Photo via Tree-Ripe Fruit Co.
Tree-Ripe Fruits blueberries
Tree-Ripe Fruits blueberries
Each June, Tree-Ripe Fruit Co. kicks off its annual tour of summer peach stops and pop-ups throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest. From June through early August, as their truck pulls into the parking lots of host businesses, crowds eagerly await their signature products, Georgia peaches and Michigan blueberries, available fresh just days or even hours after picking.
“You feel like a rock star when you arrive at a stop and there are 200 people clapping as you drive in. It’s fun for us to be able to provide that,” says Tree-Ripe owner Tiernan Paine. “We feel like it’s part of the fabric of summer in the Midwest.”
As Paine and his staff set up vendor tents and unload cases of freshly picked peaches and blueberries, along with pecans, pistachios and jams sourced from partner growers and producers, eager customers patiently wait in line to purchase the produce.
Peaches are available in 25-pound boxes for $52. Paine notes they also appear at select farmers markets where customers can purchase four-pound bags for $12; smaller bags are not available at the peach stops. Blueberries are sold in five-pound boxes (pricing not available at press time).
Paine says the peach stop parking lot events model is the most efficient way to reach the most people. We caught up with Paine as he was heading to Georgia to pick up a load of peaches from Pearson Farm, with whom Tree-Ripe has partnered for the last 20 years.
Pearson Farm is the oldest peach farm in Georgia, according to Paine, with roots dating to 1885. Lead grower Lawton Pearson is a fifth generation-Pearson. “They are masters at growing peaches, and we feel really good about what they do,” Paine says.
Last year’s Georgia peach crop was adversely affected by fickle weather and a spring frost, but Paine says they expect a bumper crop this year. “The peaches look amazing this year!” he enthuses.
The Michigan blueberries, sourced from Walker Farms in Paw Paw, Mich., are typically harvested around the 4th of July, but Paine adds harvest might be a few days earlier this year. Tree-Ripe’s peach stops are held twice at each location during the summer tour. “We tell people to expect peaches on the first visit, and peaches and blueberries during our second stop.”
Pearson says they source farmers by researching which region grows the best products. From there, they forge partnerships, which involves the farm’s willingness to adapt to Tree-Ripe’s method of sales. With Pearson Farm, Paine says the farm altered the way they grow to work with Tree-Ripe’s program so everyone can meet the needs of myriad customers in the Midwest.
“You have to find the right person, and that’s not always the easiest thing,” Paine notes. “We have to visit farms and talk with farmers and growers to identify the right person. When we find that, it’s a beautiful partnership, but there’s not a lot of those farms anymore. It takes a lot of legwork on our part.”
Continuing a Family Tradition
Paine’s grandfather, Gordon, founded Tree-Ripe Fruit Co. in 1990. He had worked with Florida citrus groves during the 80s to haul citrus to Wisconsin. “It was a similar type of operation, where orders for church groups or schools received delivery on-site.”
Paine says his grandfather was struck by the quality of the fruit sourced directly from the farm. “It was much better than what was available in a grocery store.” As for turning his unique distribution model into a business, Paine says his grandfather just rolled the dice. “In those days before the internet, he put ads in newspapers, and people showed up and loved it. It took off from there.”
As customers requested more fruit, Tree-Ripe expanded offerings to Georgia peaches. Paine says he began working on his grandfather’s truck when he was 11 years old, carrying boxes of peaches to customers’ cars. He became owner in 2017.
Many of the peach stops have evolved over the years. They stop at many smaller towns as well as Milwaukee area locations including Small Pie, in the Bay View neighborhood; St. Francis, at the St. Francis Lions Center; the Menards lot on 81st and Brown Deer Road, in the Granville neighborhood; the Shorewood Farmers Market; and Good City Brewing, in Wauwatosa.
Tree-Ripe also has a farm share that operates akin to a community supported agriculture (CSA) model. The summer CSA includes peaches, local honey, a bonus product and blueberry butter. “It gives more of a curated experience,” Paine notes.
Fall shares include Wisconsin apples and pears. Winter features citrus. As farmer partnership grow, customers can look forward to more fresh quality fruit. Tree-Ripe recently developed a partnership with an organic farm in California to offer gold nugget mandarins, avocados, grapefruit, pomegranates and persimmons.
“We want to offer customers a sampling of everything so there’s less commitment in ordering larger amounts of fruit.” Paine says technology has propelled Tree-Ripe’s exponential growth by keeping peach stop and pop-up schedules, and availability up to date, as well efficiency for online and CSA orders.
“Every summer, we keep growing,” Paine says. “If people haven’t tried our fruit before, this is the year to do it. This will probably be the best crop of peaches we’ve had in a long time, if not ever. Stop by grab a sample and see what’s it’s all about.”
For more information and current peach stop schedules, visit tree-ripe.com.
