Wishnatzki Farms Blog

2010 Florida Blueberry Grower Association Expo

March 3rd, 2010 by wishfarms

On Tuesday we exhibited at the Florida Blueberry Grower Association Expo at the Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College (Plant City Campus). We have been steadily increasing our blueberry acreage and are actively recruiting growers. At this expo we got to meet face to face with several potential growers and interact with some of our current growers. Blueberry production in Florida is something that has caught on the past few years, and we are aspiring to make it a major addition to our berry category.

This season has presented many challenges to the entire strawberry industry, and we are hoping for an excellent crop. Below you can find some pictures of our booth at the event. If you are a grower of blueberries and are looking for a company to aggressively market your blueberry crop give us a call at 813-752-5111 or e-mail marcus@wishfarms.com .

Tags: Florida Blueberry, Florida Blueberry Grower Association, Wishnatzki Farms
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Gary Wishnatzki Receives Accolade for Good Works

February 25th, 2010 by wishfarms

I have exciting news to announce today. Gary Wishnatzki, President & CEO of Wishnatzki Farms received a national award for his work on behalf of the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA). Today, he received the Plate of Bounty Award. The Plate of Bounty Award is awarded annually by the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association to individuals who demonstrate good will to migrant workers.

Wishnatzki stood out based on some amazing acts he has done for the benefit of migrant and seasonal workers. Gary created a $286,000 endowment to fund graduate-level scholarships made available to children of migrant workers. This endowment allows these children to attain a great education and improve their lives. Also, Gary has sponsored an annual strawberry sale at the University of South Florida. Funds raised from this sale provide migrant students with the essentials they need to succeed in college. Just a couple weeks ago Gary hosted the 5th annual Strawberry Pro-AM which had a goal of netting $80,000 to help with the capital campaign to expand the Wimauma Academy. The Wimauma Academy is critical in providing education to children of farm workers.

On top of all of the aforementioned acts, Gary took it upon himself to sponsor a day this year at the Florida Strawberry Festival. He sponsored Saturday March 13th and decided to title it Farm Worker Appreciation Day. The strawberry industry is only what it is today because of the hard working men and women who harvest the crop. Gary thought that it was only appropriate that they have a day at the Festival in their honor. Farm workers are encouraged to ask their growers about the day where local growers can purchase discounted tickets for all farm workers. If you need any additional information and would like to know where to pick-up and purchase tickets for this day contact Marcus Caswell @ marcus@wishfarms.com 813-752-5111.

Redland Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) is a terrific organization that provides child care and high caliber education to nearly 8,000 children of migrant and seasonal farm workers in 21 Florida counties.

So congratulations to Gary Wishnatzki for all that you do!

Tags: Gary Wishnatzki, National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, Plate of Bounty, RCMA, Redlands Christian Migrant Association, Wishnatzki Farms
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This is the Quiet Before the Storm….

February 23rd, 2010 by wishfarms

Good Morning everyone. This weekend we got to see some more typical Florida weather. I actually got to feel sunshine on my skin, and not run the defrost in my truck. However, the strawberry supply is not back to normal, and frankly the entire industry is below where we normally are. These unexpected events should cause one of the biggest outputs in March that we have ever seen. This season seems to have been one of extremes, and March will not differ. The fruit should be extremely sweet and abundant. Both of these qualities should bode well with consumers in the form of lower priced excellent tasting product. One of our growers Carl Grooms made the following comment, “When you bite into these, you are going to notice a big difference”. Many growers are worried that if the weather warms up just right that there may be so much fruit, that they will not be able to pick and pack all of it. That leaves the possibility of leaving fruit on the plant to rot. Every farm has a break-even cost per flat that they have to reach in order to make a little money. If the market price is below this they will simply be forced to leave fruit on the plant.

Carl Grooms went onto say that the large supermarket chains should really promote strawberries and let consumers know that sweet fruit is on its way. If the retailers do a great job of promoting the fruit and taking advantage of all the possible demand this could turn the season around for a lot of local growers. So, ask your local supermarket manager to ask their buyer to purchase Wish Farms berries for all of their stores. We will have the berries so come and get ‘em!

Source: Tampa Tribune Article

Tags: Carl Grooms, Florida, Plant City Strawberries, Wish Farms
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Strawberry Queen to Promote Sweetbay Contest

February 18th, 2010 by wishfarms

Natalie Burgin this years Florida Strawberry Queen will be promoting SweetBay’s Sweet Kid contest. This contest invites first graders in the local area to submit drawings of strawberries. The winning submission will win a strawberry short cake party for his/her class. In addition, the winning student will get four tickets to this year’s Strawberry Festival and a $25 Sweetbay gift card. The drawings will be on display at each of the participating Sweetbay stores, and shoppers will vote for their favorite.

