HMC Farms » Farmers Blog

Out with the Pyramid, in with My Plate

chelseam — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:12:00 +0000

A few months ago the USDA came out with a new standard guideline for making smart food choices. The pyramid, which has been around for over 18 years, has rounded out a bit after previous complaints. Confusion about exactly how much is one serving, and should a 5’2” woman and a 6’4” man be required to eat the same amount of servings each day prompted the USDA to try a new approach. This new food guide system is known as My Plate, which simply states that at every meal half of your plate should be fruits and veggies and the other half proteins and grains. This visual makes it easier for everyone to make sure they are getting the nutrition they need, even if they don’t know what a serving size is. As another bonus it is easily adaptable from one person’s portion size to the next. My plate has a few other healthy habits to offer people trying to make smart food choices.

Balancing Calories

- Enjoy your food, but eat less

- Avoid oversized portions

Foods to Increase

- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables

- Make at least half of your grains whole grains

- Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk

Foods to Reduce

- Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers

- Drink water instead of sugary drinks

Source: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

Green grapes have Antioxidants too

chelseam — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:58:00 +0000

Contrary to popular belief, green, also known as white, grapes also contain antioxidants. A recent study that looked at the total antioxidant capacity, as measured by ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity), of green grapes and red grapes found significant levels in each: The red grapes had an antioxidant capacity of 2016 while the green grapes had an antioxidant capacity of 1789.

The bottom line is that grapes of all colors contain antioxidants. It’s just that red and black grapes also contain anthocyanins, which are a type of phytonutrient responsible for red and blue pigment in fruits and vegetables.

Source: California Table Grape Commission

Grape Escape® and Oneders ® – The next big thing in fresh grapes!

chelseam — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:12:00 +0000

For years people have been asking for a healthy snack alternative, and HMC Farms has an answer. Washed and ready-to-eat fresh grapes, available in bags and trays! These grapes can be found in schools, grocery stores, amusement parks and anywhere else fresh grapes are served. Grapes are destemmed daily in our on-site fresh processing plant, only miles away from the vineyards where we grow them. In the winter we have operations in Chile so that we can provide fresh grapes 365 days of the year. The grapes are washed with only water so there are no “off flavors,” just the taste of sweet grapes.

Grape Escape® is available in 2oz or 3oz single serve bags.

Oneders® are available in 4 lb trays

For more information please contact your sales representative at HMC Farms!

Studies have shown that fresh grapes support a healthy cardiovascular system

chelseam — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:01:00 +0000

Grapes contain a natural mix of antioxidants that help support a healthy heart and may offer an array of other health benefits. Studies have shown that grapes may help support a healthy cardiovascular system in the following ways:

· by preventing platelet aggregation (which can lead to clot formation)

· enhancing arterial flexibility and function

· reducing inflammation

· inhibiting the oxidation of “bad” LDL cholesterol

· lowering blood pressure

Beneficial Antioxidants

Grapes contain an abundance of polyphenols, including flavonoids, and are also one of the main dietary sources of resveratrol. Resveratrol is found in the skins of grapes of all colors and is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Grape flavonoids are found in all parts of the grape including skin, flesh and seeds. A recent review of documented natural grape compounds totaled 1610, including the presence of the carotenoids lutein and beta-carotene. There are likely still hundreds of compounds yet to be identified.

Antioxidants:

· Help protect cells by neutralizing the damaging effects of free radicals present in the environment

· Help reduce oxidative stress, a condition associated with the development of many chronic diseases

Eat your way to better health!

Information courtesy of the California Table Grape Commission

http://www.freshcaliforniagrapes.com/hearthealth.php

Why is it better to pack plums in a different facility than peaches and nectarines?

chelseam — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 17:34:00 +0000

HMC Farms made an investment and commitment to plums in 2001 for the same reason that we developed a tree ripe peach and nectarine program over 25 years ago. We believed that the industry was not dedicated to producing a good tasting piece of fruit. As a result the industry’s plum sales fell from 14.6 million boxes in 2002 to an estimated 9 million boxes in 2011. Shippers did not have the patience, finances, or commitment to rehabilitate a commodity which sees seven years elapse between the time a tree is planted and the time a full crop is realized.

