California growers anticipate good quality, ample supply this spring

As California ushers in the spring vegetable season, growers anticipate a flourishing harvest of diverse offerings.

From vibrant artichokes to crisp lettuce varieties and colorful cauliflower, farms across the Golden State are poised to deliver fresh and nutritious vegetables to eager consumers, driven by optimal weather conditions and a commitment to sustainable farming practices.

Ocean Mist Farms unveils spring bounty

Ocean Mist Farms grows nearly 30 fresh vegetable items during the spring growing season in the Castroville and Salinas area, Joe Angelo, director of sales, told The Packer.

“Our largest crops are, of course, artichokes, but we are also major growers of lettuce, romaine, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower,” he said.

Ocean Mist is a vertically integrated farming company that controls all facets of its farming operations from seed to shipping, Angelo said.

“This year’s weather along the central coast has been nearly optimal, and crops are on schedule with quality looking excellent across all our crops,” he said.

“We received above average rainfall this winter, but the storms were nicely spread out and we were able to access our fields to get the crops planted on time, with no major issues,” he added.

In celebration of the company’s centennial anniversary this year, Ocean Mist Farms created new petal inserts, hang tags and labels for its spring artichoke crop that will carry a centennial message, says Mark Munger, senior director of marketing. The petal inserts will have a QR code directing consumers to a web page detailing the company’s history.

“We also have new artichoke display bins and POS for retailers to promote our spring artichoke crop,” Munger said.

Ocean Mist uses its social media to highlight items it grows to get consumers ready for seasonal peaks and opportunities, he said. Among other initiatives is a brand refresh that is in its final stages, with a new logo planned to debut this spring.

“We also have some value-added innovations that we’ve been very focused on and will be excited to get out into the marketplace and home with consumers to enjoy very soon,” Munger said.

Tanimura & Antle touts Artisan line

Tanimura & Antle offers a diverse range of staple commodities such as iceberg lettuce, romaine, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and mixed-leaf items, says Ashley Kaslin, director of marketing.

“However, our unwavering commitment to quality, service and innovation truly shines with our exclusive Artisan family of products,” Kaslin said. This line includes Artisan Lettuce, Artisan Romaine, Artisan Sweet Gem, Artisan Baby Iceberg, Artisan Sweet Broccoli, Artisan Dew Drop Cabbage and Artisan Sweet Italian Red Onions. 

“Each Artisan item represents years of meticulous seed development and attribute selection, resulting in unique flavors, shapes, colors and other standout characteristics,” she said.

Brian Antle, executive vice president of sales, said the company anticipates a decrease in industry supplies this spring season compared the last year.

Over the past several years, the industry has experienced market challenges, prompting a conservative approach to planting volumes rather than overplanting in pursuit of new business, he said. “As a result, we expect overall volumes to be lower than average.”

Last summer the company reintroduced its Artisan Dew Drop Cabbage, a compact, spherical cabbage tailored for convenience and culinary creativity, Kaslin said.

Tanimura & Antle says it continues to prioritize consumer engagement through education and storytelling. 

“Our focus remains on offering consumers an insider’s perspective on the journey of their produce from farm to grocery store shelf,” Kaslin said. 

Through its social media channels, Tanimura & Antle also aims to provide inspiration, ideas and recipes that showcase the versatility and freshness of its products. 

Nature’s Reward eyes quality

During the springtime in Salinas, Nature’s Reward grows broccoli, strawberries, iceberg lettuce, romaine hearts, leaf lettuce, endive, escarole, romanesco and cauliflower, said Greg Beach, vice president of sales. The company’s celery is grown in Oxnard, Calif.

Nature’s Reward anticipates stable plantings and volume this spring, Beach said. 

“As a fourth-generation, land-owning grower-packer-shipper rooted in the Salinas Valley, we are committed to cultivating our own fields each season in a manner that optimizes crop quality and the longevity of the farm,” he said. 

Beach said sustainability has been ingrained in the company’s practices since 1948. 

“As such, our volumes remain steady, and our mission is to produce the highest quality vegetables day in and day out,” he said.

California weather and rainfall has been welcomed this year to help ease perennial water issues, Beach said.  

“In terms of negative impacts, there have been none reported from our farming team,” he said.

Foxy Organic expects steady volume and quality

Foxy Organic is currently transitioning from Yuma, Ariz. to the Salinas Valley where it will continue to grow its line of conventional and organic items, said Kevin Crossgrove, organic sales manager.

Key spring crops are conventional and organic lettuce and leafy greens.

“The crops are ahead of schedule presently and we look for good quality and condition this spring season,” said Crossgrove, who anticipates steady volume.

“From late May to the middle of October, Foxy Organic produce will be shipped out of The Walker River Cooler in Yerington, Nev.,” he said. “The location in Nevada brings the product closer to our customers, easily saving a day and a half in transportation time with carriers not having to come in and out of California. This gives our customers fresher product with less shrink.”