Produce extends eggplant
After having limited supply last year, Apache Produce Co. Inc. plans to have eggplant for the full winter season out of Nogales, Ariz.
Apache Produce had the crop for just a few weeks last year, but has signed a Sinaloa grower for a steady supply from mid-November through April, sales manager Jose Pesqueira said.
The company’s main commodities are round tomatoes, European cucumbers and colored bell peppers. The tomatoes run mid-December through June; colored bells, Jan. 1 through May; and European cucumbers, early November to mid-February.
Bridges Produce organics on the rise
Organic supplier Bridges Produce added two salesmen to its staff this year, hiring Dan Musser and promoting Lisa Heeley, said Ben Johnson, president.
Portland, Ore.-based Bridges Produce has offices in Nogales, Ariz.; San Francisco; and Seattle. Organic sales continue to grow at a pace of 15% to 20% annually, Johnson said.
Ciruli Bros. expands pepper selection
Ciruli Bros. has added some open-field le rouge red bell peppers to its winter offerings, along with more hot peppers.
The elongated peppers should become available around Christmas and run through late April, partner Chris Ciruli said.
“We did jalapenos and tomatillos last year,” he said.
“This year we’ve added serranos and poblanos. The demand on hot peppers seems to be pretty good, so we added more varieties to create more of a mix and one-stop shopping for customers,” he said.
Ciruli Bros. started green beans, eggplant and bell peppers the first week of November.
Crown Jewels Produce adds salesman
Juan Medina has joined the Crown Jewels Produce staff as the third salesman in its Nogales, Ariz., office.
Medina came to Fresno, Calif.-based Crown Jewels from J-C Distributing, where he spent six seasons, said Luis Corella, director of Mexican produce for Crown Jewels.
Eagle Eye boosts Mexico production
Potato grower-shipper Eagle Eye Produce is taking a quantum leap in its Mexico production this winter, when it expects to have 3 million packages.
“We’ve been down here 15 years as a broker, but we’ve dabbled in the growing for the last three, and this year we jumped in with both feet,” said Jake Jacobsen, general manager for the Nogales, Ariz., operation of Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Eagle Eye.
A broad lineup of offerings includes eggplants, red and green bell peppers; Italian, yellow and gray squash; green beans; honeydews; roma tomatoes; and cucumbers, among others. Much of it is grown in Sonora and Sinaloa.
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