of freshness. Our proximity to buyer customers also ensures a reduced carbon footprint, moving our sweet-natured fruit sustainably to market, preserving the freshness of the fruit, and our heritage of delivering quality and consistency to our customers with each and every apple.
