Stemilt U Provides Online Produce Category Training

Stemilt Growers has introduced an online courseware series to help retailers train their produce teams on the farm-to-fork process for such staple fruits as apples and cherries. Stemilt University: Online is an expansion of a longtime in-person program at Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt, with the aim of making the training in these key categories accessible to a greater number of retail partners’ associates.

“In a perfect world, we would love to have every produce manager, buyer and category manager out to our farms to experience everything first-hand,” noted Brianna Shales, Stemilt’s senior marketing manager, of the user-friendly online experience. “But since that is not a realistic expectation, yet we have so much good content to share, we felt this was the next best thing.”

Stemilt University: Online currently offers classes on apples and cherries with other fruits and topics slated to launch in the future. The classes can be accessed on computers, tablets or mobile devices, enabling on-the-go learning.

The online training is patterned after the farm-to-fork journey and covers the same key lessons as in the field. During the six-part video series, Stemilt delves deeply into the FAQs that consumers have about the company’s products to give those who working in produce a better, broader understanding of where fruits like apples are grown and how they’re farmed, harvested and packed.

Each short video addresses a different topic: how fruit is grown, where it’s grown, the volume of fruit grown, different varieties, packing and shipping, nutrition, and FAQs. Upon viewing the videos, students will be prompted to take a 15-question quiz to test on the materials they just learned. If students pass with a 70 percent grade or higher, they will receive a Stemilt University: Online courseware certificate that they can either print out or share on their LinkedIn profiles. If students don’t pass on their first try, they can study and retake the quiz 14 days later.

“Video is the way that everyone is getting their information in today’s world,” explains Shales. “Stemilt University: Online makes continuing education easy with short, easy-to-digest videos. After watching these videos, students will feel like they are part of the Stemilt family and can represent our brands with their best foot forward.”

Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt is the leading shipper of sweet cherries and one of the nation’s largest suppliers of organic tree fruits.