Santa Maria produce business updates
A B Fresh looks at bigger acreage
Squash and pepper shipper A B Fresh Inc. looks for bigger acreage and volume this year, according to Tony Beltran, president of the Santa Maria, Calif.-based company. Beltran said acreage could be up about 20% compared with a year ago. Crops have experienced near-average temperatures, though rainfall has been below average, he said. The company will experiment with grab-and-go packaging options this year, he said. Beltran also said the company had added a 5,500-square-foot facility to handle squash and zucchini. Depending on the weather, he said squash harvest is expected to start May 10.
Babé Farms sees increasing demand
After a year of challenges, Babé Farms is seeing opportunity in 2021. Babé Farms offers a year-round harvest of rainbow root vegetables, baby lettuces, specialty greens, and a collection of crucifers. After the COVID-19 pandemic sidetracked foodservice sales in 2020, Matt Hiltner, marketing coordinator for the Santa Maria, Calif.-based company, said volume and demand are on the upswing this year. “We are still working to get our volume back to where it was pre-pandemic, Hiltner said. “The last couple weeks have been very encouraging and we hope sales continue to tick upward.” The company grows on 1,000 acres, Hiltner said, and the weather in Santa Maria has been a “mixed bag.”
“We have experienced strong winds, some rain, and even hail on occasion,” he said in late March. Organic is a big part of Babé Farms, Hiltner said. “Considering Babé Farms and its affiliate companies, approximately 20% of our vegetable crop is organic – largely consisting of bunched green and lacinato kale,” he said. “We recognize this is a growing segment and are always looking for opportunities to incorporate more organics into our portfolio.” “With the wide variety of retail-ready vegetables Babé Farms supplies year-round, retailers can stock a diverse assortment to keep customers intrigued and engaged,” he said. “Whether it’s vibrant watermelon radishes or mind-blowing romanesco cauliflower, we are always trialing new veggies to keep consumers on their toes.”
Beachside Produce notes higher organic acreage
Beachside Produce LLC, Guadalupe, Calif., will see an acreage increase of about 15% this year, said Steve Adlesh,
partner. Conventional and organic romaine hearts and Brussels sprouts will gain acreage, Adlesh said, while cauliflower is steady and broccoli is down a bit. Rains over about five days in January may create a small gap in production in mid-April, he said. In general, the weather pattern has been trending cooler, and as a result Beachside expects harvest timing will be seven to 10 days late for some crops. The firm expects greater organic output on celery, strawberries and romaine hearts, Adlesh said. “Additional acreage continues to transition into organic production here in the Santa Maria and Lompoc valleys,” he said.
Durant Distributing increasing organic acreage
Santa Maria, Calif.-based Durant Distributing is increasing its organic acreage, said Tom Cline, sales manager. The grower-packer-shipper’s overall acreage is about the same as a year ago, but the percentage of output devoted to organic is rising, he said. “Our percentage (of organic) last year was 2% — this year around 6%, next year around 10%,” Cline said. Weather has been mostly favorable this year, he said, though more rain would be ideal.
Innovate Produce looks for stable acreage
Santa Maria, Calif.-based Innovative Produce, an integrated vegetable and berry grower, will have comparable acreage to a year ago, said Philip Adam, chief operating officer. Cooler than normal temperatures have slowed production, Adam said. About 25% of the firm’s acreage is organic, Adam said; that percentage is expected to continue to grow in future years.
Main Street Produce expands strawberry acreage
To meet growing customer needs, Main Street Produce has expanded its acreage by around 20% and expects to produce
30% more strawberries in 2021 compared with 2020, said Roger Privett III, sales and business development manager for the Santa Maria, Calif.-based firm. Main Street Produce is a vertically integrated grower, packer, cooler, shipper and marketer of fresh strawberries in the Santa Maria Valley. “We had a mild and dry winter, which allowed our strawberry plants to mature and develop nicely,” Privett said. “This March, however, we experienced colder weather and even some hail. This inclement weather has stressed the plants, but we don’t expect to have any long-term effects on our production or quality.” Organic acreage accounts for about 5% of its total crop, he said. “We do expect organic acreage to continue to increase as it appears customer demand is heading in that direction.”
