May 8, 2021 | David Couch For The Record

By now, you know that I love seeing investment in our District 4 communities that create high-paying jobs, bring economic prosperity and build home-grown opportunities for our youth. So it is especially pleasing to me to announce an exciting new ag-based technology development near the community of McFarland.

Recently, I had the honor of attending the International Fruit Genetics groundbreaking ceremony to unveil Fruitworks/The IFG Discovery Center. The complex includes up to 150 planted acres of fruit varieties, 25,000 square feet of greenhouses, and 28,000 square feet of laboratory and support buildings. The site will serve as IFG’s global campus.

IFG is a breeder and licensor of new fruit varieties. Also, IFG is responsible for overseeing more than 300 patents and plant breeders’ rights and more than 2,300 trademarks globally. The company is famous for producing the cotton candy grapes that are seedless with a unique long lasting cotton candy flavor. IFG owns 45 fruit patents. As a matter of fact, IFG has 32 patented table grape varieties, licensed to more than 1061 table grape licensees.

April 27, 2021 | Fresh Fruit Portal

Fruit breeding and licensing company IFG has unveiled plans for the company's new $12 million state-of-the-art research facility and breeding campus in California.

The new facility, named Fruitworks | The IFG Discovery Center, will be the company’s new research and development headquarters and is located in McFarland.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place last Tuesday, among the presence of Sally Gonzalez, Mayor of McFarland, IFG founders Jack Pandol, Glen and Craig Stoller and Dr. David Cain.

April 26, 2021 | GlobeNewswire 

Founders and staff of the world’s leading fruit breeding company joined local politicians and leaders in a ceremony to kick off the development of a new state-of-the-art campus.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif., April 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IFG, the world’s top fruit-breeding and licensing company widely recognized for inventing the Cotton Candy™ and Sweet Globe™ grapes, last Tuesday unveiled plans and the name of the company’s new $12 million state-of-the-art research facility and breeding campus at a socially-distanced groundbreaking ceremony. The new facility, named Fruitworks | The IFG Discovery Center, will be the company’s new research and development headquarters and is located in McFarland, Calif.

Last Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony took place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Representatives for local dignitaries David Valadao, U.S. Congressman, California 21st District, Shannon Grove, Senator, California 16th State Senate District and Vince Fong, Assemblyman – California 34th State Assembly District were on hand to welcome the new site and present acknowledgement. Sally Gonzalez, Mayor of McFarland, shared the significance of the project for the community and David Couch, Kern County Supervisor, 4th District, presented a Certificate of Recognition. IFG founders Jack Pandol, Glen and Craig Stoller and Dr. David Cain were all present and shared their vision for the future of IFG at this new location.

April 1, 2021 | Hort News

IFG, the world’s top fruit-breeding and licensing company widely recognized for inventing the Cotton Candy™ and Sweet Globe ™ grapes, has reached an exciting milestone as the company celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. IFG is renowned worldwide for its innovative fruit-breeding programs that have changed the way consumers and retailers think and experience grapes and other fruits, and through the company’s unique offerings of flavour-forward fruit varieties and its global IP licensing program, IFG has transformed the fruit breeding industry in the short span of just 20 years.

Today, IFG boasts 45 patented grape and sweet cherry varieties, and its network of licensed growers extends to all corners of the globe with 1,344 licensees in 15 different countries. Additionally, the company has grown to 55 staff members globally.

April 1, 2021 | The Producer News

IFG, a top fruit-breeding and licensing company widely recognized for inventing the Cotton Candy and Sweet Globe grapes, has reached an exciting milestone as the company celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. IFG is renowned worldwide for its innovative fruit-breeding programs that have changed the way consumers and retailers think and experience grapes and other fruits, and through the company's unique offerings of flavor-forward fruit varieties and its global IP licensing program, IFG has transformed the fruit breeding industry in the short span of just 20 years.

Today, IFG boasts 45 patented grape and sweet cherry varieties, and its network of licensed growers extends to all corners of the globe with 1,344 licensees in 15 different countries. Additionally, the company has grown to 55 staff members globally.

“At IFG, we have three primary assets: our trademarks, our varieties, and our people,” said IFG CEO Andy Higgins. “Without each of those assets, we would not be the company we are today. As an organization that has Intellectual Property, we are committed to protecting our trademarks, our varieties, and of course, supporting our people in their every success and we are proud of the tremendous advances we’ve made to the fruit-breeding industry over the years. Our talented team has worked tirelessly to execute this ambitious vision, and to see it all come together is quite rewarding.”

February 12, 2021 | By Sheena Chihak

Cotton Candy grapes have met their match.

I eat a lot of produce. Almost the entire left side of our fridge is devoted to fruits and veggies, yet there are thousands of produce varieties I haven't tasted. How could I possibly be expected to try all 7,500 varieties of apples in the world? Or the estimated 10,000 types of grapes? Last week I got to cross one untasted grape off my list. My husband returned from our local Sam's Club with a $9, 3-pound container of Candy Hearts grapes, and more than just their Valentine's-sounding name stood out. These red grapes had a sweet, floral aroma. (Pay attention next time you walk by grapes, you won't usually notice an aroma.) And after a quick wash, their distinct flavor had the entire family going gaga. It's not often a piece of fruit gets the three of us so fired up that we're making endorsing statements as though we're somehow particularly qualified to judge fruit. But why had I never seen Candy Hearts grapes before? Are they new? Will I eat them every day for the rest of my life? I found some answers.

February 21, 2021 | by John Fox

Feb. 21—U.S. shoppers expect them and so grocery stores do, too — but how do you deliver a summer fruit like grapes all 52 weeks of the year?

It's not as easy as shipping them from as far away as Brazil, though that's part of it. Only the heartiest grape would survive the trip still looking fresh and crunchy.

That's where Kern County fruit breeders come in. Their sophisticated but conventionally based selection methods yield grapes that not only offer long shelf lives but also withstand the temperature fluctuations common on long journeys.

In doing so, local companies have helped raise and now support consumer expectations that are relatively new. Bananas may have become a perennial staple long ago, but having grapes as a year-round fruit became practical relatively recently.

February 16, 2021 | by Liam O'Callaghan

Breeder’s protracted case against a South African table grape grower has come to a successful end

After several years of lawsuits, International Fruit Genetics (IFG) has successfully enforced its intellectual property rights with South African table grape grower.

The leading table grape breeder had been engaged in a protracted fight against the uncooperative grower as it sought to protect its proprietary varietals in Western Cape, South Africa.

In 2010, IFG concluded a suite of licensing, planting, and marketing agreements with a table grape grower in Paarl, as well as other associated farming entities. The grower was licensed to plant, grow and market several IFG grape varieties in South Africa,

However, during an inspection, IFG determined that this grower had unlawfully propagated some of the varietals beyond license limits and was growing and propagating an IFG varietal before protection for the variety was granted in South Africa.

February 04, 2021 | By Tim Nelson

People say they're even better than cotton candy grapes!

At this point in 2021, you may still be holding fast to your pledge to swap out sweets for more fruits and vegetables instead. It's a noble challenge, undertaken during some of the toughest times. If you've made it this far with such a resolution, I'd say that earns you the right to exploit a loophole every now and then.

In this case, that means picking up a whole lot of something that technically is a fruit, but has candy right there in the name. I'm talking about a big ol' bunch of Candy Snaps™ grapes for sale at Costco, the home of all things massive and indulgent. According to an Instagram post from the @Costcosisters (part of an ever-expanding universe of Costco-focused Instagram accounts), these candy grapes are sold in a three-pound package for $8, meeting the unofficial Costco mandate of making tasty things cheap and plentiful.