Babé Farms eyes steady spring supplies from Santa Maria region despite rain

Supplies of produce from the Santa Maria region should be fairly steady this spring despite heavy rains earlier this year, says Matt Hiltner, marketing coordinator for Babé Farms Inc., Santa Maria, Calif.

“While certain items were more affected than others by the rain, supplies for the most part should be consistent through the spring,” Hiltner said.

Babé Farms grows, packs and ships more than 70 varieties of baby and specialty vegetables. This includes an assortment of rainbow root vegetables, baby lettuces, specialty greens and other items.

The company offers organic bunched kale, while the rest of the marketer’s commodities are conventionally grown.

“Acreage is fairly consistent with the level we were at last year,” Hiltner said. “While this year’s storms have presented some short-term hurdles, we are grateful for the rain, which is vital in replenishing the health of our soil and aquifers. It will only help our crops in the long term as we bounce back and continue to supply our customers on a year-round basis.”

Hiltner said the historic weather event that growers experienced in January caused its fair share of damage to plantings, but he said the company believes the worst is over.

“Our team learned a lot from the 'atmospheric river' and took measures that minimized losses in the fields over the course of the subsequent storms,” he said. “In addition, we have made an effort to employ tactics such as harvesting our big movers in advance, prior to rain, to bolster our inventory and keep our buyers supplied.”

For the most part, demand from the foodservice side is consistent with where it was pre-pandemic, Hiltner said.

“We have seen a few dips the last couple months due to some unusual weather patterns (particularly in California) that have affected tourism but are optimistic that we are trending towards a big year for the foodservice industry," he said.

Marketing high points

Hiltner said Babé Farms recently reintroduced an item the company had tested in the past called the Pink Dragon Radish.

“Similar in size and shape to the Watermelon Radish, the Pink Dragon's ultra-vibrant pink skin and pink flesh are what set it apart,” he said. “It is a truly rare and unique radish — beautiful inside and out. Its flavor profile is wonderfully sweet and mild — not what you’d expect from a dragon, but we characterize it as the "cuddly dragon."

Hiltner said the “eye-popping” pink exterior color makes it excellent for retail and foodservice alike.

Foodservice outlets can thinly slice or julienne for salads, slaws, sushi, tacos and just about anything else, he said. 

“This is a super limited-edition item, so buyers should contact their sales rep for info on availability,” Hiltner said.