HMC Farms » Farmers Blog

Another Week Closer

chelseam — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:19:47 +0000

The forecast for Kingsburg is below. There are no storms in the foreseeable future but that can quickly change. We will get started on peaches and nectarines in the next couple weeks and will have load volume by the week of May 28th. White peaches should start the last week of May and white nectarines in early to mid June. Plums are estimated to begin early June with Rubi Rosa and Flavorosa.

A Few Weeks Away

chelseam — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:19:55 +0000

After a few cold, rainy days, the start dates are starting to look similar to last year. HMC should have decent volume on peaches and nectarines around the middle of May, depending on the weather in the next few weeks. We’ll keep you informed, as there has been a lot of weather out here and there is still more in the forecast. Below are pictures of the first peach and nectarine varieties of the year.

Zee Fire Nectarine

Spring Princess Peach

Spring Flame 20 Peach

Spring Fire Nectarine

Hail Storm

chelseam — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:40:22 +0000

Hail hit a large percentage of the stone fruit crop last Wednesday. Rain continued through Friday, cleared up on Saturday and the predictions for this week are clear skies and warm weather. There has been significant damage; we probably haven’t seen this much damage since the last big hail storm in 1982. As the season continues and the weather warms up we will be able to get a better an idea of how much the industry was affected. At HMC Farms, we did get some hail, but not a significant enough of an amount to have a major effect on our volume. We will know more as the weather warms up but right now we are looking for mid may as a good start date for peaches and a few days later for nectarines. Plums will come off the first week of June. As an industry the plum crop will be significantly reduced, by as much as half in comparison to last year.

Setting up for the Season

chelseam — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:43:01 +0000

There are a few cold nights coming up in the forecast as well as one more month of weather to follow. The volume predictions for this season are less than last years’ bumper crop. All indications still suggest this season will start a week earlier than last year.
We have started thinning in the trees and are planting grapes. Early peach and nectarine varieties have a clean, uniform set, and the new early varieties look very promising. We anticipate a full or near full crop on plums throughout the season although we have heard that sets in the industry are light.

HMC Earns Innovation Award With Grape Escape

chelseam — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:51:25 +0000

The article below is courtesy of The Packer.

The National Restaurant Association named HMC Farms as an innovator for Grape Escapes, the company’s de-stemmed grape packs.

It’s one of 18 Food and Beverage Product Innovation Awards named by the association.

HMC Grape Escape From HMC Group Marketing Inc., Kingsburg, Calif., Grape Escape consists of washed and ready-to-eat de-stemmed grapes packed in single-serve two-ounce or three-ounce bags. Featuring an 18-day shelf life with no preservatives or additives, Grape Escape “meets the challenge of profitably serving healthy fresh fruit snacks year round,” according to a news release from the restaurant association.

The innovation award winners are selected by a panel of independent experts from commercial and non-commercial segments of the foodservice industry, according to a release from the Chicago-based NRA.

The release said winners of the award will be showcased in the Food and Beverage Products Innovations Gallery on the exhibit floor at the 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, May 5-8 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Other award recipients are:

Cavendish Farms — Tempura Battered Extreme Beans
ConAgra Foodservice — Angela Mia NSA Crushed Tomatoes
ConAgra Foodservice — The Max Fit for Kids Plus MaxSnax BBQ Chicken
Cook Natural Products — Mara’s Pasta
Copa di Vino — Copa di Vino Wine (Copa!)
HJ Heinz Company — 3-in-1 Soup, Sauce or Dip
HomeFree LLC — Gluten Free Vanilla Mini Cookies
Jennie O Turkey Store — Precooked Turkey Burger
Kraft — YES Pack
Mighty Leaf Tea — Mfusions
Stouffer’s — Parmesan Risotto
Oregon Seafoods — Chef’s Brand Pacific Caught Wild Albacore
SASASWEETS — SasaPops brand artisan frozen pops
Simpli — Simpli OatShakes
Snyder’s Lance — Lance 51% Whole Grain Saltines
Unilever Food Solutions — Lipton Zero Calorie Fresh Brewed Sweet Tea
White Toque — Vegetable Glacis

If you would like to view the article on The Packer please follow the link below.

http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/HMC-earns-innovation-award-with-Grape-Escape—141772743.html

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.