The CherryFlex Express will be in the center of activity this next week for the Third Annual Cherry-Roubaix – a bike race series set for August 27 to 29 in Traverse City, Michigan.  It’s three great races and one great ride in a fun-filled weekend of cycling for all ages.

“Each year the event grows in participants and spectators,” said an event founder and committee member Bob McLain.  “We are expecting hundreds of cyclists – some coming from as far away as California.”

The CherryFlex Express has been covering the miles this summer, too, promoting CherryFlex ProSport Shots, our new great-tasting tart cherry gel that speeds relief of muscle soreness post-exercise*.  The world of cycling is a perfect pairing for our whole family of quality fruit products designed to deliver the power of fruit.

See you on the course!

Janet and I have been on the go, too, traveling around in the CherryFlex Express – better known to us as “the bus.”  We have participated in several parades, been on hand for canoe and bike races, queen events and agricultural gatherings.  And we are not done yet.

While passing out CherryFlex ProSports Shot pouches at a National Cherry Festival bike ride, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that the news about super fruit benefits is spreading.

During our missionary work on behalf of the fruit industry, many of the riders were already aware of the muscle and joint soreness relief that cherries can provide.  They were already making cherry products a regular part of their training regimen.

And though that was welcome news to our gang, in a way I’m not surprised.

The industry’s official website – choosecherries - is focused on promoting the healthful benefits of tart cherry consumption.  Cherry juice, juice concentrate and our tasty pouches filled with tart cherry paste (Cherry Flex ProSports Shots) are among the tart cherry-based products linked to providing antioxidant health benefits.  There’s even a Red Recovery Routine page provided by the Cherry Marketing Institute to help athletes improve their performance with a smart mix of foods.  Further, a Power Team comprised of a decathlon gold medalist, nationally recognized sports dietitian, and ultra-marathoner, has been formed to add credibility and updates to the use of tart cherries in training routines.

At last, tart cherries are gaining some richly deserved recognition.  The truth is that this Super Fruit has among the highest level of antioxidants, anthocyanins, and phytonutrients, providing the nutrition required by active people.

Don’t be left out.  Visit our website or call toll free 1 877.591.3101 for your cherry fix!

Record crowds have poured into the Grand Traverse region of northern lower Michigan for one of the country’s largest and longest running festivals.  Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to descend on the Cherry Capital of the World over the next week to celebrate this amazing healthy fruit and to just have fun. There is something for everyone – performances by the Blue Angels, pie-eating contests, bike tours, dog jumping competitions and amusement rides, plus nightly entertainment.

Unfamiliar with the Montmorency red tart cherry?  Well, visit cherryflex.com and learn about the many benefits from this ruby-colored fruit, including its antioxidant properties for maintaining healthy joints, cardiovascular health and  healthy immune systems.*

With summer activities at their peak, this is THE time to become familiar with the benefits of FruitFast products.  Whether you enjoy walking, running, tennis, golf or are young or old, FruitFast’s exclusive process condenses the tart cherry into a thick paste that includes the skin and pulp.  This is where the cherry’s antioxidants reside.  Scientific studies show that CherryFlex helps maintain health joints* and speeds relief of muscle fatigue* – perfect for those on the go.

You have a wide choice of FruitFast products and all are made from quality, whole fruit without preservatives or additives in a process that does not apply high heat or solvents.

Choose from our popular line of fruit softgels, cherry juice concentrate or our newest product: CherryFlex ProSport Shots.  Taken orally, this delicious tart cherry gel is convenient and all pure fruit.

Help us celebrate tart cherries at www.cherryflex.com!

But this favorite holiday signifies much more:  a time to honor our forefathers whose vision and courage lead to our everyday freedoms.
Independence Day is a time to wear our colors – red, white and blue – proudly as we pay homage to those principles upon which our country was founded.  Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people remains the basis for this great country and are tenets that need our continued protection and support.

Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast extends special wishes for peace and goodwill to our valued customers, neighbors and friends.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

After a bumper crop in 2009, red tart cherry growers say harvest numbers will drop considerably after a yo-yo temperature range this spring that affected the fruit.

A check with my farming buddies points to this conclusion:

Early snowmelt, followed by unseasonably warm temperatures this spring, hastened the fruit’s development.  May frosts killed the blossoms and this will result in a lighter crop yield overall.  Some grower’s trees were affected more than others, but expectations are that the harvest could be down 50 percent or more.  Official estimates from the USDA are expected soon.

But there is always a silver lining.  Due to perfect growing conditions here in the Cherry Capital of the World last season, there is plenty of fruit in storage to meet the needs of the consumer and processors.

The supply of cherries  should remain stable and – we are happy to say – that includes Montmorency tart cherries for our FruitFast products.

On this Memorial Day….

Thanks to the efforts of some of our country’s historians and storytellers, the all too real exploits of our war veterans have come to light recently in book and film, and other media venues.

These extraordinary tales of sacrifice and courage to preserve freedom for the peoples of the world are at once humbling and soul searing.

