PRESS RELEASE (Westside Produce)

Firebaugh, CA – Melon Day is this Sunday, August 11, and the Westside Produce/Classic Fruit alliance is spending the day with much to celebrate. With new varieties and continued growth, the companies are excited to keep moving forward and promote overall melon consumption. 

“Summer is the perfect time to celebrate Melon Day because not only are melons a volume driven commodity that offers opportunity in increasing foot traffic at store level, but it also is a great high quality, refreshing snack alternative to the consumer,” states Tom Conrado, VP of West Coast Sales at Classic Fruit. “They pack a punch with Vitamin A, C, and D and are also high in potassium and beta carotene. All in all, they make the perfect, nutritional summer snack.”

The alliance primarily offers cantaloupe and honeydew during the domestic season but are supplying new varieties to appeal to customer’s needs. “This spring and summer, we offered golden honeydews alongside our regular melons. The fruit has excellent eating quality and beautiful color, so we are excited to increase our acreage next year,” mentions Garrett Patricio, President of Westside Produce. “By increasing our alliance offerings and continuing to provide melons 52 weeks a year, we’ve been able to build on and grow the year-round programs we’ve established.” 

Together, Westside Produce and Classic Fruit are excited about the progress they have made in year two of their strategic alliance. “Year two has exceeded my expectations. Integration of and communication among the team has been fantastic, and when you operate collaboratively the results take care of themselves,” states Garrett Patricio. “This second year has been outstanding as we’ve really been able to reap the advantages of our current synergies to benefit our year-round programs which allows us to keep on growing our presence,” adds Tom Conrado. 

With the summer season still in full swing, the alliance is thrilled to celebrate Melon Day by encouraging customers to explore new ways to enjoy melons throughout the season. “Whether it’s with a scoop of ice cream or in a salad, there are so many different ways to enjoy melons,” comments Tara Monreal, Marketing Director for the alliance. “Earlier this year, we joined the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board in introducing their Possible Burger, which is a fun, new way to enjoy a burger by using cantaloupe. We see no better way to celebrate Melon Day than to try this with friends and family!” 

For more recipes on ways to use melons this summer, visit the CCAB’s site here. For more information on the alliance and their offerings, visit westsideproduce.com or classicfruit.com. Happy Melon Day!