Cabbage

North Carolina Growers Embrace Resilience Amid Extreme Drought, Spring Heat

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:22:06 GMT

Farmers in North Carolina are facing an uphill battle this spring as a severe drought combined with unseasonable heat has stunted early-season specialty crops from brassicas to berries.

As of early May, North Carolina was experiencing severe agricultural distress, with approximately 67 counties under extreme drought conditions and record-breaking dryness impacting 96% of the Southeast.

“These conditions are becoming quite apparent on our farms, with retention ponds getting extremely low, cracks in the soil, difficulty preparing land for summer production and reduced yields on many spring crops,” says Taylor Holenbeck, grower services coordinator for the Durham, N.C.-based Happy Dirt, a farmer-owned distributor of organic produce, specializing in connecting Southeast regional farmers with retailers and food hubs.

Spring greens have been hit particularly hard, says Holenbeck.

“One farm is seeing half the average yield on their broccolini crop, while others are seeing extremely slow growth on kales, collards, cabbage and other brassicas,” he says.

In the eastern part of the state, drought conditions and unseasonably hot temperatures that repeatedly reached the 90s during April have increased pest pressures in the area.

“Without the rain to help wash pest eggs off the crops, this has led to large hatchings of diamondback moths, compromising many of the tender spring greens,” he says.

Holenbeck says a number of Happy Dirt farms are behind on their spring plantings, with some delayed by at least two weeks due to dry conditions.

And it’s not only what’s already in the ground that struggles in drought conditions, says Holenbeck, who notes that preparing new beds when soil is extremely dry is also a challenge.

“Some farms are having to overhead water their land just to be able to prep beds, which is not how you want to be using your precious water resources in a drought,” he says.

Severe drought conditions in parts of North Carolina, like here at Randy Massey’s M&M Plant Farms, have led to retention ponds getting extremely low, cracks in the soil, difficulty preparing land for summer production, and reduced yields on many spring crops, says Taylor Holenbeck, grower services coordinator for the Durham, N.C.-based Happy Dirt.

(Photo courtesy of Happy Dirt)

‘Fast and Furious’ Strawberries

Weather conditions have also impacted the state’s strawberry production.

“Our strawberry season has been stunted as well, although this is due to not only drought, but [rather] the large swings in temperature this spring, causing the plants to be more vegetative rather than producing a lot of fruit consistently,” says Holenbeck.

Austin Hirsch, a strawberry farmer in Catawba, N.C., told AgDay’s Haley Bickelhaupt that while ripening usually takes a few weeks, in this year’s drought, it’s been “fast and furious.”

“The biggest challenge is trying to keep up with harvest,” says Hirsch of Bumble Berry Farms. The first-generation farmer says a hard winter followed by a warm week in early April accelerated picking of the farm’s early-season variety, which began April 8.

“We went out there maybe five or six days later, and the whole field was red … I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Hirsch.

Bumble Berry Farms grows five varieties of strawberries, all of which have been impacted by drought, he says.

But one silver lining for Hirsch has been sweeter berries.

“The conditions raise the sugar levels,” he says.

Bumble Berry Farms estimates it strawberry crop yields were about 50% of normal this season and is now turning its attention to its blackberry crop.

But Happy Dirt’s Holenbeck remains optimistic that there’s still time for some North Carolina strawberries.

“We still have the month of May to have a great strawberry season,” he says. “And so far, the sweet corn and summer squash crops are doing OK but will need rain soon.”

Altar Cross Farms’ Morgan Sykes and father Roy Sykes survey their North Carolina blueberry crop.

(Photo courtesy of Happy Dirt)

Blueberries in the Balance

Altar Cross Farms, a family-run organic blueberry farm in Ivanhoe, N.C., which tends more than 100 acres of certified organic blueberries between its own 40 acres and a lease on an additional 65 acres, says it’s managing the unusually dry conditions through strategic irrigation and a watchful eye on the weather.

“This has been a particularly dry start to the season, which is a change from what we typically see this time of year,” says Morgan Sykes, sales and packing manager for Altar Cross Farms and daughter of the farm’s owners, Roy and Donna Sykes. “We have been having to use our irrigation a lot more this year starting with the spring freezes to now this extreme dry weather.

“We are very blessed to have the irrigation system that we do, but nothing is as good as the natural rain,” she adds.

On the family’s 40 acres, they conserve as much water as possible using a ditching system connected to catch basins at the end of each row to flow the water back into its pond.

“Even with that, our pond is about 4 feet lower than what it should be,” she says.

On the farm’s leased acres, the pond system requires they pump water from a well into the pond, which costs more because it has to be hooked up to a generator, she says.

But a dryer blueberry growing season does have some benefits, says Sykes.

“The quality of blueberries on a dryish year are a little better because you really don’t have to worry as much about soft fruit,” she says. “It will impact the size of the berry; they will maybe not be as big. That is where we will be utilizing our irrigation to try and plump them up.”

Overall, Sykes says things are shaping up to be a “really good year.”

“We packed the highest number of berries we ever had last year,” she says. “This year we are hoping to do even more, [as] we have a few more fields that are just coming into production now.”

Sykes says this time of year usually presents the opposite weather problem — too much precipitation. To address this, Altar Cross Farms has planted varieties that can tolerate more water and still remain firm.

“We have some O’Neals that are drought tolerant, but if they get a little rain, they are bad about splitting,” she says.

While the family had been planning to move away from the variety as a result, this year, it looks as though they’ll be able to pack more of them.

“All of our other berries we are just having to keep an eye on and irrigate them to help the berries grow and size up,” she says. “We are praying for rain. We just don’t want it all at one time.”

Rising Input Costs vs. Market Realities

In North Carolina, the dust is rising just as fast as the overhead. While drought conditions have forced farmers to rely heavily on irrigation, global conflicts have driven diesel prices up by nearly 50%, making the cost of watering particularly steep.

Holenbeck says while irrigation methods vary widely from farm to farm in North Carolina, those that use diesel “are definitely feeling the effects of high prices.”

Soaring prices, not only for farms to run their irrigation pumps but also to operate tractors and on shipping costs for fertilizers and packaging, are putting a squeeze on the season.

“Higher fuel costs impact everything, down to the cost of the petroleum-based plastic used for mulch and clamshells that we pack small fruit into,” he says. “Unfortunately, our farmers are beholden to market pricing, so we are looking at the high end of pricing on each crop but have to balance being too high, otherwise sales slow, and that’s worse for the farms.

“Just because there is a drought here, doesn’t mean that the market isn’t low in other regions, so it’s a tricky balance,” he continues.

Farming for North Carolina’s Future

In the face of these soaring operational costs and a volatile climate, North Carolina’s specialty crop growers are no longer just reacting to the weather — they’re striving to outsmart it. By shifting toward heat-tolerant varieties they aim to transform drought from a seasonal crisis into a catalyst for long-term agricultural innovation.

“[The development of drought-resistant varieties] should be top of mind for both farmers and consumers, and there are some great initiatives in our region working toward more drought-resistant crops,” says Holenbeck, who says he’s never had more farmers ask him if they could grow okra for Happy Dirt than this year.

“Okra is a great example of a drought-tolerant crop, but unfortunately the market demand doesn’t match its utility for the farmers — yet,” he says. “Happy Dirt sees it as part of our work to help educate customers on what crops thrive in our increasingly warm climate in the South and why it’s important for consumers to learn how to integrate those fruits and vegetables into their diets.”

Holenbeck says Happy Dirt is looking to seed breeders to help Southeastern growers with more heat-tolerant varieties of vegetables.

“From lettuce to tomatoes, there are more and more heat-tolerant varieties available, which is giving our farmers the ability to stretch seasons and grow more of what eaters want locally,” he says. “This year we are implementing broccoli trials on two of our farms to observe which varieties do best in our quickly warming springs, and so far, despite the drought, we have seen some great results and plan to scale broccoli production if the varieties continue to perform.”

Happy Dirt says it has also conducted some smaller trials with regionally adapted varieties of butternut squash from Common Wealth Seed Growers and okra from Utopian Seed Project. This year it is also trialing and saving seeds from a specific okra variety grown by the Freed Seed Federation.

“All this seed work is important for farmers to be able to adapt over time and focus on what grows well here,” says Holenbeck. “We also see increased customer demand for the organic small fruit category, many of which are grown perennially, such as Asian persimmons, blackberries, figs, muscadines and blueberries to name a few. Due to the perennial nature of these crops, they can provide more resiliency to extreme weather and are a category that we plan to grow more of with our farmers.”

And when it comes to preventive measures, Holenbeck says one of the best things farmers can do is keep their soil consistently covered with cash crops and cover crops to help retain moisture and reduce erosion when there’s heavy rain.

“This effort pays off slowly, but as we face more erratic weather patterns, these types of practices become increasingly important,” he says. “We can’t fight nature, but we can try to learn from it and mimic it.”

Farmlink Launches Fundraiser to Sponsor Cabbage this Valentine’s Day

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:21:59 GMT

Valentine’s Day in the fresh produce space often conjures up images of strawberries or cherries or any other red produce. But what about cabbage?

Farmlink, a national nonprofit that connects farms with surplus produce to food banks and communities in need, has launched a creative fundraiser where donors can sponsor cabbage in honor of their loved ones.

Eliza Blank, CEO of The Farmlink Project, says the idea developed from a team member pointing out that “mon chou,” which means “my darling” in French, literally translates to “my cabbage.”

Blank says this fundraiser is not only timely for Valentine’s Day, but also that both Pinterest and Vogue magazine have named 2026 the year of the cabbage due to its health benefits.

“I think we’ve moved about 5 million pounds of cabbage since our inception, just to put things in perspective,” she says. “So, we’re very well adept at moving cabbage.”

Blank says the team thought it was a fun, lighthearted way to create a campaign around what Farmlink does as well as around the year of the cabbage.

“What a beautiful way to take such a humble vegetable and make it really feel meaningful,” she says.

Those who donate any amount online through Valentine’s Day will get a digital valentine to send to the donor’s “mon chou.” Donations of $10 will move up to 780 servings of cabbage, and donations of $5,000 will move an entire truckload of cabbage or nearly 150,000 servings of cabbage, Blank says.