So as we mark Memorial Day 2010 with our families and friends, let us all pause to acknowledge veterans and their families.

We all are indebted to those who have fought for our freedom.

With Gratitude,

The FruitFast Family

There’s an old saying:  “Junk in, junk out.”  And that holds true in a lot of life’s endeavors, but never more so than in the production of our family of nutraceuticals.

We use only the best and only American grown fruits.  And what we can’t access in this region, we purchase from our country’s finest and most reputable fruit growers.

Regular customers and readers of our website and blog know by now that using the whole fruit in our proprietary manufacturing process is key to capturing the fruit’s goodness.  This includes the pulp and skin that’s processed in a chemical-free exchange with no added sugars, preservatives or fillers.  High temperatures are the bane of conventional fruit manufacturing, destroying important phytonutrients.  FruitFast’s way leaves valuable compounds intact, while not turning the fruit into a less potent powder.

It is this process that gives the company a product line unmatched in the world market.  In short, our research has found that you don’t argue with Mother Nature.  Treating fruit naturally is the best way to leverage and benefit from its inherent properties.

Preserving these healthful benefits of whole fruit has led to the development of our growing family of fruit supplements we’re so proud of, including fruits like Michigan’s Montmorency red tart cherries, wild blueberries from Maine, red and black raspberries from Oregon and Wonderful pomegranates from the San Joaquin Valley in California.

Ongoing research, development and testing will assure this standard of product quality while assuring access year round to the goodness of whole fruit — grown in the U.S.A, of course.

We also know a thing about beauty, as anyone who has ever witnessed a hillside of cherry trees in full spring bloom can attest.

That’s why we’re thrilled that the new Miss USA 2010 reflects these tenets and more – and best of all—she’s from Michigan!

AP Photo

Rima Fakih, 24-years-old, and from Dearborn near Detroit, won the crown in Las Vegas over the weekend from a field of 50 other women.   The dark eyed beauty participated in the swimsuit, evening grown and interview segments of the yearly pageant, and will represent the United States in the upcoming Miss Universe competition.

Rima is the contest’s first Arab-American winner.  She’s also a recent graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in economics and business management.

Although we have yet to determine if she is a cherry juice drinker or familiar with our CherryFlex brand, Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast salutes Rima and her family and supporters.  We wish her the best during her upcoming reign, and good fortune in the Miss Universe pageant.

Well, that’s kind of what we’ve been doing, though we did the driving.

Having just returned from a motor home/coach journey of the Central U.S., we’re struck, as always, by the enormity and diversity of this great country of ours.

Mindful of song writer Woody Guthrie’s classic “This Land Is Your Land,” we covered 3,000 miles on a round trip cross-country junket that led from the Great Lakes to the terminus of the mighty Mississippi in New Orleans—-or as the natives say:  “Naw’lins….”

How awesome this big slice of the mid-section of our country is!  From farmlands, seaports and mountains to the birthplaces of Jazz and the Motown Sound.

Our coach tour began the end of April when we set off in our newly-skinned bus – yet to be named as you may know -  destination: Louisiana.  Stopping along the way on our drive south, Janet and I were quite the spectacle with plenty of waves, honks and stares wherever we went…talking about the health benefits of red tart cherries.

After attending the National Animal Supplement Council annual convention on behalf of our popular CherryFlex for Dogs product, we headed back the other direction landing in Branson, Missouri.  Nestled in the Ozarks, this musical mecca attracts thousands of country music fans from all over – and yes, we saw some terrific shows.  We met lots of interesting people, told them all about our quality FruitFast products, and introduced them to our innovative CherryFlex ProSport Shots.

Then it was on to Kokomo and Shipshewana, Indiana – better known as Amish territory – a beautiful farming area we particularly enjoy that’s not far from the Michigan border.  After visiting with family nearby, we rolled on to Detroit before returning home to our trailhead—Traverse City.

As always, it’s good to be home again.

And now there’s a new entry to this parade of recognizable roadies.  Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast cherry-covered motor coach….

The CherryFlex.com motor coach, which at this point is nameless, is on its “shake down cruise” around the central U.S. with owners Bob and Janet Underwood.

Leaving its homeport of Traverse City, Michigan, the cherry-red bus – with Bob at the wheel – followed Interstate 55 and 57, stopping at Flying J Truck Stops on their journey to New Orleans.  Needless to say, the bus gets plenty of stares and double-takes wherever it goes.

After three days in “The Big Easy” to attend the National Animal Supplement Council Annual Convention representing FruitFast’s CherryFlex for Dogs softgels, the Underwoods headed north – destination Branson, Missouri.

“We are having fun meeting new people, talking about CherryFlex and our new ProSport Shots while handing out information and samples,” said Bob from the road.  “If you see us as we crisscross the country, honk, wave or stop and say Hello!”

And be sure to enter the “Name the Bus” contest on Facebook during May.  You could win a brand new Apple iPad from FruitFast !

The Bus - Before, During & After