Stemilt in the News

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The Mathison family of Stemilt Growers received the Legacy Award for the 2011 Washington Family Business Awards put on by Seattle Business Magazine. The Mathisons have been growing tree fruit in Washington state since the early 1900s.

Stemilt Growers was recently named to Washington state’s Green 50 list for its excellence in sustainability and social responsibility through the Responsible Choice program. Seattle Business magazine announced the winners of the 2011 Green Washington Awards and which companies made the Green 50 list during an awards ceremony in Seattle on September 21st. 

This marks the fourth time Stemilt has been recognized by the publication for its sustainability efforts. Stemilt was named the “greenest” agriculture company in Washington back in 2008. Stemilt joins companies like Alaska Airlines, Starbucks, and Weyerhaeuser on this year’s Green 50 list.

According to Stemilt marketing director Roger Pepperl, making the Green 50 list is a testament to the commitment of an entire organization to find ways to operate more efficiently and in a sustainable manner.

“Our founder, Tom Mathison, started the Responsible Choice program back in 1989. He believed strongly that, as farmers, it was our duty to protect the land in order to make agriculture a sustainable business for future generations. The passion he held for the environment lives on today in his son and grandsons, as well as the entire Stemilt family. It is a great honor to be on the Green 50 list and join the ranks of great Northwest companies,” Pepperl said.

Stemilt founder Tom Mathison was honored posthumously by the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Education Foundation (or Ag Forestry) with the 2011 Stu Bledsoe Leadership Award.

Stemilt founder Tom Mathison was honored posthumously by the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Education Foundation (or Ag Forestry) with the 2011 Stu Bledsoe Leadership Award. Stu Bledsoe was a well-known agriculture leader and served as the executive director of the Washington Forest Protection Association from 1978-1988.

Mathison became the first person to be honored with this award posthumously. He was recognized during the May 6th graduation ceremony for Ag Forestry Class 32, which his relative and Stemilt grower, Noel Mathison, was a graduating member of.

Ag Forestry is a leadership development program founded in 1978 for adults working within and connected to Washington state’s agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries. Every 18 months, a new group of selected participants start attending regular seminars throughout the state in order to develop their leadership skills and understand the key issues facing the industry today.

As graduation nears, the class nominates and then selects one industry member to receive the Stu Bledsoe Leadership Award. Abigail Snyder, the executive director of Admyn.com in Wenatchee and Class 32 graduate, nominated Tom Mathison.

According to Ag Forestry, Tom Mathison was selected as this year’s award recipient for his “lifetime of leadership and commitment to demonstrating the value of working together to the betterment of our natural resources.” Lavonne van Someren Gréve, Mathison’s daughter, accepted the award on his behalf.

Tom Mathison founded Stemilt Growers in 1964 with the goal of delivering return to the land by building consumer demand for fresh fruit. He spent most of his life working to advance the tree fruit industry and was the driving force in brining Washington fruit to the global marketplace. Mathison passed away in 2008 at the age of 82.

We are excited to recognize Maria Ruelas as our top pear packer for 2011. In just a five-month period, Maria packed 15,899 boxes of pears, or an average of one box every two minutes. That’s incredibly fast! We appreciate Maria and all of our hard-working employees for their efforts in bringing Stemilt fruit to market each day.

The Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) recognized four companies — Siliker, Inc., NSF International, Stemilt Growers and Coles Supermarkets — for their commitment to the SQF program during an award presentation at the SQF International Conference in Melbourne, Australia. SQFI is a division of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI).

Stemilt Growers was one of the first suppliers to become SQF certified in North America.  As a multi-site certified supplier for more than 12 years, Stemilt is an active member of the SQF Technical Advisory Council and the Technical Sub-Committee on guidance document development.  They have been long-time supporters of the SQF program.

Stemilt grower Mike Taylor has been named Apple Grower of the Year by American/Western Fruit Grower and DuPont Crop Protection. Taylor accepted the award at U.S. Apple Association’s annual Crop Outlook Conference held in Chicago, IL on August 19-20.  

Taylor is the co-owner and operator of Taylor Orchards in eastern Washington and the current V.P. of Sales and Marketing at Stemilt Growers in Wenatchee, WA. His family has been growing apples since 1969 and Taylor Orchards was formally established in 1996. Today, Mike Jr., his father Mike Taylor, Sr., and orchard manager/partner Steve Paganelli farm 11 different apple varieties both conventionally and organically on nearly 900 acres.

Dan Wheat from Capital Press interviews Stemilt president West Mathison about the future of the tree fruit industry. 

After a three-year wait, one of the Pacific Northwest's largest fruit growers has had 100 percent of its peach and nectarine crops certified as organic.

Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) has named Stemilt Growers, Inc., of Wenatchee, Wash., the first company to attain PBH’s Non-Retail Role Model honors for its support of their Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® health initiative.

Lora Abcarian of The Produce News reports on how innovation and stewardship became part of the culture at Stemilt.

Rebekah Denn blogs about her experience tasting Stemilt's signature apple variety, Pinata at Chef Jason Wilson's Crush restaurant in Seattle.

Organic grower Ray Fuller is the recipient of the Organic Trade Association's 2008 Organic Farming Leadership Award.

For the first time ever Stemilt Growers’ exclusive apple variety, PIÑATA!, hit the market featuring the colorful faces of Sesame Street’s Elmo and Abby Cadabby.

California cherry industry veteran Jim Chinchiolo passed away Aug. 25 in Stockton after a lengthy illness. He was 86 years old. Born and raised in Stockton, Chinchiolo was a walnut and cherry grower as well as a longtime owner-partner and sales representative for Chinchiolo Fruit Co. He is best remembered for his efforts to help open the Japanese market to California cherry exports.

Ah, dessert. Some days it seems that it is never too early or late to bite into a sugary snack.

From the orchard to your stomach, we're taking a bite out of the forbidden fruit with host Marc Summers.

Stemilt announced a redesign of its apple and pear cartons. The focal image of the new cartons features a farmer driving his tractor home after a long work day. To some extent the motivation is utilitarian in that the two cartons will help rationalize carton inventory. But Roger Pepperl, Stemilt’s marketing director, explains that:

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