More than $2,000 has been raised so far as a part of this campaign.

“We do serious work here every day, and we don’t take that lightly. We think that there should be a level of optimism around what we do, too,” Blank says. “It’s just a fun way to highlight the work that we do and to connect it to people and sort of give them another reason just to participate in what we’re doing.”

Blank says that as Farmlink moves full truckloads of fresh produce from a grower or a wholesaler, freight is the largest expense for the organization. The donation to someone’s “mon chou” helps with that cost.

“We are going to coordinate the truck to go pick up that food, we are going to coordinate the delivery with the receiving agency, and we, Farmlink, pay for the transportation,” she says. “So, our budget is primarily going to freight.”

And this organization is relatively new. It was founded in 2020 by a group of college students and has grown to move more than 150 million pounds of food this year, or about 100 trucks a week.

“This is real, meaningful nutrition that we are delivering into the charitable food system,” Blank says. “When we are moving these trucks, we are sourcing the food, wherever surplus arises, and then we’re moving it within reason to a charitable receiving agency who’s nearby. This is our way of tying it all together.”

What Keeps N.Y. Growers and Retailers in an Empire State of Mind

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 11:03:45 GMT

New York state is home to diverse agricultural regions and climates, from the Finger Lakes to the Hudson Valley to upstate New York, each with its own microclimate and crops grown.

According to 2022 data from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, fruit, berries and tree nuts contributed about $721 million and vegetables, melons and potatoes contributed $500 million to the state’s economy.

And for growers and marketers, it’s no wonder that New York earned the nickname, The Empire State.

Why New York?

“New York state is a prime place to grow produce because of the excellent and diverse soils, a climate that is regulated by the Great Lakes, vast flat plain-like farmland in the western part of the state, access to fresh water and proximity to market,” says Shannon Kyle, sales and marketing manager at Elba, N.Y.-based Torrey Farms Inc. “We can reach over 70% of this country’s population in six to eight hours by truck.”

Kyle says her family farm, which grows cabbage, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, winter and summer squash, and green beans, distributes its produce along the Eastern Seaboard and into Ohio and the St. Louis, Mo., area thanks to its location between Rochester and Buffalo.

“As weather plays a factor in other parts of the country, that can often create movement into other market areas as well,” she says. “We work with various retailers, wholesalers, food service distributors, and processors for all of our items.”

Cynthia Haskins, president and CEO of the New York Apple Association, says Mother Nature also helps create magic for the country’s No. 2 apple producer.

“The warm summer days and cool fall nights make New York state a perfect place to grow apples,” she says. “New York state has an ample water supply, stemming from the lakes, ponds and irrigation. New York is popular for growing apples with superior flavor and grows a little more than 30 apple varieties in promotional volumes.”

Haskins also says New York’s proximity to a large swath of the country helps its more than 500 family-owned orchards reach more retail partners across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

Cynthia Haskins, president and CEO of the New York Apple Association, says the state’s proximity helps its more than 500 family-owned orchards reach more retail partners across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. “Helping our retail partners source closer to where food is grown lowers freight costs and time and reduces their carbon footprint,” she says.

(Photo courtesy of the New York Apple Association)

“Helping our retail partners source closer to where food is grown lowers freight costs and time and reduces their carbon footprint,” she says. “New York apple growers are relatively close to many major cities in the U.S. and can deliver apples within 24 to 48 hours to these large markets; that’s a big sustainability selling point for Northeastern and mid-Atlantic markets.”

Marc Goldman, director of produce and floral for Bronx, N.Y.-based Morton Williams Supermarket, says he tries to highlight as much locally grown produce as he can, adding that locally grown can mean different things to different shoppers. And being in New York City, he’s always challenged with highlighting New York produce in a small footprint.

But, during apple season, Goldman says Lil’ Chief 2-pound bags with small, kid-friendly apples do well. The bags, he says, feature New York apple orchards on the back of the bag.

“The whole concept of it promotes New York state on the back of the bag,” he says. “It shows the farms, and I think it’s a really good way to sell the New York state apples.”

Season Outlook

Kyle says she’s “hesitantly optimistic” about the current growing season.

“At this point in the season, we expect to have some high-quality crops coming in as we get closer to harvest, but the market conditions all winter have me a little cautious about where pricing and movement will shake out,” she says. “As we all know in marketing it is all about supply and demand, and every year we experience peaks and valleys of supply depending on what is happening in our neighboring states who grow many of the same items as we do.”

Kyle says this competition from crops grown in Canada and Mexico can make it tough for New York growers, as Mexico has year-round supplies and Canada grows the same crops her family does.

“There is a lot more anxiety around the unknown of what the market conditions on our items will be, as highly perishable items often fluctuate significantly from day to day,” she says. “As we shipped our storage crops (onions and potatoes) this winter, the market was very flat, and I just hope that does not carry into the summer deal.”

Growers have become more concerned about the increase in the cost of farming in the state, Kyle says, noting that H-2A labor costs growers in the state around $18.83 an hour, plus overtime.

“The days of just planting a crop or some extra acres because you had the extra seed are over,” she says. “There is simply too much investment put into every acre we put in the ground, so I would say we have had to exhibit a lot more self-control and better planning to try to have a balanced level of supply for the demand that we know we can traditionally expect, with the obvious exception of the wild card of what Mother Nature will do.”

As for this season, Kyle says production in western New York is early with crops like cabbage thanks to cool temperatures and good rainfall in May. Heat-friendly crops such as cucumbers, squash and beans are a little behind schedule this year.

“I think in the eastern and southern parts of the state, the conditions have been even more challenging than what we have experienced in the western area, where the majority of our farmland is between Buffalo and Rochester,” she says.

Kyle says Torrey Farms planned to start harvesting cabbage at the end of June, which is early. She says her family looks to harvest green beans, zucchini and yellow squash around July 10, cucumbers around July 18 and onions around July 15.

“The cool wet May that we had was prime cabbage weather,” Kyle says.

Haskins says that despite the rainfall in spring and then warmer temperatures, this year’s apple crop looks good.

“Apple harvest will begin in mid-to-late August and continue through the first week of November,” she says.

Haskins says the New York Apple Association will partner with retailers for promotions this year, including display totes, polybags, pouches and bulk displays. She says geotargeting digital advertising as well as targeted social media to help promote New York-grown apples.

“Team NYAA is working closely with retailers in customizing the right mix of promotional offerings to drive sales and get New York apples front and center of consumers,” Haskins says.

South Texas growers expect high-quality, light volume this winter

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 21:33:14 GMT

“For the next seven months, Texas is a great place to source your vegetables, fruit, onions and melons,” Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, told The Packer. “Combine Texas-grown with produce crossing from Mexico, you’ve got the whole shopping list in one little area.”

Winter vegetable season is well underway, and South Texas is ramping up for slightly lighter volume early in the season. This soft start is a result of hot and dry summer months that burdened an already tight water supply in Texas, stretching reservoirs thin and reducing soil moisture across the state, Galeazzi said.

“These hot temperatures can be challenging as we start the season, but we’re already starting to see the temperatures cool off a little,” he said. “We’re very fortunate in a sense because things are growing quickly because of those dry, warm temperatures; We’re just looking for a balance.”

Because of the water shortage and dry conditions, Texas acreage is down across commodities this year.

“Buyers can expect smaller supplies,” Galeazzi said. “But the quality is going to be superior, because if you’ve got less acres to look over, you’re going to give more attention to the product you do have.”

Jeff Brechler, head of sales and marketing at Little Bear Produce, said that despite planning water conservation and rationing measures, the Edinburg, Texas-based produce grower and shipper still ran out of water in South Texas irrigation districts.

“We had to scramble around and move plantings, which we were able to do. We started getting some rains [late summer] and they fell in the right area. We’re thankful for what we got, but we didn’t get enough to really get us over the hump,” Brechler said. “All it did was put us back to the level we were prior to conserving and rationing.”

Despite irrigation shortages and dry weather, a deluge of rain in August and September damaged the first fall cabbage crops at Little Bear Produce. Normal supplies of cabbage are expected as early as the second week of December, along with leafy greens, which were unaffected by the rains and maintained a steady supply.

“It’s been a bit of a rocky road,” Brechler said. “Hopefully, this pattern will change, and we’ll get into a bit wetter El Niño pattern. But that’s the life of the farmer, right?”

Once Texas growers recover crops from the summer heat, the focus turns to February. Two years after what has been dubbed the St. Valentine’s Day produce massacre — when many growers completely lost entire crops to an unexpected, extreme freeze — growers are still skittish.

“February seems to be the witching hour,” Brechler said. “Two years in a row we’ve had extreme weather in February. In 2021, it was the Valentine’s Day freeze. And last year we even had some cold damage that came in. As long as we can get through February, I think we’ll be OK.”

Inflation and labor pressures

At TIPA, Galeazzi has witnessed overhead expenses increase for growers this August by an average of about 22% to 23%. Meanwhile, grocery store prices for Texas produce have only seen about an 9% increase, he said.

This results in a 12% to 13% gap that produce growers must bridge, even if expenses and prices remain at this level, which is unlikely. According to Galeazzi, this estimate doesn’t account for rising diesel, fertilizer or labor costs. While the math indicates narrowing profits for growers staying competitive, for better or worse, these challenges are not unique to Texas, he said.

Beyond rising expenses, as costs associated with labor rise, labor shortages continue to worsen for growers throughout the Lone Star State.

“Texas was one of the last states to feel the pinch on labor shortages, and this is likely because we are a border state” Galeazzi said. “But we have felt that pinch.”

The situation has become more and more dire every year, he added.

Little Bear Produce is experiencing the labor shortage firsthand, according to Brechler. The challenge, he said, is finding staffing across the company; The shortage is not limited to one specific type of job.

“It’s just finding labor, period,” said Brechler. “Other folks are dealing with the same issues that we are with labor and, you know, everyone seems to be short-staffed. It’s just a tough period right now.

“The folks on the production floor have been doing a really good job of putting out fires,” he added. “But I think what leads to someone’s success rate has been just the culture of the company. You know, [Little Bear Produce] is a family-owned company … there’s a sense of pride.”

