Peak NW Melon Season Is Here. Time to Go Big.
Now's the time to build the giant display, schedule the melon demo, order the bin and give shoppers a reason to fill their cart. We've rounded up the varieties available, dive into this year's dry-farmed melon crop (why they matter, how they're grown and why one bite usually turns curious eaters into believers) and why August is the month to go big.
NW Melon Season is Off to a Tasty Start
Melons have been on since May from Mexico and California and as the Northwest season kicks off, OGC’s melon buyer Rachel Pienovi is sourcing delicious melon from growers in Hermiston, Oregon and Eltopia, Washington.
Harvesting Wisdom: Jeff Fairchild’s Summer Produce Playbook
With 40 years in produce sourcing and merchandising, and a key influencer of the retail farm-to-table movement in the Northwest, OGC’s Jeff Fairchild is a true expert. His trusted connections with farmers and deep understanding of the supply chain, shopper behavior and effective display, pricing and promotional strategies are invaluable.
Harvesting Wisdom: Unlock the Magic of Melons
Organic melons kick off their season in April/May from Mexico with a limited selection. As harvest moves north to California, two primary regions contribute: the desert offers fruit in June/July, while the Central Valley starts in early June and extends through the fall. The Northwest season begins in mid-July, peaks in early August, and concludes as the weather cools in early September. OGC wraps up the season with a limited offering from Mexico in October and November.
Melon Toolkit
Use this collection of resources to educate, entice and delight staff and shoppers, keeping melon sales strong past Labor Day!
Melon Minute Video Series
With grower partners from Mexico, up through California and the Northwest, OGC will keep your shoppers in a melon state of mind all season.
Colorful Seedless Specialty Watermelons Bring Excitement to Displays
From our friends at Thomson another season of delicious, delightfully hued organic seedless watermelons!
Organic Honeydew: More Than Meets the Rind
This summer, it's time to take a closer look at the honeydew melons your shoppers are craving. Don’t judge a melon by its rind – these three varieties pack unexpected flavor and color inside.
It’s Time for Months of Melon Magic
Last week, a team from OGC headed down to California’s Imperial Valley to wander through melon fields, chat with growers and get a taste of first-of-the-season fruit.
Get Ready to Wow: Dry Farmed Melons Arrive in Two Weeks
New to the lineup for 2024 are two additional varieties, dry farmed Cantaloupe and Melonade, a sweet tart surprise.
It’s Peak NW Melon Season!
OGC coworkers visited growers across the Northwest last week to check on this year’s harvests of Oregon and Washington-grown melons. From the Willamette Valley to Eltopia, Washington and Hermiston, Oregon organic melon magic is happening across the region and now’s the time to go big on these tasty varieties!
It’s Time to Promote NW Specialty Melons!
From arid eastern Washington, grower Alan Schreiber of Agricultural Development Group is harvesting a delicious collection of organic specialty melons.
Boost Summer Sales with POP!
Starting to see the summer sales slump? With road trips, vacations and packed summer schedules, it’s not uncommon for shoppers’ time and attention to be drawn in many different directions. This is a great time to focus their attention on key summer items to capture all possible sales with eye-catching and informative POP!
Move More Melons with POP!
Take advantage of a full set of Melon POP to help shoppers tell Tuscan from Charentais, know when a watermelon is ripe and ready and learn more about new-to-them-varieties.
Schreiber Farms: A Melon Masterclass
“I grew up on a diversified farm in Missouri,” Alan Schreiber jokes. “We grew soybeans AND corn.”
Now living and growing in Eltopia, WA. with partner Leisl Zappler, Alan is more than a farmer. He’s also a professor and founder of Agricultural Development Group (ADG), which specializes in agriculture research focused on fertility, insects, disease, weed control and variety trials.