Bountiful summer harvest anticipated for Ohio

The second half of summer seems promising for Ohio produce growers and distributors as nearly all the state’s seasonal fruits and vegetables come into production.

Cabbage, chili peppers, bell peppers, eggplant and potatoes are some of the commodities now available from the Buckeye State.

Food and agriculture is Ohio’s No. 1 industry, said Bryan Levin, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Nearly 3,000 Ohio farms grow vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes, according to the latest USDA Agriculture Census. Annual category sales were nearly $149 million. The state ranked eighth in the country in the vegetable category.

Ohio also had nearly 2,000 farms growing fruits, tree nuts and berries with sales of about $44.5 million, putting the state at No. 11 in production of those items, according to the report.

Ohio is in a good place when it comes to supplying the nation with fresh produce.

Doug Walcher Farms in North Fairfield, Ohio, is within 500 miles of 70% of the U.S. population, said Ken Holthouse, general manager and partner.

“It’s a pretty big market, and we can get almost anywhere in that range overnight,” he said.

By late July, the company will be shipping yellow squash, eggplant, specialty peppers, possibly bell peppers and several other commodities.

“The quality has been really good because we had a good, hot, dry spell when things were getting planted,” Holthouse said. “It took a little bit of time for the growth to catch up, but vegetables always like drier weather [more] than wetter weather.”

The company plans to begin its fall offerings in early September, including winter squashes, miniature gourds, mini pumpkins and jack-o-lantern pumpkins. In all, Doug Walcher Farms will have about 20 kinds of squash, ornamentals, Indian corn and similar items.

“We’ll have just about everything you can imagine in the fall,” Holthouse said.

The company has retail and foodservice customers in numerous cities east of the Mississippi, on the East Coast and in the Southeast.

Business has been brisk at Willard-based Holthouse Farms of Ohio Inc. this summer, said Kirk Holthouse, director of sales and purchasing and one of four owners of the family business.

The company grows zucchini, yellow squash, green bell peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, chili peppers, hard squash and mini peppers during the summer and will add gourds in September. In all, the firm will handle about 30 items.

Growing conditions and product quality have been good this summer, he said. Holthouse expects to see an uptick in sales as Labor Day approaches in early September.

“All the holidays, to an extent, are good vegetable holidays,” he said.

Willard-based Buurma Farms will be in full swing on all its commodities by the last week of July, said company President Chad Buurma.

Weather has been good, and quality has been good on the company’s more than two dozen products, including radishes, dill, cilantro, lettuces, green onions, parsleys, zucchini, cabbage, yellow squash and cucumbers.

Related: Ohio growers say dry conditions helping vegetable quality

Buurma said sales for summer holidays, like the Fourth of July and Labor Day, remain steady, but he doesn’t see much of a spike.

“It seems to me that all of the holidays don’t have the pull that they used to,” he said.

“You see pretty consistent pull from retailers and foodservice,” Buurma said. “I can’t say that I’ve seen a noticeable increase in business.”

In past years, sales of sweet corn have gone up for Labor Day, which consumers consider the last summer holiday, he said.

“The last four or five years, we haven’t necessarily seen a spike, he said.

Suppliers and retailers help promote Ohio produce through the state’s Ohio Proud program.

“Ohio Proud helps consumers find food and agriculture products made and grown in Ohio,” said Levin of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

“Every dollar spent on Ohio Proud products reinvests in the state’s local economy,” he said. “Ohio Proud distinguishes products in the crowded marketplace and can increase sales for companies and retailers.”