How consumer-reported purchases of cabbage are trending

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 18:38:32 GMT

Editor’s note: The following report is from The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2024 , which provides insight based on survey responses from consumers. Since 1983, The Packer has sponsored 41 major consumer studies to track trends in the purchases and consumption of fresh produce, documenting the fluctuation in purchases of specific fruits and vegetables as well as changing attitudes toward industry issues.

The percentage of consumers reporting cabbage purchases in the past 12 months rose again, according to data from The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2024. Of those surveyed, 37.3% reported buying cabbage in the past year, compared with 31% in the 2023 survey and 34% in 2022.

Retail per capita availability of cabbage decreased from 8.28 pounds in 2000 to 5.81 pounds in 2020.

With almost 7 in 10 consumers saying they buy a larger variety of fresh produce today than they did 20 years ago, 24.5% named cabbage as an item they now purchase after not having done so previously, according to Fresh Trends 2024.

Nearly 43.3% of consumer households making more than $100,000 annually reported fresh cabbage purchases compared to 27.1% of consumers making less than $25,000 a year.

Households with two or more children were most frequent buyers of cabbage, according to Fresh Trends 2024 data.
Thirty-eight percent of those aged 40-49 and 43.6% of those aged 50-59 reported buying cabbage, compared with 30.9% of shoppers aged 18-29.

Fresh Trends 2024 data found more shoppers in the South purchased cabbage at 37.6%, while 36.9% of consumers in the West reported such purchases.

Circana retail data shows that retail fresh cabbage sales for the 52-week period ending Jan. 28, 2024, were $492 million, an increase of 4.3% compared to the previous year. Volume sales were rated at $511 million, up 1.3% compared with the previous year.

The price per pound for fresh cabbage was 96 cents for the 52 weeks ending Jan. 28, up 2.9% compared with the previous year.

The scan data shows that fresh cabbage sales increased compared to the previous year, both in terms of dollar sales and volume sales, for the total category as well as the conventional and organic segments.

Average shipping-point price for cabbage during 2023 was $16.85 per carton, an increase from $16.56 per carton in 2022.

Fresh Trends 2024 data for cabbage

Reported purchase based on household income*

Less than $25K — 27%
$25K<$50K — 35%
$50K<$100K — 39%
$100K+ — 43%

*Annual household income

Reported purchase based on dependent children

Have kids — 38%
1 kid — 35%
2 kids — 39%
3 or more kids — 39%
No kids — 37%

Reported purchase based on region

Midwest — 37%
Northeast — 37%
South — 38%
West — 37%

Reported purchase based on age*

18-29 — 31%
30-39 — 38%
40-49 — 38%
50-59 — 44%
60+ — 38%

*Considering primary household buyers

Reported purchase based on ethnicity

Asian — 48%
Black/African American — 46%
Hispanic — 35%
Other — 38%
White/Caucasian — 35%

Full line of fruits and vegetables due from Alpine Summit

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:37:02 GMT

Denver-based Alpine Summit Sales will have an extensive line of fruits and vegetables this summer, sourcing from varied growing areas including Colorado, California and Mexico, said Brandon Brown, vice president.

Colorado summer offerings, which Brown said are eagerly anticipated by local consumers, will include watermelons, cabbage, leaf items and a variety of vegetables.

Related content:
Colorado “Know your market”
Colorado news and updates
Coloardo goes local during the springtime

The Fresh Guys produce supplier awaits summer

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:37:02 GMT

The year started off fine for The Fresh Guys , said president Peter Braidman. But then COVID-19 came along.

The Denver-based produce supplier is “muddling through day by day,” Braidman said, but business is down 70% compared to last year.

The company, which serves restaurants almost exclusively along with a few small markets, is “keeping somewhat busy” and has had no layoffs, he said.

Customers missed out on spring items, he said, but he’s now waiting for summer fruits and vegetables to come on, which will include a variety of

Rocky Mountain tomatoes, kales, collards, chards, cabbages, onions, bell peppers, Hatch peppers, Olathe corn and peaches.

Related content:
Colorado “Know your market”
Denver produce distributors deal with coronavirus
Colorado gears up for summer

Webinars, boxes and a party: what’s happening during pandemic

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:07:39 GMT

A number of online events are scheduled around the continuing COVID-19 crises, designed to educate and in one case, to celebrate the end of a harvest in what has been very unorthodox circumstances.

The following news items are a roundup of recent industry news focusing on the crisis and how companies are responding.

Alliance for Food and Farming

The Alliance for Food and Farming is hosting a web seminar designed for nutrition communicators and professionals such as dietitians on information learned about COVID-19.

“After four months of growing, harvesting and shipping fruits and vegetables during a pandemic, the agriculture community has learned a tremendous amount after overcoming the numerous challenges that have arisen during these uncertain times,” according to a news release. “But there is always room for further improvement, especially as the national landscape seems to change daily.”

The seminar is scheduled for 1-3 p.m. Central July 28. Registration is online.

Elizabeth Shaw, health and wellness consultant and owner of Shaw Simple Swaps is the seminar panel moderator, and scheduled panelists are:

Lee-Ann Jaykus, William Neal Reynolds distinguished professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University;
Trevor Suslow, vice president of food safety at the Produce Marketing Association; and
Kay and Chris Filice, who represent the second and third generations, respectively at Filice Farms, a Hollister, Calif., based grower of fruits and vegetables.

They’ll speak about what they’ve learned in the past few months and discuss future challenges in agriculture as farmers work to provide an adequate supply of safe and healthy food during the pandemic, according to the release.

Bobalu Berries

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Oxnard, Calif.-based Bobalu Berries to cancel its annual BBQ marking the halfway point of California strawberry harvest.
Employees instead were treated to meals from food trucks sent to the company’s ranch.

“There is a strong demand for the best employees, and we deeply appreciate the caliber of employees we have on staff,” RC Jones, managing partner, said in a news release. “Many have been with our family for more than 40 years, and we value their commitment to us.”

The company is determined to have its annual end-of-season party, and is already planning for the event. The company will raffle off two new cars along with other prizes.

The party will be a virtual event with “a sense of celebration with prizes, local radio station support, music and announcements for each employee to tune-in and hear the results from their location,” according to the release.

Collins Brothers/DS Smith

Collins Brothers Produce , Atlanta, is packing produce into boxes for food banks through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

David Collins, owner of the company, said the box itself is important, especially in the humid Deep South. The company, which received an $7.3 million initial contract and an extension through Aug. 31, is using DS Smith Greencoat boxes from its Columbia, S.C., plant. The boxes are treated with a water-resistant coating that allows them to maintain strength when wet, but are still recyclable, unlike wax-coated cartons, which are traditionally used to pack wet vegetables.

By the end of the second contract, Collins Brothers will have packed 750,000 of the boxes, according to a news release.

Collins Brothers is packing a mix of apples , oranges , potatoes , onions , cabbage , zucchini , peaches and cucumbers .

“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve been deemed an essential business, remaining operational and supporting our customers and communities, and quickly changing our product mix to package products,” Troy Hagenbuch, specialty business unit general manager at DS Smith North America, said in the release.

The Food and Beverage Issue Alliance

The Food and Beverage Issue Alliance is hosting a web seminar on the Center for Disease Control’s plan for COVID-19 testing in the workplace.

Specifically, the seminar looks at the testing strategy in “high-density critical infrastructure workplaces” after a co-worker tests positive for COVID-19.

The seminar features panelists from the CDC, Food and Drug Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

It is from 3-4 p.m. Eastern July 16. Registration is online.

Scheduled panelists for the web seminar are:

Megin Nichols, Enteric Zoonoses Activity Lead for the CDC;
Mike Grant, industrial hygienist and the CDC;
Johnathan Bearr, health scientist at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration;
Rear Adm. David Goldman, chief medical officer of the FDA’s office of food policy and response; and
Mark Moorman, director of the FDA’s office of food safety.

The Food and Beverage Issue Alliance represents almost 60 associations, including the United Fresh Produce Association, the Food Industry Association (FMI), Produce Marketing Association, the U.S. Apple Association and the National Restaurant Association.

Stemilt Growers

A summer tradition at Stemilt Growers , an in-person cherry education experience, is yet another industry event that’s going digital because of the pandemic.

Stemilt, Wenatchee, Wash., will have its Stemilt U: Virtual Cherry College web seminar at 11 a.m. Pacific, July 22. Tate Mathison, director of sales, will lead the hour-long seminar, which will take participants through cherry harvest, packing and shipping, according to a news release.

“Since COVID-19 has put a pause on in-person events, we pivoted and are now sharing the next best thing through this Virtual Cherry College webinar,” Brianna Shales, senior marketing manager, said in the release. “It’s a great way to educate your entire produce or merchandising teams about where sweet cherries come from, how they are grown, and how to effectively market and merchandise cherries.”

Tate and his father, cherry grower Kyle Mathison, will talk about the growing environment through the packing process, and marketing director Roger

Pepperl will talk about best practices for marketing and merchandising cherries, followed by a question-and-answer session.

University of Florida

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension staff is working to understand barriers agriculture producers and processors are facing in keeping employees safe during the pandemic.

The UF-IFAS Extension team has created a survey to ask those who are working in food production and processing directly about the effects of the pandemic, according to a blog post by Ruth Borger on the UF-IFAS site.

“Agricultural workers are considered essential workers during this crisis and have been on the job from day one,” Christine Kelly-Begazo, with UF-IFAS Extension Indian River County, said in the blog post. “The information learned from this survey will directly impact what the training we provide this summer and fall.”

There are 10 questions in the survey.

All answers are confidential. Questions or comments may be directed to Christine Kelly-Begazo, UF-IFAS Indian River County Extension, at 772-226-4316

USDA-FDA

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue talked with food safety experts from his department and the Food and Drug Administration on a recent “ Sonnyside of the Farm ” podcast.

Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner, and Mindy Brashears, the USDA’s under secretary for food safety spoke about the safety of the food supply during the pandemic.

Perdue talks about the “just in time” supply chain model that makes for an efficient and cheap food system in the U.S., but with the loss of the foodservice sector, food grown for that channel had nowhere to go.

“When we saw those restaurants close, it created a major realignment there and we had to react nimbly and quickly realign the supply with the demand,” Perdue said.