HMC Farms has assembled a specialized team with farmers that only grow plums and a packing house that only packs plums. We did this in order to meet the challenges of growing, harvesting, and packing great tasting plums. Because of our consistent supply of plums from the beginning to the end of the season and our focus on taste, we only harvest plums that are truly tree ripe. The plums are then handled with the utmost care at our specialized packing house with equipment designed, and people trained, for the sole purpose of packing a box of plums that represents our passion for growing tree ripened stone fruit.

How does grafting peach, plum and nectarine varieties work?

chelseam — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:35:00 +0000

Many tree fruit varieties do not grow from their own seed. They are propagated by grafting plant material from the desired variety onto a specially bred rootstock. The rootstock is root system and usually the bottom two to three inches of the trunk.

Just as picking tree fruit or pruning trees, grafting is also a specialized skill. There is a lot of care and experience that is needed to graft correctly.

Cut—A cut is made in the rootstock about 12 inches above the soil. Then either a straight slanting cut about 1 ½ inches long is made or a notch is cut out of the side on the exposed limb of the rootstock.

Union—Match the young shoot and rootstock where the cuts or notches were made.

Tying and covering— If slants are cut then the new graft needs to be bound tightly with tape then carefully covered with tree seal. If notches are cut then only tree seal is required. The tape and tree seal bind the two parts together and keep moisture from rotting the exposed limb.

By the following season the small trees will be producing fruit.

HMC Farms Foodservice Update 6/24/11

chelseam — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:19:17 +0000

It’s finally hot here in the San Joaquin Valley! Temperatures in the upper 90’s and low 100’s put us much closer to our normal weather pattern.

Lunch Bunch® grape harvest in Mexico and Coachella is winding down and we are waiting for the harvest to start in our own vineyards. Harvest timing looks about week later than last year with the Arvin district starting about July 6^th or 7^th and the vineyards in the Fresno Area about July 15^th.

The grape market has risen into the $20+ range and we don’t expect to see a drop off price until late July, once supply has got up with demand.

We are looking forward to attending the School Nutrition Association Annual National Conference in Nashville, TN July 11^th – 13^th. Hopefully we will see some of you there!

Have a great summer and keep eating fresh fruit from California!

What does HMC stand for?

chelseam — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:27:00 +0000

HMC stands for Harold and Mike Company. In 1987 Harold and Mike founded HMC Farms because they wanted to grow and sell a piece of fruit they could be proud to put their names on. Today we still believe that increasing consumption of the fruit we grow is our true measure of success.

Which nutrients are added back into the ground every season?

chelseam — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:24:00 +0000

HMC Farms works closely with our advisors to keep the soil in optimum tree fruit growing condition. During the spring and summer months the trees use the nutrients in the soil as fuel to grow the fruit. Every fall we take samples of the soil to evaluate which nutrients have been depleted.

After careful evaluation of the soil, a blend of different natural minerals is developed. Minerals added usually include calcium, nitrogen, zinc, iron, magnesium, and boron. This personalized blend is spread throughout the field during the early winter months while the trees are dormant. By applying these minerals before the rainy season it allows all winter and spring for the nutrients to seep into the ground for the trees to use the following season.

How many times is our fruit sorted to ensure only the best fruit makes it into the box?

chelseam — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:59:14 +0000

1. Hand selected by the picker – Our field crews come back year after year and all of them know our philosophy, we ripen fruit the old fashioned way, we leave it on the tree. Several picks, and hourly instead of piece work wages is just the beginning of how we work towards the perfect piece of fruit.

2. Bin Check – Bins are constantly monitored and sorted through as fruit is picked to work out any sort of defect that the person picking may not have been able to catch.

3. Quality Control Evaluation – Once the fruit is brought into the packing house each lot is tested for sugars and pressures. This ensures any internal damage is found prior to packing. With the majority of our orchards less than 5 miles away we are able to make changes in harvest practices based upon these results.

4. Presorting – before the fruit is sized or stickered it is presorted for any sort of defects that may have been missed out in the field.

5. Packaging – before the fruit is placed in the box it is looked at one last time. Pieces that are not quite up to our premium standards are placed in a utility box again just to ensure that only the best goes in our HMC Farms box.

6. Before shipment, a final inspection is completed to ensure sugars, pressure and exterior quality.