HBF International offers a wider selection of fresh berries than any other major berry shipper. Buyers throughout the world recognize HBF as the year-round source for fresh berries, including blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and more. (Check our Retail Partners Products Page for information on what’s available now.)
To provide fresh berries throughout the year, we grow several different varieties that ripen at different times on our farms in Oregon, Washington, California and Mexico, and we source additional berries from our grower-partners in Canada and South America.
Food safety has been at the center of discussions involving fresh produce. HBF is working closely with all of our growers and packers to ensure compliance with food safety standards. We also review our procedures regularly and update them as necessary.
With an ever-expanding product line, we are constantly on the lookout for new varieties and types of fresh berries. If we can’t get the quality we need from the existing varieties, we will often experiment with other varieties. And if we can’t get the quality we need from existing suppliers . . . we grow it ourselves.
The newest addition to our product line, the kiwi berry, is one of the most exciting new fruits to come into the produce department in a long time. These miniature kiwi fruits are now being grown here on the farm.
Packaging
HBF’s commitment to excellence extends to the packing room, where only the highest quality berries are carefully packed. Fresh berries coming in from the fields are cooled in state-of-the-art vacuum cooling facilities. This ensures that HBF customers receive firmer, higher quality berries with an extended shelf life. Quality inspection through every step of the packing process means none but the best berries make it into a Hurst’s package.
We have been a leader in new package design and intend to carry that leadership into the future. We work closely with packaging vendors to incorporate the latest innovations into our packaging. In 1991 it became clear that the plastic clamshell with its improved ventilation and recycled material was essential to maintaining a premium package.
To meet customers’ demands we now offer multiple sizes of clamshells, depending on the product. As an example, our blueberries can be packed in five-pound, two-pound, pint and half-pint sized clamshells. And, of course, we can custom pack to meet your specific needs.
Shipping
Customers rely on HBF for on-time deliveries. We work with several transportation companies whose core focus is the handling and transportation of fresh fruit. Their air-freight containers are insulated and filled with gel-ice packs to maintain the berries’ freshness. You can count on HBF International for products that arrive fresh, cool and on time.
Food Safety
HBF International is leading the way in food safety for berry growers across the country and around the world. Our farms meet or surpass the most stringent requirements and regulations for both growing and packing our berries. HBF works closely with all of our certified growers and packers to ensure compliance with food safety standards, with a system for quickly tracing any potential problem back to its source. We also review our procedures regularly and update them as necessary. In addition, Hurst’s Berry Farm (the grower) uses minimal chemicals on our plants, and we are testing non-chemical methods of protecting our plants from pests.
Fresh berries coming in from the fields are cooled in state-of-the-art vacuum cooling facilities. This ensures that HBF’s customers receive firmer, higher quality berries with an extended shelf life. Quality inspection through every step of the packing process means only the best berries make it into an HBF package. We work with several transportation companies whose core focus is the handling and transportation of fresh fruit. Their air-freight containers are insulated and filled with gel-ice packs to maintain the berries’ freshness.
This dedication to food safety and quality helps to ensure that you, our valued customer, will continue to receive the top quality berries you have come to expect.
Contact Us
HBF International
23301 SW McKibben Road
Sheridan, OR 97378