Yiannas said FDA suspended some routine inspections during the pandemic, but “mission critical” investigations and inspections into food recalls or foodborne illness outbreaks continued as they normally would.

“We’ve also implemented some new measures that I think hold great promise for the USDA and the FDA in the future,” Yiannas said on the podcast. “We’ve conducted some of what we refer to virtual remote monitoring inspections. When you think of the role technology might play in the future, there might be applications for this.”

Yiannas also spoke of the pandemic’s effect indirectly on the food supply; although coronavirus does not seem to be transmitted via food, the FDA has been involved in rules governing agricultural workers and how they can remain healthy during the outbreak.

Kari Slagel contributed to this roundup of articles.

For more coverage of the pandemic, see The Packer’s COVID-19 webpage .

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Outlook’s strong for Tex-Mex vegetables, growers say

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:48:16 GMT

Beets, cabbage, greens, herbs, parsley, potatoes, radishes and spinach are some of the produce crops Texas produce suppliers will be shipping in December.

Shipments of both Texas produce and Mexican produce will be gaining steam in the weeks ahead, said Dante Galeazzi, CEO and president of Texas International Produce Association.

“Texas citrus is starting; you have Texas herbs picking and Texas cabbage around the corner,” he said.

Onions are in the ground and Mexican imports of tomatoes, berries, tropical fruit, squash, bell peppers and more will be increasing.

Looking ahead, Galeazzi said industry leaders are anxious to see the direction of the Department of Homeland Security in the next administration, and whether they will have a more open border for non-essential travel compared with the Trump administration.

“A lot of the communities down here depend on that sales tax (revenue),” he said.

In addition, industry leaders will be watching whatever happens in the administration in terms of its attitudes and actions toward trade, regulation and engagement with the industry.

“We have seen over the last two year more outreach happening, and we hope that continues regardless of the administration moving forward,” he said, noting the importance of industry communication with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In particular, he said that a lot of Texas growers are using the H-2A program, and preserving that uninterrupted access to workers is essential.

“We are going to continue to collaborate with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and make sure that the workforce can travel as needed to be able to fill the needs that our American farmers have.”

Crop outlook

Texas green and red cabbage will start in earnest the first of December and Donna-based Grow Farms Texas will have Texas-grown onions for harvest in April and May, said Tommy Wilkins, director of sales.

“We have more Texas cabbage in the ground and hope to expand our Texas onion program, he said.

Wilkins said Grow Farms Texas has Italian sweet red onions planted for harvest in late April and May, depending on the weather.

Despite rains in July and some in September, Jeff Brechler, sales representative with Little Bear Produce, Edinburg, Texas, said south Texas vegetable crops were able to be planted in good time.

“We look to have a successful Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s campaign without any interruptions in our supply,” he said.

Little Bear Produce has leafy green, herbs and cabbage beginning in November.

The effect of COVID-19 on acreage is variable, he said.

“Growers, packers and shippers are put between a rock and a hard spot,” Brechler said.

“If we do plant our normal acreage and business is off, then we’re stuck with having an extra product, and if we make an adjustment, and there (is) business as usual, then we’re going to be short,” he said.

“We’re either going to upset the grower or farm manager or we’re gonna upset a retail or wholesale customer.”

Retail business has been up and foodservice demand is off, of course, but in general Brechler said Little Bear Produce expects a comparable year to a year ago.

“We do not have any direct foodservice business; I know we do some indirectly through our wholesalers throughout the U.S.” he said.

While wholesale business has declined some, those operators are entrepreneurial and can adjust quickly to other business, he said. Some wholesalers have tried direct-to-consumer business, while others have take part in the Farmers to Families Food Box program.

“That program has been helpful to a lot of folks,” he said.

When COVID-19 hit last season, Brechler said some of the lower volume vegetables from the shipper were hurt by shifting demand from retailers, who thinned the variety of vegetable items sold in retail stores because of the crush of business.

On the plus side, Little Bear saw demand for consumer bag onions double for a three-month period this spring.

“I don’t know if there was a fear of the unknown or wanting to have a grab and go bag as I’m running in and out of the store,” he said.

“But consumer bags on onions really just exploded for us for about three months, and they are still up this year, compared with last year.”

Now the increase in consumer bag demand year-over-year is about low double digits, he said.

One fruit category that suffered in demand during COVID-19 was honeydew, and watermelon to some degree. Melons are often used in salad bars, and salad bars were limited by COVID-19 precautions.

“We did see a little bit of a drop there, but other than that, the staples continue to remain strong; potatoes, onions, cabbage, beets, your hardware items,” he said.

Mexican outlook

The Rio Grande Valley has seen amazing growth as Mexico infrastructure has allowed Texas as an additional port of entry option to Nogales, Wilkins said.

Closer to the East Coast, central Mexico gives the firm more a year-round option for many items, he said.

“This upcoming season Grow Farms Texas will be ramping up its Mexico winter menu,” he said.

The company will have good supplys of cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapeños, serranos, anaheims and poblanos, he said.

Cucumbers started the first week of November, Wilkins said, and bell pepper will begin by mid-December. Hot peppers are available year-round from Mexico.

The hot pepper menu has provided big growth, Wilkins said.

“Our focus will continue to be growing our cucumber and bell pepper program,” he said.

“We remain optimistic about the upcoming season primarily because of our quality from our growers, and the belief that increase consumption of fruits and vegetables is good medicine.”

Wilkins said Texas operators will advocate for commonsense free trade and against efforts to impose new seasonal protections for Southeast U.S. growers.

“The American consumer needs Mexico,” he said.

“I just hate to see tariffs and things that would add to the cost of healthy fruits and vegetables.”

Related articles:
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Texes news and updates
Mexico news and updates

Cyclospora cases in salad recalls rising rapidly

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:37:11 GMT

Hy-Vee, Aldi and Jewel-Osco have recalled private label garden salads supplied by Fresh Express after they were linked to an outbreak of cyclospora, with cases rapidly increasing.

The Food and Drug Administration notified consumers about the outbreak and the three retail salad brands on June 20; on June 22 Hy-Vee listed its recall on the FDA’s recall, market withdrawal and safety alert webpage, followed by Aldi on June 23. Jewel-Osco had not listed its recall on the FDA site as of the afternoon of June 23, but posted a notice on its website on June 20.

Fresh Express has not issued a recall through the FDA site as of June 23.

The salads contain iceberg lettuce , red cabbage and carrots .

On June 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 76 cases were involved in the outbreak, but that had risen to 122 cases seven states by June 23. Salads were recalled in 12 states.

The recalls cover:

Aldi Little Salad Bar brand Garden Salad with use-by dates of May 16-July 4, shipped from May 1 to June 16 to stores in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin;
Hy-Vee Garden Salads in 12-ounce bags, distributed to stores in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin; and
Jewel-Osco’s Signature Farms Garden Salads in 12-ounce bags, with use-by dates of May 16-July 4, shipped to Illinois, Indiana and Iowa stores.

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FDA seeks source of Fresh Express salad ingredients in recalls

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:37:07 GMT

(UPDATED/CORRECTED) Cyclospora infections linked to Fresh Express garden salads continue to rise and now include Walmart private-label bagged salads, including salad served at a North Dakota restaurant.

From June 23 to the latest update on June 26, 84 more lab-confirmed cases were reported, bringing the total to 206 in eight states.

The Food and Drug Administration reported the salads were processed at the Fresh Express facility in Streamwood, Ill. Those products have a product code beginning with a “Z.” According to the FDA, Fresh Express on June 25 recalled Walmart Marketside branded salads from the plant.

“FDA has begun an inspection at the Fresh Express production facility in Streamwood, Ill., and has concerns that other products made with iceberg lettuce , red cabbage , or carrots may have the potential to be contaminated with cyclospora,” according to the FDA’s June 26 notice. “FDA has discussed these concerns with Fresh Express and the firm has agreed to recall the products of concern.”

Fresh Express reported June 27 it had recalled all products containing the three ingredients that had been processed at the Illinois plant, adding 33 Fresh Express brand salads,15 Giant Eagle salads and two Shoprite organic salads under the Wholesome Pantry label. As of June 29, there were 91 recalled salads.

The full list of recalled salads are on the FDA’s recall and market withdrawals page .

On June 28, Fresh Express recalled 12 salads in Canada . According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, there have been no cases of cyclospora infections related to the salads detected in Canada.

The first salads that were recalled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are:

Walmart’s Marketside brand Classic Iceberg Salad, 12- and 24-ounce bags with use-by dates of May 1-June 29, sold in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin;
Aldi Little Salad Bar Garden Salad, 12-ounce, all use-by dates, sold in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin;
Hy-Vee Garden Salad, 12-ounce bags, all use-by dates, sold in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; and;
Jewel-Osco Signature Farms brand Garden Salad, 12-ounce bags, use-by dates from May 15-July 4, sold in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.
The restaurant was not identified by the CDC.

On June 27, Hy-Vee expanded its recall to include 12 more salads from Fresh Express that contain ingredients included in the garden salad recall. Those include Hy-Vee brand Southwest Chopped Salad Kit, Veggie Deluxe Salad and American Blend Salad.

According to the CDC, salads sold through the four retailers do not explain the scope of the outbreak, and it is working to see if other recently reported cases of Cyclospora infections are related to this outbreak, and if other store’s private-label salads are involved.

More cases are expected; it takes an average of four to six weeks from when people are ill to when it is entered into the national system, according to the CDC.

Illnesses in the outbreak have been reported in:

Illinois (57)
Iowa (74)
Kansas (1)
Minnesota (25)
Missouri (10)
Nebraska (20)
North Dakota (6) and
Wisconsin (13).

Notice on correction: The story incorrectly reported the time span between when the illness occurs and when it is entered into a national database as the time it takes for a person to be ill after eating tainted food. According to the CDC, illness can occur from as little as two days to up to more than two weeks.

Related stories:

Cyclospora cases in salad recalls rising rapidly

Midwest cyclospora outbreak linked to store-brand garden salads

Fresh Express cyclospora panel releases preliminary report

Carolinas' crops looking good

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:41:55 GMT

Out with the strawberries, in with the blueberries — and melons, peppers, potatoes, squash, cabbage, leafy greens and cucumbers.

