In January of 2022, Sage Fruit Company welcomed the 200 growers of Chelan Fruit to its family of supply partners, propelling the company to significant volume increases over the past two years in organic apples, pears, and cherries. 

Sage Fruit Company is the Yakima, Washington-based sales and marketing firm for five grower-packer-shippers in the Pacific Northwest: Legacy Fruit, Valicoff Fruit, Olympic Fruit, Congdon Orchards, and Chelan Fruit.  

Kaci Komstadius, Vice President of Marketing, Sage Fruit Company

Kaci Komstadius, Sage Fruit’s vice president of marketing, said the company's organic fruit is grown throughout Washington—from the southeastern region, through the Yakima Valley and Chelan, up to Okanogan.  

“Our organic packing facilities are located in Chelan and Yakima,” she said. “We offer a wide variety of organic apples and pears year-round and organic dark sweet cherries during the summer months.” 

“Our organic program will continue to grow over the next several years to meet demand,” Komstadius said. “Not only are we planting new acreage of organic orchards, but we have transitioned many of our conventional orchards. This season, we saw a significant increase in our overall organic apple volume over last season. Our largest varietal growth in organics are Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, and Granny Smith.” 

“Our most sought-out organic item by retailers is organic Honeycrisp, but organic Gala and Fuji don’t fall too far behind,” she continued. “Organic Honeycrisp is a high-end consumer favorite, which has an excellent ring at the register. On the opposite side of that, though, organic Gala and Fuji are an excellent option for the everyday, organic consumer because they are more price-friendly.” 

The company’s organic pear varietal lineup consists of Green Anjou, Bosc, and Bartlett. 

Speaking specifically of the 2023/24 apple season, Komstadius said the growth in apple volume has created lots of excitement for the category. “The growing conditions were ideal for producing apples of good size, excellent color, and a delicious flavor profile. Industry wide, the volume of apples is around 140 million boxes this season, up roughly 30 percent over the 2022 crop year,” she said.  “Like the industry, Sage Fruit saw a significant increase in volume across all varieties, which will allow us to better serve our customer base year-round.”  

“Not only are we planting new acreage of organic orchards, but we have transitioned many of our conventional orchards. This season, we saw a significant increase in our overall organic apple volume over last season. Our largest varietal growth in organics are Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, and Granny Smith.” Kaci Komstadius

As the demand and supply of organic apples have increased, the price gap between organic and conventional at FOB has led to better price points for consumers at retail.  Komstadius said the company’s consistent supply and quality across both its conventional and organic varietal lineup sets it apart from its competitors.  

“Sage Fruit is committed to providing the highest-quality product and service to our customers, and we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of technology and innovation,” she said. “Our regional marketing and business development team are available to build and create tailored programs that best meet our retailer-partners' needs and drive sales in their produce departments.”

Komstadius added that Sage Fruit has recently experienced tremendous growth within its sales and marketing teams. The company has welcomed several new faces to the Sage Fruit team, including Sales Representative Stephanie Herron, Pear Sales Manager Cindy Alarcon, Business Development Manager Noah Croft, Vice President of Business Development Rich Mendonsa, and Category Analyst Brad Hansman. 

And on January 1, Nicole Gordy assumed the role of CEO at Sage Fruit, and Kevin Steiner was promoted to the position of president of business development and marketing. 

Looking at industry trends, Komstadius said interest in creating more sustainable packaging options is consistently top of mind.

“Not only are consumers demanding it but so are local governments. Our primary focus with regards to company-wide initiatives has been on sustainability, and we are currently seeking these more environmentally friendly options as well as more efficient methods for packing our product,” she said. “We understand that today’s consumers want to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, and they expect the companies they purchase their goods and services from to help them achieve these sustainability goals. With increased concerns over single-use plastic, as well as a heightened awareness of the availability of more sustainable options, Sage Fruit has been actively seeking alternative solutions to traditional packaging.”