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Mango Ripening Science
Mangoes are climacteric fruit — meaning they are genetically programmed to continue ripening after they leave the tree. Once separated from the tree, they trigger their own internal ripening process driven by ethylene production. The tree essentially hands off the ripening job to the fruit itself. Here’s how it works from that early harvest point:…
Continue ReadingCasting Call – The Mango8
The Mango8 Crespo Organic & Under the Mango Tree follow 8 real organic mango shoppers through the Mexican mango season to glean direct consumer insight and improve the overall orchard to table experience of the brand. Concept A simple recurring “check-in” series that follows 8 real organic mango shoppers through the Mexican season, capturing…
Continue ReadingThings Are Heating Up!
Everything in the mango supply chain is connected — orchard to table, tree to truck, border to distributor, retailer to consumer. This week’s crop report is a reminder of exactly that. The focus is peak season heat and what it means for the current southern region Ataulfo season, but it’s also a lesson in how…
Continue ReadingThe Mango Ripening Room
Under the Mango Tree has been deep in the research and testing of mango ripening for several years — and yes, I know our results are long overdue. My team at Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center and I have been quietly building a body of sound, practical knowledge on how mangoes ripen and what that…
Continue ReadingOaxaca & Chiapas Operations Resume
Yesterday, in a blog post, I reported that packhouse operations in Mexico had been forced to shut down after the Mexican Army killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, on February 22nd in Tapalpa, Jalisco. The operation — carried out by Mexican special forces with US intelligence support —…
Continue ReadingA Rainy Peru Update
Our friends at Pachamama Farms report that volumes are dropping week by week as seasonal rains move through the Motupe, Jayanca, and Olmos micro-regions. Most active harvest at this point is concentrated in the late Piura area, with a handful of small growers still working in the Casma region. Organic fruit is extremely limited…
Continue ReadingUSDA Suspends Mexican Packing Operations
Yesterday, February 22, the Mexican Army killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), triggering immediate and widespread violence and civil unrest across multiple Mexican states. In direct response, the U.S. government has suspended all USDA personnel from operating inside the packhouses and in and field work. Currently,…
Continue ReadingDoes the Weather Write the Season?
The Mexican mango season is underway in southern Oaxaca, but it has actually barely gotten started as a whole — Ataulfo and Tommy Atkins are both moving into the market, and depending on how many orchards or where your packhouse might be, exporters are either rolling in mangoes or just getting started. Crespo Organic has…
Continue ReadingMango Maxxing QR Codes
I’m working on a new piece about innovation—or lack thereof—in mango packaging, and during my research I was reminded of the innovation the Crespo Organic brand has made in the realm of QR codes. It seemed like the right moment to highlight that work in this week’s Maxxing Mangoes lesson, as I think many people…
Continue ReadingTeeter Tottering Onset Pricing
Disclaimer: This crop report, like many I write, is told through the lens of Crespo Organic Mangoes, where I’m intricately and joyously embedded. Tis’ the mango season – though at retail it barely feels like it yet. That’s changing now. Despite some early movement from southern Oaxaca, the organic mango pipeline from packhouse to…
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