In the Carolinas, spring and summer produce is an edible rainbow. And the harvest is looking good, growers say.

“As far as rain totals go, we’re right on schedule with annual totals,” said Nick Augostini, assistant director of horticulture and field crops for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

“We had a couple late frosts in late April, which was very unusual.”

Some blueberry growers a few earlier varieties that were blossoming at the time, but later varieties are fine, he said.

Thunderstorms and cooler temperatures also delayed planting in the Carolinas, but the harvest volumes are looking up, especially for sweet potatoes, which increase in popularity every year and are a favorite during the pandemic, possibly for their hardiness and affordability, along with sweet taste, growers and marketers say.

Volume usually peaks mid-June for South Carolina and mid-July for North Carolina, said Eric Bolesta, who sells Carolina cabbage, cucumbers, bell peppers, eggplants and hot peppers for Grower Network , Lake Park, Ga.

Overall, spring and summer crop volume should be about 3% to 5% up, which is not much different from other years, Augostini said.

In 2019, North Carolina produced 2.2 billion pounds of sweet potatoes, 37.5 million pounds of blueberries, 185 million pounds of cucumbers, 190 million pounds of watermelon, 61 million pounds of bell peppers, 64 million pounds of summer squash, and almost 80 million pounds of pumpkins, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

In 2019, South Carolina produced 127.5 million pounds of peaches, 161.3 million pounds of watermelon, according to the USDA statistics service.

South Carolina had a great strawberry season with strong supply, thanks to good weather, and now it’s onto the state’s top-producing crops for late spring and summer: blueberries, peaches, melons, leafy greens, tomatoes and green onions, said LauraKate McAllister, South Carolina Department of Agriculture marketing specialist and executive director of the South Carolina Specialty Crop Growers Association.

Intermittent heavy rainstorms and winds have damaged some taller crops and led to diseases on tomatoes, McAllister said, but the warm and sunny days afterward have dried up excess water quickly.

Peach harvest began May 1 with volume looking good enough to last through August and a fine size, said Kyle Tisdale, South Carolina Department of Agricutlture marketing specialist and executive director of the South Carolina Peach Council.

“Strawberries moved really well, and we’re hoping peaches will piggyback on that trend,” Tisdale said.

L&M Cos., Raleigh, N.C., will have more product for summer because of more volume at its North Carolina and New Jersey farms, said Greg Cardamone, general manager of L&M’s vegetable business.

Squash will start shipping by the end of May, which is about a week later than the past two seasons, which were unusually warm, he said.

“Everything else is pretty much on time, no big growing issues,” Cardamone said.

That includes shipping volume for cucumbers to start about June 10, bell peppers in late June, North Carolina sweet onions and broccoli by the end of May, red and yellow potatoes around June 20 and North Carolina watermelons July 5.

L&M has vegetable farms in Florida, Georgia and New Jersey to offer product for longer windows of time, before and after the Carolina seasons.

For the first time, L&M’s onion grower, Flatland Ag Inc. in Beauford County, N.C., planted 90 acres of potatoes this year, Cardamone said.

Coosaw Farms, Fairfax, S.C., produces more than 2 million pounds of conventional and organic blueberries a year, and this year shouldn’t be different, said Bradley O’Neal, owner.

However, good chill hours on the conventional crop will increase volume and make the start a week to 10 days early at April 6, almost matching the organic blueberry crop, which had lackluster pollination and decreased volume, he said.

On May 5, O’Neal said they were shipping about two tractor-trailer loads of blueberries a day.

Watermelon is the other big crop for Coosaw Farms. Along with the larger-sizing crop from Florida, watermelons grown in South Carolina should be shipping June 1 through July.

Coosaw Farms has started planting and setting up the framework for tunnel growing systems to add blackberries for the first time to next year’s offerings.

Jackson Farming Co ., Autryville, N.C., is planting more sweet potato acreage according to plan because year over year, demand increases, said Matt Solana, vice president of operations.

Some spring planting was delayed because of hot and cold temperatures and rain, but crews have caught up, he said.

The company’s spring broccoli is starting to size up as harvest approached in mid-May, and will run through the first week of June, he said. Fall broccoli should be available November through December.

As far as melons, Solana said, “we’re planting like crazy. They’re looking great, as are the transplants on watermelons, ‘lopes and ‘dews.”

The Autryville farm’s first harvest on seedless and seeded watermelons is estimated for the last week of June, with seedless through the end of September and seeded through mid-August. Cantaloupe should run mid-June to mid-August, and honeydews the first week of July through the first week to middle of August.

Pumpkins at the company’s Edenton, Ennice, Sparta and Autryville farms will be planted in July with harvest from September through mid-October.

All in all, Carolina crops are doing fine.

“North Carolina produce is on track for another good season, the quality overall so far is excellent and we’re looking forward to a little bit more demand as things open up,” Cardamone said. “We’re on go. We’re ready.”

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Arkansas sweet potato season shaping up well

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:41:55 GMT

There should be no gap between old crop and new crop sweet potato shipments in Arkansas, one leading marketer reports.

New crop harvest typically begins in July or August and usually continues into November. Sweet potatoes can be marketed from storage year-round.

The 2019 sweet potato crop has moved out in good fashion and the outlook for the 2020 crop is strong, said Autumn Campbell, sales manager for Matthews Ridgeview Farms, Wynne, Ark.

“Our storage crop looks great and our plants look beautiful; we do not foresee any issues with shortages or a gap,” she said May 12.

Campbell said the company has been “blessed” through the pandemic and has kept its team safe and healthy with appropriate precautions.

“We are proud to be a part of an industry that is so essential to our country and the entire world,” she said.

For the 2020 crop, planting season has been going great and plants look beautiful, Campbell said.

“It’s warming up here in Arkansas and we are looking at a nice crop for this year,” she said. “We are growing every year and excited about it.”

Big footprint

The USDA does not report annual acreage numbers for Arkansas sweet potatoes.

The Census of Agriculture reported sweet potatoes accounted for 4,598 acres in 2017, or about 42% of total vegetable acreages. 2017 acreage was way up compared with 2012, when 2,410 acres of sweet potatoes were harvested.

The report said 75 operations grew sweet potatoes in 2017, up from just 17 in 2012.

The biggest sweet potato region is in Cross County in northeastern Arkansas, and Rick Wimberley, extension agent for the county, said growers there have been receiving big rains this spring.

While that may delay some planting, rains haven’t hurt the crop potential, he said. Wimberley said acreage in the county could be close to about 3,000 acres.

Sweet potatoes represent the biggest part of Arkansas vegetable acreage.

The Census of Agriculture reported Arkansas growers harvested 11,062 acres of vegetables that year in 2017, nearly the same as 11,111 acres in 2012.

The Census of Agriculture reported 748 operations in Arkansas harvested vegetable acreage in 2017, compared with 625 operations in 2012. The state does not report annual vegetable acreage reports; 2017 is the most recent year available.

Watermelons also are a big crop in Arkansas, according to USDA statistics, with 1,822 acres harvested in 2017, compared with 1,880 in 2012.

The Census of Agriculture reported tomatoes also ranked high, with 952 acres grown on 398 operations in 2017. That is down slightly compared with 2012, when 373 operations grew just over 1,100 ares of tomatoes in the state.

2017 Arkansas vegetable and melon statistics:

Fresh market vegetables: 9,500 acres;

Sweet potatoes: 4,598 acres, 3,492 fresh market acres;
Watermelon: 1,822 acres;
Tomatoes: 952 acres;
Turnip greens: 734 acres;
Summer squash: 578 acres;
Snap beans: 403 acres, 107 fresh market acres;
Pumpkins: 363 acres;
Sweet corn: 341 acres;
Southern peas (cowpeas): 284 acres;
Bell peppers: 128 acres;
Lettuce: 100 acres;
Cucumbers: 118 acres;
Okra: 82 acres;
Mustard greens: 68 acres;
Cabbage: 64 acres;
Cantaloupes: 56 acres; and
Potatoes: 62 acres.

Realted content:
Grapes and pecans gain ground
Arkansas sweet potato acreage rises, but tomato acres fall
Arkansas Produce

Dole’s slaw kit celebrates 100-plus years of Hawaiian pineapples

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:37:23 GMT

(CORRECTED June 17) Dole Food Co. is honoring nearly 120 years of growing pineapples on Oahu, Hawaii, with the Hawaiian Slawsome! Kit.

The new Slawsome! Kit is available at retail, with a suggested price of $2.99. The kit serves 3-4 people, according to a news release.

The Hawaiian Slawsome! Kit includes a mix of shredded green and red cabbage and carrots, Dole’s Grilled Pineapple Dressing and tropical seasoning.

“Dole introduced Slawesome! in 2018 as the industry’s first line of seasoned coleslaw kits in response to simultaneous consumer demand for cabbage, coleslaw and Dole’s salad kits,” Bil Goldfield, Dole’s director of corporate communications, said in the release. “The line continues to show strength among the widest spectrum of shoppers – from vegetarians and plant-based-diet converts to flexitarians and meat-eaters wanting a topping for beef, pork, poultry and fish.”

The Slawsome! kit bag offers pairing and topping suggestions, and a link to Dole’s online recipes , some of which feature the slaw kits. Other options in the line are Sweet Apple Slawsome!, Mango Sriracha Slawsome and Fiesta Lime Slawsome!

James Drummond Dole began growing pineapples on Oahu in 1901, when he founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Co., Dole Food’s precursor, according to the release. The company still grows pineapples commercially in Hawaii at its farm in Wahiawa on Oahu.

Note on correction: The original story incorrectly stated Dole does not grow pineapples commercially in Hawaii.

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Cyclosora infections continue to mount as source remains unknown

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:45 GMT

An outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to garden salads continues to grow as health officials seek where the ingredients were grown.

As of July 22, there were 641 cases in 11 states, an increase from 509 cases in 8 states on July 8, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA has reported the salads, containing iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and carrots, were processed at a Fresh Express facility in Streamwood, Ill. The ingredients were grown in the U.S. and Central Mexico. Private-label store brands of garden salads were recalled by Aldi, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco, Shoprite and Walmart and Giant Eagle.

