orningstar Farm will be supplying Dole for the next five consecutive years. The farm is looking to yield between 30,000 - 35,000 pounds a year over coming years. The contract with Dole is valid from January 1, 2014 and ending on December 31, 2018 with Patriot Berry Farms Inc. receiving payment 35 days after the final shipment.With the prices of 2014's fresh blueberry crop looking poised to be highly profitable and more lucrative when compared to previous years, Patriot Berry's Florida based Morningstar Farm will have an advantage over other producers, since their berries will be hitting the market earlier in the season than many competitors.
Growing early-ripening blueberries has been profitable in Florida due to the excellent market for fresh blueberries that ripen before May 20th; Florida blueberries are the first to ripen in North America.
Between April 1 and May 10, Florida growers almost exclusively meet market demand. In turn, prices are relatively high until mid-May when Georgia and North Carolina blueberry harvests begin.
The Patriot Berry farm further benefits from an ideal location in North Central Florida that allows for blueberry harvesting and delivery to market before other Florida regions. As a result, Patriot Berry is able to exercise greater control over establishing market price while realizing roughly $2.00 more per pound on average than Georgia and South Carolina markets.
Currently the 2014 harvest is now under way and progress can be viewed on the Morningstar Farm Harvest Album.
Daniel Cattlin, CEO, Patriot Berry Farms Inc. says: "We are extremely pleased to be working with Dole Berry Company LLC, a subsidiary of the world's largest distributor of fresh fruit and vegetables, Dole Food Company Inc. Not only is it a prestigious and well established company, but their expertise and knowledge of the market will be welcomed and well received by our staff as we continue to strive forward in the dynamic roll out of our farm acquisition model."
