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Barnes Farms, Hastings, Fla., is one of the largest cabbage growers along the Eastern Seaboard, Fletcher said, but several growers work with cabbage, including green, red, bok choy and Napa. “The Asian types of cabbage have really expanded in St. Johns County, which is exciting to see,” Fletcher said. There are about 5,000 acres of Asian vegetable varieties such as bitter melon and luffa, also called Chinese okra. (Yes, it’s related to the loofah used for bathing.) Northeastern Florida growers started planting potatoes in January but haven’t had it so well, with a few severe thunderstorms delaying the season. About 35% of the potatoes go to the fresh market, and the rest is for chips, Fletcher said.
Boone, N.C.-based Hollar and Greene Produce Co. expanded its cabbage operation this year from 1,000 acres to 1,419 at its farm a smidgen south of Hastings, in Bunnell, Fla., still considered northeast Florida. The growers purchased pasture and are converting it to cabbage cropland, said Wendy Mussoline, the university institute extension agent for the area. “They successfully converted and planted 120 acres during the 2020-2021 season,” Mussoline said. Typically, cabbage growers in these parts start planting about mid-September and finish planting mid-February. Cabbage is ready for harvest in 80 to 180 days from seed, depending on the variety, and is typically available in Florida from December to May, according to The Packer’s Produce Market Guide.