Natalie will be at the following Sweetbay’s during these times: Alexander location 2:30-3:30 pm, Wheeler St. Location 4pm-5pm, on Monday. Then on Tuesday, Martin Luther King location 2:30-3:30pm, and FishHawk Blvd. 4-5 pm.

This is just one of the events that the Florida Strawberry Queen will participate in this year. So, take the time to meet this year’s queen at your local SweetBay.

Tags: Florida Strawberry Queen, Natalie Burgin, strawberry shortcake, SweetBay
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Strawberries Excellent Example of Nutritious Superfruit

February 17th, 2010 by wishfarms

Good morning everyone. I come across articles all the time discussingthe excellent health benefits derived from daily consumption of strawberries. This particular article written by David Grotto caught my eye. He goes on to state that 8 medium sized strawberries have only 50 calories, and in that small serving you get a variety of nutrients including Vitamin C, folate, fiber, and potassium. Vitamin C we know is an integral part of a healthy diet and helps repair damage in the body and improve the immune system. While Folate is linked to increased health in the heart particularly the inflammatory process associated with heart disease. Fiber helps control weight and maintain regularity, and potassium helps control blood pressure and fight stroke.

Furthermore, recent studies have found that some nutrients found in strawberries have antioxidant capabilties. Antioxidants has been a buzz word associated with blueberries, raspberries, and now with strawberries. Antioxidants have been linked to preventing a laundry list of ailments including: cancer, cardiovascular and neurological disease, arthritis, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and pulmonary disease.

The great thing is that strawberries can be found year round, so there is no excuse to not add this delicious fruit to your daily diet. Florida strawberries can be found during late November to April. A majority of Plant City strawberry growers tend to stop harvesting fruit after the Florida Strawberry Festival which will be held March 4-14 this year. However, Wishnatzki Farms has historically continued to pick fruit until Mother’s Day. We have the ability to process strawberries into purees that can be marketed to juice manufacturers. This allows you to find our product on grocer’s shelves into April.

So, you have a reason to buy Plant City strawberries from Wishnatzki Farms not only for the great taste, but the outstanding health benefits!

Tags: Antioxidants, Florida Strawberry Festival, Plant City Strawberries, Plant City Strawberry, Vitamin C, Wishnatzki Farms
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What a Season Thus Far…

February 16th, 2010 by wishfarms

As I talk with strawberry growers who are third and fourth generation growers, the message is the same. “I have never seen a season like this”. It first started when we had an abnormally warm October and November. The strawberry plants are set in early October, and the warm weather really prevented them from being set properly. Cool weather really helps the plants set and we did not get that this year. Instead we got below freezing weather for ten days straight. When the temperature gets below freezing growers are forced to turn on the sprinklers which provides a layer of ice that acts like insulation. We had to run water for ten days straight and of course during this time it is very difficult to pick fruit. Furthermore, the fruit that can be picked may be damaged and we have to extensively cull through the fruit. All Florida strawberry growers have seen dramatic decreases in strawberry production anywhere from 40-70%.

However, there could be a silver lining in this strawberry season. In March we are expected to have an abundance of fruit. Some strawberry plants in our fields have 30-40 flowers that will bare beautiful berries in mid-March. It will be a challenge to just pick all of the fruit we are going to see in March. Good news for consumers is that the price of berries should be much lower than what it is currently, because the total supply will have increased significantly. There will be no shortage of Plant City strawberries this year at the Florida Strawberry Festival. I would imagine the consumption of strawberry short cake and strawberry milkshakes to be at an all time high!

If you would like to pictures of some of this year’s strawberries visit our Facebook page by clicking here.

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Strawberry Pro-AM Tennis Tournament a Success

February 15th, 2010 by wishfarms

On Saturday, February 13th, sixteen teams competed in an effort to raise money for the Redlands Christian Migrant Association. All of the teams were auctioned off the night before at a fundraising dinner at Avila Golf and Country Club. The sponsor of the winning team won a trip to the US Open in New York. Second place won a trip to the Sony Ericson Open in Biscayne, FL. It was a very windy morning, but all the players had a great time playing for a great cause. You can see some pictures of the event below.

The Strawberry Pro-AM is an event that Gary Wishnatzki is very proud of and Wishnatzki Farms really appreciated Publix Super Markets being the title sponsor this year. This event segues very nicely into the Florida Strawberry Festival held in Plant City at the beginning of March. Wishnatzki Farm is sponsoring Farm Worker Appreciation Day which is aimed at allowing the men and women of the industry that make agriculture in Florida possible.

