Cherry Grower Case Study
How a Seasonal Cherry Grower Created Year-Round Revenue While Reducing Waste
The Problem
Over 90,000 tons of cherries are grown in Michigan each year, making the mitten state the leading producer of tart cherries in the country, comprising 70% of the nation’s supply. Although the cherry season only lasts from early July to mid-August, tart cherries can be enjoyed throughout the year in juiced, concentrated, canned, frozen, or dried form.
Cherry producers and growers of almost all produce, particularly in northern climates, face two big issues to improve profitability:
How to produce year-round revenue from a seasonal crop?
How to maximize yield, including side streams from juicing and irregular produce?
A major tart cherry operation in North America found a novel solution to both questions. They knew that the cherry byproducts from their juicing operation (pomace, peels, and pits) contained nutrients that could be valorized for higher purposes than just livestock feed or compost; however, their current methods of drying them were slow and expensive, involved multiple steps including off-site processing to a third party, and were energy and labor-intensive.
In short, they needed a better drying solution, and this is where GTF Technologies entered the picture.
The Solution
We helped our client discover that, by more efficiently drying and milling their cherry side streams into a powder, they could make a nutritious supplement sold year-round.
Our drying technology was installed directly on-site at their facility, in line with their existing processing equipment, to immediately powderize cherries before they began to decompose.
The Process
The drying system simultaneously extracts moisture and micronizes organic material in mere seconds, resulting in a higher–quality powder with better nutrient retention and organoleptic properties and higher throughput than conventional technology.
The Results
Once the company installed our drying and milling system, they were able to powderize 125 tons of pomace over the course of each season to:
Reduce waste going to landfill or livestock feed by 81%
Increase their growers’ overall returns by 17%
Add three new products to their line-up, increasing total sales by 7%
Because of its speed and moderate operating temperatures, GTF’s technology retains virtually all the valuable nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties of the original fresh fruit. In fact, this producer has even commissioned and published studies that prove their cherry powder supplements reduce insulin concentrations and improve muscle endurance and recovery.
“The production of cherry powder has allowed us to take what was previously a waste product and make it into a consumer product that helps us to provide a better return to our growers, a win-win situation. We have been able to diversify our product offerings to new and existing customers and transform a seasonal product into year-round income.”
– Company CEO
Ready to transform your business?
Contact us today for a free consultation and discover how you can make money, not waste, from your valuable side streams and excess produce.