Beachside Produce has expanded acreage of some core items in 2023, says Steve Adlesh, partner with the Nipomo, Calif.-based marketer.
“We have increased our acreage on romaine [primarily for hearts], iceberg and cauliflower in 2023,” he said.
Beachside is a full-line, year-round, grower-shipper of Western vegetables and strawberries based in the Santa Maria Valley/Guadalupe region. The company also has farming operations and partnerships in Mexico, Yuma, Ariz., and California’s Imperial Valley, he said.
Rain earlier this year significantly disrupted normal planting activity in the Santa Maria region, he said. As a result, supplies will be erratic through the end of May.
Winter rainfall and subsequent flooding of waterways and fields caused missed plantings of up to five weeks after the heavy rains on Jan. 9, he said, when 6 inches of rain fell on some fields in a 24-hour period.
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“Most of our broccoli and many other crops are transplanted from the greenhouse, so it looks like with some nice spring weather coming in the middle of April, we can fill a couple of weeks of gaps and keep everyone in product,” he said.
The marketer is continuing with steady plantings and production of broccoli, celery and Brussels sprouts, Adlesh said.
He said Beachside has seen excellent results and an increased customer base with some of its specialty crops, including strawberries, cilantro, Shanghai bok choy (baby bok choy), leeks, fennel (anise), spinach, kale, leaf lettuces and parsley.
“Our Vexar bagged Brussels sprouts continue to gain momentum at retail along with romaine hearts,” he said.
Adlesh said Beachside Produce is moving toward more quarterly contracts with buyers, along with some year-round deals.
“[Quarterly] just seems to be more practical than yearly, with all the uncertainty in packaging, fuel, fertilizer, water resources and, of course, Mother Nature,” Adlesh said.
On the foodservice front, Adlesh said the sector is making a comeback. Still, he said challenges remain, notably food costs and labor.