“FDA’s traceback investigation is ongoing to determine the cause and source of the outbreak,” according to the FDA’s July 23 update. “Salad ingredients (iceberg lettuce, carrots and red cabbage) continue to be items of interest in the investigation. As this outbreak investigation continues, the FDA will provide additional updates to this advisory.”

Related stories:

Cyclospora infections from salads rise, found in Canada

FDA seeks source of Fresh Express salad ingredients in recalls

Midwest cyclospora outbreak linked to store-brand garden salads

FDA finds Cyclospora in Florida canal during outbreak investigation

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 20:24:41 GMT

The Food and Drug Administration’s investigation into an outbreak of cyclospora infection from Fresh Express garden salads led the agency to Florida, where the parasite was found in a canal.

The FDA, however, was unable to determine if the Cyclospora cayetanensis in the canal was a genetic match to the 690 cases in 13 states linked to the salads, according to an Aug. 14 update on the outbreak.

The traceback investigation led the FDA to several farms that may have supplied the carrots, red cabbage and iceberg lettuce in the salads. The agency investigated multiple farms, according to the update.

Carrots have been cleared; the lettuce and cabbage continue to “be items of interest,” according to the FDA.

In Florida, the FDA analyzed water from two public access point along a regional water management canal west of Port St. Lucie, according to the FDA.

Given the emerging nature of genetic typing methodologies for this parasite, the FDA has been unable to determine if the Cyclospora detected in the canal is a genetic match to the clinical cases, therefore, there is currently not enough evidence to conclusively determine the cause of this outbreak,” according to the update. “Nevertheless, the current state of the investigation helps advance what we know about Cyclospora and offers important clues to inform future preventive measures.”

The FDA is working with the local water district to determine the source and effects of the parasite in the canal.

The traceback investigation is complete, but it didn’t identify a cause or source, so the investigation continues, according to the FDA.

The Fresh Express and private-label bagged garden salads in the recall were processed at the salad company’s Streamwood, Ill., facility.

Related stories:

Cyclosora infections continue to mount as source remains unknown

Cyclospora infections from salads rise, found in Canada

FDA seeks source of Fresh Express salad ingredients in recalls

FDA finds Cyclospora in Florida canal during outbreak investigation

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:25 GMT

The Food and Drug Administration’s investigation into an outbreak of cyclospora infection from Fresh Express garden salads led the agency to Florida, where the parasite was found in a canal.

The FDA, however, was unable to determine if the Cyclospora cayetanensis in the canal was a genetic match to the 690 cases in 13 states linked to the salads, according to an Aug. 14 update on the outbreak. The Public Health Agency of Canada had reported 37 cases as of July 8.

The traceback investigation led the FDA to several farms that may have supplied the carrots , red cabbage and iceberg lettuce in the salads. The agency investigated multiple farms, according to the update.

Carrots have been cleared; the lettuce and cabbage continue to “be items of interest,” according to the FDA.

In Florida, the FDA analyzed water from two public access point along a regional water management canal west of Port St. Lucie, according to the FDA.

Given the emerging nature of genetic typing methodologies for this parasite, the FDA has been unable to determine if the Cyclospora detected in the canal is a genetic match to the clinical cases, therefore, there is currently not enough evidence to conclusively determine the cause of this outbreak,” according to the update. “Nevertheless, the current state of the investigation helps advance what we know about Cyclospora and offers important clues to inform future preventive measures.”

The FDA is working with the local water district to determine the source and effects of the parasite in the canal.

The traceback investigation is complete, but it didn’t identify a cause or source, so the investigation continues, according to the FDA.

The Fresh Express and private-label bagged garden salads in the recall were processed at the salad company’s Streamwood, Ill., facility.

Related stories:

Cyclosora infections continue to mount as source remains unknown

Cyclospora infections from salads rise, found in Canada

FDA seeks source of Fresh Express salad ingredients in recalls

UPDATED: Companies donate tons of produce during pandemic

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:06:54 GMT

(UPDATED) Companies continue to find ways to help families during the pandemic across the country, from donations of fruits and vegetables to service helping agencies feed people.

Some recent COVID-19-related donations include the following news items.

DiSilva Fruit/Arrowfarms

DiSilva Fruit , Chelsea, Mass., has donated more than 300,000 pounds of fresh produce to area food banks since April.

The fruits and vegetables have been distributed to food banks, charities and community centers, according to a news release from DiSilva Fruit, an Arrowfarms company. The company has worked with three main partners: Chelsea Collaborative, Muslim Community Link and Food Link, with support from sister companies Gold Bell and Arrowfarms.

The company has donated 200,000 pounds to Chelsea Collaborative.

“We are so proud to be able to contribute to the health and well-being of so many families by providing access to wholesome food,” Nelly Czajkowski of DiSilva Fruit said in the release. “It’s more important than ever to support our neighbors and we’ll continue to donate healthy, fresh food throughout the crisis via our wonderful community partners who are working so hard to distribute these vital resources.”

Chelsea Collaborative feeds up to 11,000 families each week.

“We really appreciate all the produce DiSilva Fruit has sent over the past four months,” Tanairi Garcia of Chelsea Collaborative said in the release. “We’ve been able to step up and provide food for those in need in our community thanks to partners like them.”

Farmbox Direct

The COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on consumer shopping habits, primarily the switch to grocery deliver services, has skyrocketed demand at fresh produce delivery company Farmbox Direct by 2,200%, with projections at $14 million in sales in 2020 and $28 million in 2021.

The company’s newer Farmbox RX program is seeing exponential growth as well.

Before the pandemic, CEO and Founder Ashley Tyrner’s main focus was direct-to-consumer delivery, with the Farmbox RX as a small add-on.

But the immense growth, consumer feedback and insurance company outreach, “it has been made crystal clear that consumers are realizing the importance and the need for easy online grocery shopping,” according to a news release, which cites “an avalanche” of insurance companies have expressed interest in Farmbox RX.

Farmbox RX is developing boxes designed for specific health needs, including boxes for diabetics and those with arthritis and other conditions.

Fresh Direct

Thousands of grocery boxes from FreshDirect, Bronx, N.Y., each week continue to be delivered to New Yorkers as the city extends its investment in Operation 5-Borough Food Drive.

New York City has paid $5 million for 4.3 million pounds of food so far, and an extension through September will bring the total contract value to approximately $9 million, according to a news release.

FreshDirect will not profit from the commitment to purchase, package and deliver the food, according to the release.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March, FreshDirect developed and launched the food drive with the five New York borough presidents.

“Food insecurity in New York City has almost doubled since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis,” FreshDirect CEO David McInerney said in the release. “As a food company, we want to do everything we can...”

Through the collaboration, FreshDirect has donated and distributed more than 215,000 boxes of food to residents, with borough presidents directing donations to partner institutions in their communities, according to the release.

“FreshDirect’s initial impulse to donate food in the earliest days of the crisis has evolved into their current contract to deliver hundreds of boxes of food as part of the GetFoodNYC programs,” Manhattan borough president Gale Brewer said in the release. “Like so many others, they’ve literally been lifesavers during the pandemic.”

Grimmway Farms

Grimmway Farms , Bakersfield, Calif., has donated more than a million pounds of carrots and other fresh produce, including Cal-Organic Farms vegetables, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company partnered with Kern County hospitals and California food banks, as well as relief efforts that provided produce to families in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Texas and Utah, according to a news release. A donation with Hy-Vee distributed 80,000 pounds of carrots in the Midwest.

“Our goal is to deliver fresh food to those who need it the most,” Jeff Huckaby, president of Grimmway Farms, said in the release. “We connected with organizations that share that responsibility. We’re all working toward a common goal to keep our communities safe and we’re committed to seeing this through together.”

More than half a million pounds of carrots have been provided to the California Association of Food Banks, which supplies 42 food banks serving 47 counties.

The company plans to continue donations locally and across the country, Huckaby said.

“Our founders promised to provide good value and service every day of the year,” he said in the release. “This year looks different than most, but through strong partnerships and a shared mission to feed the hungry we’re still able to deliver on that promise and ensure fresh food is available to those in need.”

IFCO

IFCO has donated 160 reusable plastic containers to the Meals on Wheels of Montgomery County, Texas.

The RPCs will be used to store and deliver 5,600 frozen meals each week to homebound seniors.

“We are incredibly grateful for the new partnership with IFCO, with such a generous donation enabling us to properly store all of our fresh produce and food,” Summer Day, president and CEO of the program, said in a news release.

“Now, more than ever, we want to step up and help our friends at Meals on Wheels Montgomery County get nutritious food to more people during this terrible crisis,” Dan Martin, president of IFCO North America, said in the release.

Polar King International

Polar King International, Thermodyne Foodservice Products and the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers have donated $10,000 to the Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana.

As of July 1, association member contributed almost $50,000 worth of time, money and food donations to local food banks; the association sent almost $50,000 to Feeding America, according to a news release.

“The funding in the past few months has been such an important part of COVID-19 hunger relief efforts,” Katie Savoie, director of development for the Community Harvest Food Bank, said in the release. “The $10,000 provided will help us give over 40,000 meals to families in need during these tough times.”

Progressive Produce

Progressive Produce , Los Angeles, has produced a video promoting healthy habits among its employees.

The video highlights the company’s core values, according to a news release, and mentions five safety practices, including washing hands, social distancing and sanitizing.

“As our industry continues to keep the fresh produce supply chain flowing, it’s always important that we all practice safety,” Oscar Guzman, director of marketing and sales, said in the release.

The video features numerous Progressive Produce employees and has subtitles in Spanish.

Virginia Cooperative Extension

The Virginia Cooperative Extension has been creating solutions to help farmers adapt to challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, from disruptions in markets and labor force and to changes in business plans.

“Farmers who had contracts with restaurants, schools, or universities have had to shift their focus from those institutional market channels to direct-to-consumer sales with online e-commerce software, drive-through and curbside service, and modified community-supported agriculture models,” Eric Bendfeldt, Extension specialist and associate director for the Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, said in a news release. “Virginia food banks and pantries are also reporting a large increase in participation and increasing demand for fresh produce and shelf-stable meat sources.”

Extension has offered web seminars for growers covering farm management during the pandemic, including a recent seminar on production strategies.

