Inception

Mission’s decision to enter the fresh asparagus industry came after we solidified
sourcing to offer a year-round supply of product. We recognized that our avocado
partners in Peru easily represented a 7 month supply of asparagus, so to fill the gap, Mission purchased Lee Pacific Asparagus in Salinas, California.
This purchase included a Californian and Mexican sourcing program
that would supply asparagus during the time that Peru was dormant.

Year-Round Supply

Using 3 countries of origin for sources of
asparagus, Mission went to great lengths
to evaluate and select the finest growers
in each of the regions of supply. The
outcome was the formation of strategic
alliances with quality growers who
offered slightly overlapping seasons
which gave Mission the year-round
supply of fresh product it desired. The
Peruvian season runs year long but is
most productive from June to December.
Mexico supplies product from January
through February and the California
season runs from March through May.

Harvesting, Packing and Food Safety

At harvest time, when the weather is warm, harvesters walk the asparagus fields
twice a day picking asparagus. Under these warm conditions, spears can grow as
much as 6 to 8 inches in one day. Void of much automation, asparagus is

predominantly a hand-produced commodity. Fresh, hand-picked spears, at least 11 inches in length, are moved to the packing house and then cooled in water to remove field heat. It is graded,cut to about 9 inches in length, separated by size, bunched by size and packed by size, again all by hand. The packaged asparagus is then hydrocooled and finally palletized before shipping. Mission’s goal is to ship the asparagus within hours of harvesting. Specially designed cartons protect the asparagus during shipping and each carton contains a water holding pad to secure moisture.

Product from Peru is air-freighted to the U.S., while product from Mexico and California is shipped in refrigerated trucks to a Mission DC or directly to the customer. At every point of transit careful handling is paramount in retaining the flavor, texture and nutritional value of the fresh asparagus.

All of Mission’s packing facilities are third party certified for food safety. Mission’s food safety and security plan is in place throughout all operations with trained, qualified personnel leading the efforts.
Every employee that works in the fields or the packing houses is trained on food safety and safety practices. All Mission growers follow GAP, good agricultural practices as outlined by the USDA. All loads traveling between countries are sealed and tracked to ensure integrity of quality and food safety. And, a HACCP program is in place to monitor all facets of the operation.

Distribution

Mission’s nationwide avocado Ripe Centers were easily equipped to handle the
asparagus program. Special rooms were constructed for the asparagus to maintain
proper refrigeration and humidity.

Mission retail and foodservice customers enjoy punctual, just-in-time delivery of
asparagus from one of seven Mission Distribution Centers. This ensures fresher
product, longer shelf life and less shrink. And, there’s significant savings in shipping
when avocados are added to the asparagus orders.