“Overall, grapes compete for their share of the grocery dollar with other produce and snack items,” comments John Rast of Visalia-based Rast Produce Company, Inc. “They have an advantage because of their nutritional value, being ready to eat, and competitive price point. Grapes are a consumer favorite.”
‘Sustainability’– Trend or Tradition?
Today’s consumers are more informed about their food and how it is produced than in the past. Many demand ‘local’ fruits and vegetables produced in an environmentally-sensitive or ‘sustainable’ manner.
For many growers, this is a way of life, not a trend, or hype, or a marketing tool. “Sustainability is a buzzword,” remarks Jasmine Vineyards’ Zaninovich. “We’ve been growing grapes since the early 1900s and we’ve been ‘sustaining’ all along. We’ve been taking care of the land and vines for three generations.”
Zaninovich of Vincent B. Zaninovich & Sons adds, “We’ve been ‘green’ all along by utilizing integrated pest management, compost, and natural fertilizers. You have to do these things to keep soil in good condition; sometimes we employ techniques from 60 years ago.”
Justin Bedwell of Bari Produce, LLC in Madera says, “Agriculture by definition is and always has been a sustainable industry. All farmers take pride in producing from the land and taking care of their land so the process can be repeated. Consumers want great eating fruit at a reasonable price. If that happens to be from a company that emphasizes sustainability, I think all the better from the consumer’s standpoint. However,” he counters, “I don’t see any producers completely reinventing their operation just for the sake of being perceived as more ‘green’ unless there are additional benefits to the producer.”
Challenges on the Horizon
Despite recent record harvests with excellent quality, the elephant in the room is California’s ongoing drought. With water so elemental to their operations, growers have always been mindful of how they must conserve this resource.
“The last two years have been record harvests, but labor and water issues have increased our costs,” comments Jared Lane of Stevco, Inc., located in Bakersfield. While other growers around the state have fallowed acres or switched to crops that use less water, this isn’t really an option for grape growers.
“With our fourth year of drought, we may have reached the peak,” explains John Zaninovich. “Though grapes are not the highest water users, it is a permanent crop. We can’t tear vines out in dry years.” He believes the state hasn’t done its part in creating better water storage. “Most growers rely heavily on groundwater,” he says.