Virginia MarketMaker is also helping get food from the farm to consumers’ tables.

Resources include:

The Small Farm Outreach Program, a part of Cooperative Extension at Virginia State University;
Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, including a variety of COVID-19 resources; and
Virginia Cooperative Extension COVID-19 resource library.

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A positive COVID-19 test, successful box programs and Hero Pins

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:08:43 GMT

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect companies and individuals in the fresh produce industry.

The Packer covers pandemic-related news produce industry, including the following news items.

Covilli Organics

(UPDATED) Covilli Organics reported that an employee at its sister company Sun Organic Repack tested positive for COVID-19 on May 16.

The company has followed COVID-19 protocols since mid-March, according to a statement from Covilli, including social distancing, mandatory face masks, hand washing, sanitation, temperature checks and more. On May 13 an employee reported “feeling sick,” followed by others in the same work area, according to the statement. Anyone working near the employee underwent a 10-day quarantine period.

The company shut down the Nogales, Ariz., facility on May 15, with plans to open it May 29. Another Nogales facility remained operational. During the shutdown, the company sanitized the facility, as well as the one still operating, the week of May 18.

All employees complied with a company request for testing, according do the statement.

After the primary concern for the health and safety of our staff members, comes the apprehension of maintaining on-going operations — please be assured we are proceeding in a thorough manner and with extreme attention,” according to the statement.

Note on update: In a May 26 update, the company reported it moved the re-opening of the Bravo warehouse from May 25 to May 29.

Hero Pins

Lori Livacich, seeking a way to thank agriculture workers, grocery store employees and other essential frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, came up with the Hero Pin .

Livacich, whose background includes working in her father’s companies, Vista Avocado and Vista Sales, Vista, Calif., sells the pins online and donates the proceeds to World Central Kitchen , according to a news release.

The pins sell for $4.99, and are meant to be given to “everyday heroes and essential workers” to thank them during the pandemic.

Partnership for a Healthier America/PMA

The Partnership for a Healthier American and Produce Marketing Association’s COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund has launched in Denver.

The two associations partnered on the food box program to provide food for families during the pandemic, and donations are scheduled to continue in Denver for three months, distributing 600,000 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, according to a news release.

The COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund money comes from an anonymous donor, ReFED, Novo Nordisk, and individuals who donate on the program’s donation page .

“The pandemic has added additional stress and uncertainty to those families and communities in need, especially as they wonder where their next meal will come from,” PMA CEO Cathy Burns said in the release. “The PHA Fresh Boxes will provide relief and sustenance by delivering a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with recipes and education, so that consumers can fill their plates with healthful and nutritious food.”

Zipongo , which offers specific diet and health information tailored to users’ needs, provides free access to its Foodsmart digital platform, according to the news release.

The Denver program features 20-pound produce boxes packed by FreshPoint , containing:

Eight pounds (total combined) of apples, cabbage, carrots, onions, oranges, white potatoes, and sweet potatoes;
Six pounds (total combined) of peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, salad mix, spinach, mushrooms, radishes, squash, asparagus, green onions, and other root vegetables’ and
Six pounds (total combined) assorted selection of melon, grapefruit, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, berries, lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits.

Produce Marketing Association

Bruce Summers, whose U.S. Department of Agriculture branch oversees the Farmers to Families Food Box program, will participate in the Produce Marketing Association’s next Virtual Town Hall meeting.

The meeting is at noon Eastern May 27 and lasts for 45 minutes, according to a PMA news release.

Summers, administrator of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will join Hunt Shipman, principal and director at Cornerstone Government Affairs. Max Teplitski, PMA’s chief science officer, will moderate the conversation, according to the release.

Registration is online; deadline to register is 9 a.m. May 27 .

As with all Virtual Town Hall sessions from PMA, the session is followed by roundtable sessions that cover segments including retail, foodservice and grower-shippers.

UnitedAg

UnitedAg , dedicated to providing healthcare solutions to the agriculture industry, has partnered with Spring Health to offer multilingual behavioral health services to members.

The organization is responding to heightened concerns of mental health due to the pandemic, as questions about financial insecurity, health and safety, isolation and job loss are being faced by industry members, according to a news release.

“Now more than ever before, the agricultural industry needs a robust mental health program to ensure the well-being and productivity of our workforce,” according to the release. “UnitedAg has made this unparalleled investment in behavioral health so that our members receive the emotional support they need to get through the COVID-19 pandemic.”

UnitedAg is based in Irvine, Calif., and has other California offices in Oxnard, Corona, Salinas, Fresno and Santa Maria.

To see more pandemic coverage, see The Packer’s COVID-19 webpage .

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Midwest cyclospora outbreak linked to store-brand garden salads

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:38:20 GMT

Federal and state agencies are investigating a six-state outbreak of cyclospora illnesses with 76 cases linked to garden salad from Aldi, Hy-Vee and Jewel-Osco stores.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has analyzed epidemiologic information that indicates bagged salads from the stores are the likely cause of the illnesses.

The FDA is tracing the source of the salads to determine the supplier and distributors to find the cause and the source of the outbreak, according to a news release.

The “garden salads” are private label brands for the three retailers, and contain iceberg lettuce , red cabbage and carrots . Other store brand salads are not involved in the outbreak, according to the release. The labels are Aldi Little Salad Bar Brand Garden Salad, Hy-Vee Brand Garden Salad and Signature Farms Brand Garden Salad from Jewel-Osco.

Onset dates range from May 11 to June 14.

As of June 20, illnesses are in:

Iowa, with 28;
Illinois, with 23;
Kansas, with 1;
Minnesota, with 10;
Missouri with 7; and
Nebraska, with 7.

“FDA is in the beginning stages of this investigation and there may be additional retailers and products impacted by this outbreak,” according to the FDA’s June 20 notice on the Cyclospora outbreak. “As this outbreak investigation continues, the FDA will provide additional updates to this advisory as more information becomes available.”

The Produce Marketing Association also issued a notice about the outbreak with a link to a 2019 report from an industry-led Blue Ribbon Panel on the Prevention of Foodborne Cyclospora Outbreaks .

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Canada to require LGMA certification for Arizona leafy greens

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:38:07 GMT

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will be requiring that leafy greens from Arizona must be from a grower involved in the state’s Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement to be imported into Canada.

The new rule will be effective in mid-August, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The agency notified the industry through its listserv, according to a CFIA spokeswoman. The agency plans to post it in its website over the summer.

According to the new rule, the “CFIA will limit entry into Canada of leafy green products from Arizona to those handled by shippers that are certified members of the Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement.”

Teressa Lopez, Arizona Leafy Greens Food Safety Committee administrator, confirmed the CFIA notified the LGMA that the new rule will be finalized and announced in August.

The items covered by the CFIA rule are: iceberg lettuce , romaine , green leaf, red leaf, butter lettuce, baby leaf lettuce (for example, immature lettuce or leafy greens), escarole, endive, spinach , cabbage , kale , arugula, chard and radicchio.

“Products not identified above are excluded from the requirement to be sourced from certified members of the Arizona LGMA (for example, bok choy and other Asian greens),” according to the CFIA.

Canada has required that California leafy greens be certified by the California LGMA for years.

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Pesticide report: More than 99% of produce samples in compliance

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:21:29 GMT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary , detailing results from 2018 tests of residues on produce and other items.

The report shows that more than 99% of the samples tested had “pesticide residues well below the benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency,” according to a USDA news release. Almost 48% had no detectable levels.

The Alliance for Food and Farming, which promotes science-based information on the safety of produce at safefruitsandveggies.com , said the report confirms what has been reported in past years.

“Year after year, the USDA report shows the exceptional level of compliance among fruit and vegetable farmers with the stringent laws and regulations governing pesticide use,” according to an alliance news release. “Specific to residues, this report shows consumers can enjoy organic and conventional fruits and vegetables with confidence.”

2018 results

Fresh and processed fruit and vegetables accounted for 87.8% of the total 10,545 samples collected in 2018, according to the report. Two-thirds of the samples were from domestic items and the rest were imported.

States in the testing program include California, Texas, Florida, Colorado, Washington and New York. About 25% of the samples were grown, packed and/or distributed in or from California.

Fresh fruit and vegetables tested in 2018 were: asparagus , cabbage , cilantro , green onions , kale , kiwifruit , mangoes , snap peas and sweet potatoes .

Processed fruits and vegetables in the program were canned and frozen cranberries, canned garbanzo beans, olives and peaches; frozen spinach, strawberries and sweet peas; and prunes and raisins.

Of the 10,545 samples tested (also includes rice, wheat flour and heavy cream), 82 samples (0.78) exceeded the set tolerance levels according to the report. Just over half of those tests came from domestic crops.

Samples with pesticides exceeding established tolerance, and the number of samples that exceeded limits included:

Asparagus (7)
Cabbage (1)
Cilantro (8)
Heavy cream (9)
Kale (19)
Kiwifruit (1)
Mangoes (3)
Raisins (3)
Rice (1)
Frozen spinach (4)
Snap peas (23)
Sweet potatoes (1)
Frozen strawberries (2)

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Fresh Express gets ‘Twisted’ with new chopped Caesar kits

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:40:46 GMT

Fresh Express has a new take on its chopped salad line that focuses on trending flavors, including a trio of “Twisted” Caesar salads.

The four salads will be on store shelves starting Oct. 5, with suggested retail prices of $3.99, according to a news release.

“Our newest Chopped Salad Kits were inspired by popular restaurant menu offerings and trending flavors, as well as a healthy dose of creativity,” Fabian Pereira, Fresh Express vice president of marketing and innovation. “The talented chefs at the Fresh Express Innovation Center put new twists on the classic Caesar salad and added unexpected ingredients to the Asian Thai salad to bring an exciting, flavorful chef inspired experience to consumers, and more variety in a fast-growing segment.”