Tags: Farm Worker Appreciation Day, Strawberry Pro Am, US Open, Wishnatzki Farms
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Publix Super Markets Makes Sizeable Contribution to Strawberry Pro-Am

February 9th, 2010 by wishfarms

publix-rcma-blog This Afternoon representatives from both Publix Super Markets and the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) came to Wishnatzki Farms to present a check. Publix Super Markets elected to donate $10,000 towards the RCMA capital campaign to build new classrooms. This will be the 6th annual Strawberry Pro-Am held at the Avila Golf and Country Club on Saturday February 13th. All proceeds go toward the building of charter schools for the children of Florida’s migrant workers. If you are interested in contributing to this great cause please contact Marcus Caswell @813-752-5111 or email marcus@wishfarms.com .

Tags: Marcus Caswell, Plant City Strawberry, Publix Super Markets, RCMA, Strawberry Pro Am, Wish Farms, Wishnatzki
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The Strawberry Pro Am Tennis Tournament to Raise Funds for Redland Christians Migrant Association

February 2nd, 2010 by wishfarms

On February 13, 2010, Wishnatzki Farms will host its fifth annual Strawberry Pro-Am Tennis Tournament at Avila Golf and Country Club in Tampa, Fla. This year, Publix Super Markets will be the title sponsor of the event, which will benefit the Redland Christian Migrant Association. Other major sponsors include the International Paper; Florida Strawberry Growers Association; Monte Package Co.; Temple-Inland; C.H. Robinson; Paradise Inc.; ChappellRoberts; Foley & Lardner; and Garcia & Ortiz, PA.

“We’re excited because this is our fifth year and the event has grown beyond anything we ever imagined,” said Gary Wishnatzki, president and CEO of Wishnatzki Farms. This year, we expect to raise at least $80,000 for RCMA’s capital campaign to build new facilities at the Wimauma Academy, its charter school in Wimauma, Fla.”

“I’d like to personally invite anyone who would like to contribute to this important cause to participate in this fun event,” said Wishnatzki.

The Strawberry Pro-Am features pros paired with amateur tennis players. The night before the tournament, a dinner is held and teams are auctioned to the highest bidder. Anyone is eligible to bid on teams. The buyer of the winning team receives a trip for two to the U.S. Open in New York City. The person who buys the second place team wins a trip to Key Biscayne for the Sony Ericsson Open.

Companies interested in participating should contact Clint Austin at Wishnatzki Farms at (813) 752-5111 or email to Clint@WishFarms.com.

ABOUT WISHNATZKI FARMS

Wishnatzki Farms, Florida’s largest strawberry shipper-grower, is recognized nationally for quality and innovation. It represents more than 2,000 acres, and ships approximate three million flats of strawberries and two million packages of vegetables a year. The company markets produce under the Wish Farms, Strawberry Joe, Clear Choice Organic and other brand names. Wishnatzki Farms is proud to continue its tradition of providing high quality produce since 1922.

ABOUT REDLANDS CHRISTIAN MIGRANT ASSOCIATION

Founded in 1965, RCMA provides child care and early education for more than 8,000 children of rural, low-income working families throughout Florida, including approximately 250 youngsters in Polk County. Based in Immokalee, RCMA operates more than 70 childcare centers in 21 Florida counties. RCMA is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization that is funded by local, state and federal grants, as well as the generosity of businesses, individuals, the United Way, and other foundations and organizations.

ABOUT PUBLIX

Currently Publix has 1,010 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. The company has been named one of FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For in America” for 13 consecutive years. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized as tops in the grocery business, most recently by an American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. For more information, visit the company’s Web site, www.publix.com.

Tags: Plant City Strawberries, Publix, Redland Christian Migrant Association, Strawberry Pro Am, Wishnatzki Farms
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California Strawberry Farms Have Weather Problems of Their Own.

January 29th, 2010 by wishfarms

Mark Lopez, ranch manager for Mike Etchandy Farms, Irvine, Calif., checks on the condition of the fruit in an Orange County field Jan. 27. Southern California endured four storms during the week of Jan. 17, and while berries stripped from the water-logged plants lie in the muddy furrows, new and surviving berries were on the resilient san andreas plants.

In an article titled “Strawberry Availability in Question for Valentine’s Day”, it reports that strawberry farms in California suffered from heavy rainfall. Beginning January 18th some parts of California had up to 6 inches of rain and even hail. This time period is crucial to future strawberry production during the week of Valentine’s Day, and on top of that some weather forecasts are calling for more rain the first two weeks of February. Historically there is always a big push for strawberries during Valentine’s Day because Florida, California, and Mexico strawberry production is in gear. This usually results in an upward shift of strawberry supply and retailer’s promotion of the 2/$5.

At this point it is still unclear what the strawberry production will be for the early part of February. A week of nice weather could really turn things around and help increase strawberry production. Wishnatzki Farms has been seeing some really nice fruit being picked, and we’re hoping for great weather leading up to Valentine’s Day.

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