Summer’s nearly half over, but there still are plenty of late-summer berries to be found — from coast to coast.
Strawberries are going strong in California, and blueberries now are available from California, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. Blackberries and raspberries are available from the East Coast, California, Washington and Oregon.
“Strawberry sales definitely remain strong in the late summer, as we have demand for strawberries on a year-round basis from our key customers,” said Cindy Jewell, who handles marketing for Oxnard, Calif.-based Bobalu Berries.
“Consumers expect to see strawberries in their local store all year long, and we do our best to keep them on the shelf,” she said.
The company was still harvesting its spring crop in Santa Maria, Calif., in mid-July, and its late-summer volume was expected to kick in during August when the fall strawberry crop begins.
Oxnard will follow with a fall strawberry crop that will extend into 2025.
California has endured some high temperatures this summer, but Bobalu’s coastal location is an advantage, Jewell said.
“Thankfully, our fields in Santa Maria hug the coastal region there, and the ocean breezes keep our fields at a pretty good temperature,” she said.
Strawberry quality is “excellent,” she added. “The fruit is flavorful, full red in color and delicious.”
Watsonville, Calif.-based California Giant Berry Farms said in its July 15 crop report that quality of strawberries from the Watsonville/Salinas area was “great” with “nice sheen and excellent flavor.”
The company’s Santa Maria season is winding down, and berry size is smaller because of high heat.
As of the week ending July 6, California growers had shipped 131,827,552 trays of strawberries. That’s up from 109,085,918 trays at the same time a year ago and up from about 128 million trays in 2022, according to the Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission.
“California strawberry quality, size and taste have been excellent all season long, and this should continue throughout the year, despite low market prices that have made this a challenging year,” said Jeff Cardinale, the commission’s director of communications.
During the summer, Irvine, Calif.-based Gem-Pack Berries sources strawberries from the Watsonville/Salinas and Santa Maria regions; raspberries from Watsonville and the Mexican state of Baja California; blackberries from Oxnard, Calif., Watsonville and Tennessee; and some blueberries from the Pacific Northwest, said Trent Etchandy, vice president of sales.
Gem-Pack will have organic strawberries from Watsonville as late as October and sources organic and conventional raspberries from Baja California nearly year-round.
“Berry sales should remain steady as we get through July and into August,” Etchandy said. Volume then will start to decrease.
“Berries are super sweet right now,” he said in mid-July. “Size on the conventional is steady, but the organic size has gone down.”
It’s been a tough year on pricing for strawberries.
“Hopefully, that will turn around as we get into the middle of July,” Etchandy said.
The company has introduced a new website — gem-packberries.com — with a fresh consumer focus, said Michelle Deleissegues, vice president of marketing.
“More features will be introduced as the year progresses,” she said.
On the blueberry side, Consalo Family Farms, Vineland, N.J., expects to transition from New Jersey to grower partners in Michigan around the fourth week of July, said Chelsea Consalo, executive vice president.
“Blueberries really are a summer staple,” she said. “Demand has been high, and pricing is favorable right now.”
New Jersey blueberry growers have had to deal with some hot weather this summer.
“Battling the weather is something we deal with not only in season, but out of season,” Consalo said. “Cold temperatures in the winter can affect our crop as well.”
Consalo Family Farms also has a growing organic blueberry program and continues to expand blueberry varietals.
“Flavor is something consumers are demanding,” Consalo said. “Consumers are becoming more discerning about their food choices, seeking out products that are not only healthy but also delicious.”
Cal Giant said blueberry quality out of the Pacific Northwest is “good” on conventional and organic product. Blueberry quality out of Mexico also is good, “with some scarred and shriveled fruit due to hot weather.”
Raspberry quality out of Watsonville is “great with nice size and color.” Volumes should be steady for the next two weeks. Quality is “good” out of Mexico, but raspberries have passed their peak there and volume is declining.
Quality of blackberries from Watsonville is “good, with nice color and size.” Volumes are steady and expected to increase in two to four weeks. Blackberry quality out of Mexico is “great with nice size and color.” Volume from Mexico should be steady for the next two weeks.
A look at packaging
Packaging plays an important role in preserving the integrity of delicate berries during precooling and distribution, said Madu Etchandy, vice president of operations for Gem-Pack.
Packaging also extends shelf life and protects against environmental conditions, he said.
Gem-Pack offers strawberries in clamshells ranging from 8.8 ounces to 4-pound long-stem packs; blackberries and raspberries in 6-ounce and 12-ounce sizes; and blueberries in pints, 6-ounce and 18-ounce clamshells.
“We are seeing consumers opt for smaller packaging due to price point and opting to purchase fresh produce more frequently,” he said.
Clamshell containers allow consumers to clearly see the quantity and quality of the berries, and they give merchandisers more display flexibility and creativity while maintaining berry quality and integrity, Madu Etchandy said.
Gem-Pack also uses its packaging to communicate its recyclability and traceability program, he added. Almost all of the firm’s packaging is recyclable.
