Organic vegetable category expands

Winter seems to be a good time for the organic vegetable category, with a number of grower-shippers adding new items or expanding existing programs.

Klispell, Mont.-based Access Organics markets a variety of Organic Treat brand vegetables from Holtville, Calif.-based Mainas Farms LLC during the winter months, said Bonnie Poux, owner and founder of Access Organics. Those items include broccoli, cauliflower, romaine, romaine hearts, red and green leaf lettuces, romanesco, celery and red, green and savoy cabbages.

“We introduced red and green leaf last season, which has been a great complement to the romaine program,” Poux said. “We also added romanesco, which is a tricky item to produce with acceptable color and quality, but [we] have seen positive success so far.”

Access Organics’ volume will be similar to last year, but erratic weather patterns have impacted many production areas, so there will be some volume fluctuations, she said.

In the organic category, tomatoes on the vine, roma tomatoes, cocktail tomatoes, grape tomatoes, medley tomatoes, bell peppers, mini sweet peppers and mini cucumbers are the main products now shipping from Delta, British Columbia-based Windset Farms, said Jeff Madu, vice president of sales.

Snacking varieties are gaining momentum, especially organic medley tomatoes, which is a relatively new offering for Windset Farms, he said.

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The company expects to see an increase in organic volume as availability and consumer demand increase.

Leamington, Ontario-based Westmoreland Sales Group, which markets the Topline brand, is aiming for a yearly 10% growth in organic cases offered to retailers, said Joseph Talbourdet, director of marketing and business development.

During the winter season, the company focuses on mini cucumbers and English cucumbers but also carries an assortment of beef, cluster and grape tomatoes.

“By focusing on the cucumber category, we have reduced our exposure to the disease issues some tomato growers have experienced,” he said.

Nogales, Ariz.-based Divine Flavor LLC’s core vegetable items, such as bell peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes, are produced in West Mexico during the winter season, said Michael DuPuis, public relations manager.

Divine Flavor specializes in greenhouse-grown grape tomatoes, hothouse beefsteak and vine-ripe tomatoes, and romas, he said. 

Production should be similar to last year.

All sizes of yellow, red and russet potatoes are the current top sellers for EarthFresh Foods Inc., Burlington, Ontario, said Dan Martin, chief operations officer.

“We’re also having great success with our organic mini program,” he said.

Organic yellow potatoes are the driver for the category, Martin said. The organic category accounts for 12% of total sales at EarthFresh Foods.

“It has grown double digits in the past 10 years, specifically over the COVID years,” he said.

Onions are the main organic item Pama, Idaho-based Owyhee Produce grows during this time of year, said Bailey Myers, agritourism guide and marketing director.

“We are seeing a lot of momentum growing with whole peeled onions, which we now can offer to our customers through Buck Naked Onions,” she said. “We have also seen a lot of interest and demand with our Wicked Sweet onions.”

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Grower-shippers say inflation certainly has had an impact on the organic produce industry.

“Overall, our costs on everything from labor to dry goods are up substantially, and we have had to raise our case cost with our retailer partners,” Talbourdet said.

Inflation has hit growers hard and increased pricing on everything from labor to packing materials to fuel and farming inputs has made their break-even point “skyrocket out of control,” Poux said. “The average fob selling price is not keeping up with the increased costs of farming.”

Nonetheless, “There is still tremendous support for our organic items, given our attention to the quality of the pack and the services that we provide,” she said.

Although inflation is inescapable, Windset Farms team members, including everyone from growers, packers, shippers and logistics personnel, work efficiently and make communication a top priority to mitigate food waste and keep prices as stabilized as possible for consumers, Madu said.

“Time management, food mile efficiency and cold chain preservation also work to minimize waste and lead to a sensible supply chain, which results in price stabilization to fit the family budget,” he said.

Even as costs increase, though, purchasing habits tend to remain consistent, DuPuis said.

“Consumers remain resilient with their purchase decisions and sacrifice in other ways in order to keep up with their healthy lifestyles,” he said.

Some consumers compromise and stop purchasing organic products or substitute others, DuPuis said.

“But we believe the true organic consumers will continue purchasing the same products at inflated prices because it’s an important part of their life,” he said.