west valley
Volume 28 Issue 16 Avondale, AZ
January 25, 2017
Goodyear grower distributing strawberries Duncan Family Farms’ organic produce being sold under its own label in Valley byGlennGullickson
IN THE BIZ
A West Valley produce grower is making a name for itself in local grocery aisles with its own branded version of organic strawberries. Duncan Family Farms in Goodyear has been shipping the fruit to Valley stores under its own label for the first time this year, according to Patty Emmert, the company’s specialty crop manager. “Our primary concern is providing the local market with a fantastic strawberry,” she said. Emmert said the Duncan Family Farms’ crop is filling a niche in the market since no other Arizona grower is producing organic strawberries for the local commercial retail market. “We’re seeing a huge demand for our berries,” she said. At this time of year, most strawberries in stores come from Mexico, she said. California’s central coast is also a prime area for strawberry production. By growing the strawberries so close to where they are being purchased, Emmert said the berries can be distributed 24 hours after being picked, and sold in stores as quickly as two days after harvesting. “Local distribution allows us to keep the fruit on the vine a little longer, so when you bite into it, you’re tasting a strawberry,” she said. “These things are full of flavor.” The strawberries are being grown on 23 acres in Goodyear. To keep them warm enough, the berries are grown under tunnel structures
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View photo by Jordan Christopher
STRAWBERRY Production Consultant Thomas Flewell holds a freshly picked ripe organic strawberry Jan. 11 at Duncan Family Farms in Goodyear. Duncan Family Farms is now distributing its organic berries under its own brand at grocery stores throughout the Valley. big enough for farm equipment to move through, Emmert said. She said the berries are expected to be picked until the end of March or early April, when it becomes too warm to grow strawberries in the Valley. “As long as we’re pulling quality berries off, we’ll continue to distribute,” Emmert said. Duncan Family Farms was established in 1985 and is one of the largest growers of organic produce, with more than 8,000 acres of baby lettuces and greens, kale, beets, chards and herbs. Emmert said the company did a trial strawberry crop two years ago. Last year, the berries were distributed by Dole, and those sold in the state had an “Arizona grown” sticker on the package, she said. Most of Duncan Family Farms’ produce (USPS 004-616) is published weekly by West Valley View Inc. Mailing Address: 1050 E. Riley Dr.,
Avondale, AZ 85323 (623) 535-VIEW • 535-8439 Elliott Freireich, publisher Cary Hines, editor
is grown under contract to be delivered with the label of other companies, Emmert said. But with the Duncan Family Farms’ brand becoming more known locally, there was a demand for the company to distribute some produce under its own name, she said. That feedback included customers who wanted a local brand of organic strawberries, she said. The strawberries will be sold in some Valley Safeway, Fry’s and Sprouts locations, as well as some stores out of state, she said. To be labeled organic, produce has to be grown with environmentally sensitive farming techniques and without synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Emmert credited Duncan Family Farms’ success to a composting program the company developed. Subscriptions are $26 for 2 years, $14 for one year. Periodicals postage paid at Goodyear, AZ 85338.
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