A habit can form when responding to the needs of today’s marketplace—whether that be the impacts of a transitioning buying generation, attempts to achieve economies of scale, or the outpouring of competition. It is the habit of developing solutions more reactive to the moment than to long-term growth, more redundant than meaningful.
But another type of habit can form in such circumstances: the intentional variety, built with layers of purpose and consideration. Such forward-thinking takes on the air of a movement instead of a trend—the type that withstands and also evolves.
When I think of the work CMI Orchards does, I am reminded of this more fruitful type of solution. The Wenatchee, Washington-based company has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years. From the addition of Starr Ranch Growers to the major growth of its internal leadership team, CMI Orchards has positioned itself as one of the many thought leaders in the categories it occupies.
As summer transitions to fall here in the Northern Hemisphere, CMI Orchards has taken a dedicated stance on its meaningful work. The company continues to invest in its growth and legacy, as well as the health of the industry overall.
“CMI Orchards is committed to a carbon-negative fruit industry, enhancing global agriculture sustainably. Our customers and end consumers deserve to work with companies passionately dedicated to the highest standards of land and animal stewardship,” Rochelle Bohm, Vice President of Marketing, shares with me. “The Soil Center is one of the many initiatives and programs dedicated to achieving this.”
The Soil Center was developed to tap into all of the byproducts generated from the Royal Family Farming and CMI Orchards operations, building custom ingredients for soil health.
“CMI Orchards is committed to a carbon-negative fruit industry, enhancing global agriculture sustainably. Our customers and end consumers deserve to work with companies passionately dedicated to the highest standards of land and animal stewardship. The Soil Center is one of the many initiatives and programs dedicated to achieving this.”
Rochelle Bohm, Vice President of Marketing, CMI Orchards
“Our mission is to significantly increase soil carbon, a critical factor for healthier crops and a resilient agricultural ecosystem. We aim to educate consumers, shifting the perspective on carbon from an atmospheric concern to a vital soil component,” Rochelle continues, walking me through the vision for the program. “We merge innovative fruit production with regenerative farming principles by transforming orchard, crop, dairy, and beef byproducts into high-quality blended soil products. While we currently supply these amendments to our growers, the long-term plan is to supply these products to the broader agricultural community too.”
With major events like the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) Global Produce & Floral Show on the horizon, CMI Orchards has plans to propel the mission of The Soil Center forward. Aiming to unveil its efforts to achieve carbon-negative apples, the company is exploring value-added products available for commercial production built from orchard, row crop, and cattle byproducts.
This initiative showcases CMI’s dedication to sustainable innovation in agriculture, further demonstrating a commitment to regenerative farming at scale and delivering opportunities for retailers to build an exciting product line of interconnected products.
In addition to addressing the fruit we all thrive off of at the root and byproduct level, the company is also using its position to amplify the apple category with a new apple campaign—yet to be named—built to impact category perception and performance.
“Our new campaign offers retail tools and interactive tactics to advance apple education and ignite sales,” Rochelle explains. Building upon CMI’s award-winning Flavogram® program, the upcoming campaign is the natural next step in flavor education. “With the Flavogram tool, color bars elevate flavor exploration beyond simple ‘sweet’ or ‘tart’ distinctions to encompass a spectrum of taste profiles from the first bite to the last, making it easy to compare apples
to apples.”
Now, the company is taking shopper engagement to the next level to not only address the changing marketplace but also inform it.
“Our newest campaign is more than just a retail promotional tool; it’s a dynamic, interactive experience incorporating both digital and physical assets,” Rochelle expresses. “The details are under wraps for now—but brace yourself for a show-stopping reveal!”
For a little context, the campaign features CMI Orchards’ 16 apple varieties, including its sweet-as-honey Ambrosia Gold®, crisp and firm Envy™, flavor-intense Kanzi®, super-sweet KIKU®, and more.
“We merge innovative fruit production with regenerative farming principles by transforming orchard, crop, dairy, and beef byproducts into high-quality blended soil products.”
“The campaign aims to increase apple consumption, educate shoppers, and drive trials of high-flavor branded varieties. Introducing shoppers to new varieties boosts incremental sales in the produce department,” Rochelle teases.
And while apples are getting a CMI spotlight in more
ways than one this fall, pears are also the focus of the company’s investment, thought leadership, and go-to-market strategy. With the debut of Happy Bee® pears, CMI Orchards is building an initiative to tap into the massive, untapped market of Millennial and Gen Z shoppers in the pear category.
Featuring a fresh new design, the program includes essential elements such as a ripening guide, recipes, QR codes linking to grower stories and sleek, modern graphics.
“Happy Bee pears blossomed from strategic alliances. Teaming up with Starr and integrating Diamond into the CMI fold has enriched our selection with stunning Hood River pears. As the foremost pear shipper in the United States, perhaps even globally, our aim is clear: revitalize the pear market and captivate a new generation of shoppers,” Rochelle tells me, pulling back the curtain just a tad bit more before the IFPA global show. “Retailers have a golden opportunity to champion Happy Bee pears to their customers. Highlighting ripening education is pivotal and directly addresses the consumer need for instant satisfaction. Our new program, equipped with dazzling modern graphics, is a show-stopper.”
With new initiatives and strategies grounded in meaningful work, amplified by innovation, insight, and wonder, I think it’s realistic to assume that Washington treefruit is undergoing an evolution.
One apple, pear, and soil sample at a time. 
