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Grower finds success with kiwiberries10/07/200812:00:00 AMAndy Nelson

(Oct. 7, 10:11 a.m.) It wasn't easy, forgoingpergolas, says David Jackson, owner of Danville,Pa.-based Kiwi Korners, one of two U.S. grower-shippers of kiwiberries, also known as baby kiwis.

The industry standard for kiwi berry production,the pergola offers plants protection from the wind,yields better, and is low-maintenance when itcomes to watering plants and mowing the groundbeneath them.

Curious growers from places like Chile andCanada who have visited Kiwi Korners typicallyleave with a "Good luck, David: and no plans toduplicate his process.

David Jackson, owner of Danville, Pa.-based Kiwi

Kamers, says he spent 14 years perfecting the

Passion Popper.

But if Jackson was bent on taking the easy wayout, he probably wouldn't have gotten into the kiwi berry business - a niche market if there everwas one - in the first place.

So instead of using a pergola, Jackson is the only kiwi berry grower in the world that he knows ofwho uses a T- bar system. Not being a pergola, the T-bar has a bunch of minuses where theformer has pluses, but it also has one huge advantage, Jackson said: a T-bar system exposes fruitto a lot more light. And with more light, he said, comes more sugar.

A lot more: Jackson said his kiwiberries can hit brix levels of 28, about 10 more than berries grownon a pergola.

"I've tasted 60 to 80 different kiwiberries, and our Passion Popper is the best I've ever tasted," hesaid. "Customers know the difference. We go for the 'wow' factor."

The Passion Popper is one of two varieties Kiwi Korners grows, and the company's onlytrademarked variety. Jackson said kiwi berries in general have a more intense lemon flavor, asopposed to kiwifruit's more tame lime flavor.

Jackson said it took him 14 years to perfect the Passion Popper. When pressed to expand his"wow" description of the variety's flavor, Jackson comes up with "candy cotton melon ball with afine finish."

The other variety Kiwi Korners grows, the Aloha Anna, has a kiwi/pineapple/mint flavor, .Jacksonsaid.

The very narrow window for kiwiberries is in the fall, with harvest lasting about three weeks, usuallyin September. Sheridan, Ore.-based Hurst's Berry Farm Inc. is the other U.S. kiwiberry grower.

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CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUINDISTRICT, CALIF. ~ Shipments (50-73-115)-

The second reason Jackson is convinced he grows the best-tasting kiwi berries around is theabsence of pesticides on his plants. Kiwi Korners is the only certified organic kiwi berry grower inthe world, Jackson said.

T-bars and organic production aren't the only innovations Jackson claims. There are no othergrowers who stake so much of their business on kiwiberries.

Kiwi Korners ships just a skid per day - 156 boxes, each with 12 6-ounce packs - to ensure thehighest quality, Jackson said. Retail chains Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Wegmans are its topthree customers.

And while distribution has traditionally been limited to the D.C.-Boston corridor, Jackson said he'sgetting more interest from distributors and retailers from as far away as California.

For all of its two decades, Kiwi Korners' entire output has come from 10 acres of land, Jacksonsaid. Higher yields over the years, as Jackson has perfected growing techniques, have allowedproduction in niche up to meet ever-growing demand.

Without getting into pricing, Jackson said demand is so high he doesn't have any concerns aboutselling those 10 extra acres. Prices, he said, have gone up steadily in recent years.

"We're all retail right now, but we're looking for somebody to partner up with (for foodservicesales)," he said.

Even with so many years already under his belt, Jackson said the kiwiberry market still has roomfor significant growth.

"It's still in the creation act," he said. "I'm still just about halfway there. We learn something newsometimes every day around here:

Movement expected to increase. Trading fairly active atlower prices. Prices lower. The primary yellow-fleshvarieties currently are spring flame and crimson lady.Various yellow-flesh varieties cartons two-layer traypack 48-50s $18.20-22.10, 56s $18.10-22.10; 25-poundcartons loose 60-64s $18.10-20.10, 70-72s $14.10-16.10. Extra services included.

SOUTH CAROLINA - Shipments (66-52-58)-Movement expected to increase. Trading moderate.Prices 2o/•..inch minimum lower, 2%-inch minimumhigher, others unchanged. Yrbushel cartons variousyellow-flesh varieties: 2'A-inch minimum mostly $22.65-24.65, 2Yo·inch minimum mostly $20.65, 2 3/8-inchminimum mostly $14.65, 2%·inch minimum mostly$12.65-14.65,2 1/8-inch minimum mostly $8.65 someconsigned. Primary varieties: coronet, gala, gold prince,juneprince, ruby prince and summerprince.

CENTRAL GEORGIA - Shipments (30-27-26)-Movement expected to increase. Trading moderate.Prices Yo-bushel cartons various yellow-flesh varieties:2%-inch minimum mostly $20.65, 2 3/B-inch minimummostly $13.65-15.65, 2%·inch minimum $13.65-14.65, 21/8-inch minimum mostly $8.65-9.65. Primary varieties:gala, harvester, juneprince, rubyprince and sureprince.

APPALACHIAN DISTRICT (MD-PA-VA-WV)-Shipments (0-0-0) - Very light harvesting is expectedto begin in the lower part of the Appalachian District(VA) late the week of June 11. Heavier volume isexpected by the week of June 25. FIRST REPORT.

SOUTHERN NEW Jt:RSEY - Shipments (0..0-0) -Very light harvesting expected around mid-month.Heavier volume is expected by the week of June 18 withthe harvest of sentries and other early varieties. FIRSTREPORT.

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