The new salads and their ingredients are:

Twisted Asian Caesar: romaine lettuce, wonton strips, sesame seeds, dried pineapple, Asian Caesar dressing and grated parmesan cheese;
Twisted Avocado Caesar: romaine lettuce, corn kernels, yellow and blue tortilla strips, grated parmesan cheese and Avocado Caesar dressing;
Twisted Greek Caesar: romaine lettuce, herb flatbread strips, crumbled feta cheese and Greek Caesar dressing; and
Thai ‘N’ Cashews: green and red cabbage , romaine lettuce, carrots, green onions, Thai spiced wonton strips, roasted cashews, toasted coconut flakes and creamy Thai dressing.

Sales of Fresh Express salads in the chopped line have risen 57% in the last year, according to the release. Caesar-based recipe kits are the most popular in the category, according to the company.

Fresh Express will be sampling the new salad kits at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit expo Oct. 18-19 in Anaheim, Calif., at booth No. 2037.

California growers expecting good, typical season

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:42:13 GMT

Good weather this winter should result in plentiful supplies of top-notch spring produce from California’s grower-shippers.

Boskovich Fresh Food Group grows a wide range of products year-round in Oxnard, Calif., including cabbages, Chinese mix and bunched items like parsley, cilantro and spinach, said sales manager Russ Widerburg.

The company grows celery in Oxnard from November through June, when the deal transitions to Santa Maria.

Boskovich now is growing head and leaf lettuce in Yuma, Ariz., and will move to Santa Maria by early April.

And some items like radishes and beets will switch from Mexico to Oxnard in mid-April.

The first part of the winter has been marked by an oversupply and relatively cheap markets, Widerburg said.

“Until the Yuma program is finished, there’s really no sign of any lack of supply of anything,” he said. “There hasn’t been any weather to affect anything.”

Markets were in single digits, he said in late February.

Planting has been on schedule with no rain delays.

“It’s been pretty dry the last month or month-and-a-half,” he said.

There was some early rain and some light cold spells, Widerburg said, “but nothing to really harm any of the crops in the long term.”

Quality also was good.

“Quality is not a concern because there hasn’t been any weather,” he said.

Widerburg expects good demand across the board for Easter, April 12, but he said the celery market has been depressed since Thanksgiving.

Last year, celery was in the media spotlight thanks largely to the juicing craze, and supplies were somewhat tight.

Supplies are plentiful this year, and markets have plummeted.

Cartons of two dozen stalks from Oxnard had an f.o.b. price of mostly $40.95-42.55 on Feb. 28, 2019. This year they were mostly $7.06-8.05, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Brawley, Calif.-based Five Crowns Marketing is California’s largest grower of sweet corn, said Daren Van Dyke, director of marketing. And this year’s crop could come on about a week earlier than last year’s, which was knocked back by a post-Valentine’s Day freeze.

Growing weather has been ideal this year, he said.

“I would say this crop looks exceptional,” he said.

In fact, Van Dyke said this year’s crop is one of the best he’s ever seen.

“It looks very uniform, very even.”

Sometimes parts of a field are more mature than others, or there are pollination problems, he said. But not this year.

“We are super encouraged by how the crop looks right now.”

Five Crowns has sweet corn year-round, starting in Brawley in April, then moving to Coachella in May, followed by Mendota, Tracy, Arizona, and Washington.

The company now is sourcing from Sinaloa, Mexico.

Five Crowns also is one of the owners of the proprietary seed for Origami vine-ripe, extended-shelf-life melons, which Van Dyke calls “the most unbelievable cantaloupe on the market.”

It’s scheduled to start May 1, followed by variety melons and honeydews by May 10-15.

The company will offer seedless watermelons from Arizona starting in early June.

“We’ll have a huge July Fourth program,” he said.

That deal then will move to Mendota and Tracy before transitioning to Mexico for the winter.

Sunnyside Packing Co.’s spring offerings are “the counter-seasonal equivalent to Nogales (Ariz.),” said Todd Hirasuna, general manager at the Selma, Calif.-based company.

Sunnyside will have eggplant, bell peppers, soft squash, hard squash and a few green beans and a small onion program.

Hirasuna said California appeared to be slipping into a dry spell after record rainfall last year.

“It’s definitely a drought year,” he said.

The season started off promising, Hirasuna said. Then the rain stopped.

“It’s been pretty dry and pretty warm.”

Ideally, rain would fall from November to February, he said.

He was not wishing for rain during the spring planting season, when precipitation “becomes more of a nuisance than anything.”

“When trying to protect and nurture a little seedling, rain is not your friend at this point,” he said in late February.

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Florida growers expecting good crop this spring

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:28:23 GMT

Thanks to mostly favorable growing weather, Florida grower-shippers anticipate a strong spring season for their fruits and vegetables.

Tomatoes, strawberries and cabbage were the Florida commodities with the highest volume during the week of Feb. 16, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Florida accounted for 37% of U.S. tomatoes that week, 49% of strawberries and 39% of cabbage.

Items trending up as of Feb. 16 compared to the same time last year were avocados, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, bell peppers, other peppers, radishes, squash, strawberries and round tomatoes.

Items trending down were beans, bok choy, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, sweet corn, endive, escarole, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and plum tomatoes.

West Coast Tomato Shippers LLC , Palmetto, Fla., has had “an unbelievable market for the last 3.5 months,” president Bob Spencer said in mid-February.

Florida growers did not plant quite as many tomatoes as they did last year, and Mexico’s production was down as well, he said, resulting in favorable markets.

The company started its tomato harvest in October and will continue through June 5.

The firm grows round and roma tomatoes and will have its normal acreage this year, Spencer said.

He was optimistic about the spring season.

“The crops look good,” he said, with decent sizing.

Weather has been favorable, for the most part, Spencer added, although a few cold snaps may have caused some bloom dro

“Overall, the crops appear to be in relatively good shape,” he said.

Yields might drop a bit in early March because of the colder weather, but they should return to normal by the middle of the month, he said.

Astin Strawberry Exchange LLC , Plant City, Fla., will have strawberries until the end of March, said salesman JR Pierce.

Pierce described berry quality as “very good.”

The company entered its peak strawberry season in mid-February, and that will continue through mid-March, he said.

Organic strawberries also were peaking with good flavor, quality and plenty of volume, he said.

Blueberries were set to start at the beginning of March, should have a big month in April and go through the end of May.

Pierce expected good volume, size and quality on blueberries this season.

Utopia Packing LLC , a division of Utopia Farms, Myakka City, Fla., was just planting cucumbers and bell peppers in mid-February, said Jim Monteith, sales manager.

The company has two different crops — one on Florida’s east coast and another in the Myakka City area in the western part of Florida.

The crop in the east starts in early March, but the larger of the two crops is in the west and starts in mid-April.

“That’s when we really get started as far as spring volume goes,” Monteith said.

Cucumbers should start there on April 8 with bell peppers following 10 days to two weeks later.

Utopia Packing will have “very promotable volume” by the end of April, he said.

On the citrus side, Seald Sweet International , Vero Beach, Fla., was finished with its grapefruit and tangerines for the season but expected to have fresh valencia oranges through May and then ship out of storage through June and maybe into July, said GT Parris, commodity manager.

Quality on valencias was “top-notch,” he said.

Spring is a transition period for Brooks Tropicals Inc. , Homestead, Fla., said Mary Ostlund, director of marketing.

The company’s Florida-grown Slimcado tropical avocados were winding down, but the summer crop will kick off in June, she said.

There were ample supplies of good-quality Caribbean red papayas, a year-round item, and Brooks Tropicals will have Florida passion fruit until late March.

Star fruit will be available through March then return in July, and Florida dragon fruit will return in June.

Florida lychees and mamey sapote should kick off their summer seasons in May, Ostlund said.

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Kern County crops in good shape, mostly on time

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:36:29 GMT

In spite of some recent heavy rainfall, grower-shippers in California’s Kern County said they were anticipating an on-time start for this year’s deal.

Rain forced a slight delay on the start of lettuce and cabbage, but harvest of those items began April 13, said Danny Andrews, owner of Bakersfield, Calif.-based Dan Andrews Farms LLC .

Andrews started the deal with iceberg lettuce, green and red cabbage. He will have carrots, which he will channel through Grimmway Farms’ network, in June, and melons in July.

April brought plenty of rain, Andrews said.

“Currently, we’ve had record April rainfall for Bakersfield,” he said the week of April 12.

“We set two records this week — we’ve had 3 inches in three days, which broke two all-time records.”

It was frustrating, he said.

“It’s great to get rain, but it’s delaying harvest and we may get tractors stuck in the field harvesting,” he said. “Who knows? The crop may not hold as long as it normally holds because of the late season.”

Andrews said the overabundant moisture may bring difficulties for melon planting.

“Melons, we’re worried seeds might not germinate properly and there may be lighter yields in a light harvest and we might have to replant for July harvest,” he said.

Related content: Dan Andrews Farms adds melon varieties

Edison, Calif.-based Johnston Farms was finishing up its citrus in mid-April and was turning its attention to potatoes, with a May 10 expected start, and peppers, June 1, said Dennis Johnston, owner.

“Weather has been warmer than normal, but the last two or three weeks have been rainy and cool and slowed the potatoes and peppers down a bit, so the potatoes will be about a week later,” he said.

In spite of overabundant recent rains, the potato crop looked “very good,” while the peppers were just in the flowering stage as of April 12, Johnston said.

“It’s supposed to dry out and get some warmth, so normally we do have a good crop,” he said. “I’d say three weeks we had rain starting and lots of rain — more than we’re used to.”

Rainy weather hadn’t affected the carrot crop at Arvin, Calif.-based Kern Ridge Growers LLC , salesman Doug Stewart said.

“We’re moving carrots and citrus; everything is going really good,” he said.

“The carrot crop looks good. We’re trying to keep up with the fields in production. Rain hasn’t affected anything. We’re digging down south.”

Edison-based Kirschenman Enterprises Inc. was harvesting potatoes in the Coachella Valley, said Wayde Kirschenman, owner and president.

“Crop quality seems to be very, very good,” he said. “The crop we’re digging in the Coachella area seems to be the best we’ve had in years.”

Kirschenman will begin harvesting white, red and yellow spuds in Bakersfield around May 1, he said.

Related content: Later start, good quality from Kern County crops

“Lot of rain the last few days, but it’s clearing out and supposed to be nice,” he said.

Kirschenman saw the rainfall as a benefit.

“It’s nice to get some of the good rains,” he said. “The rain didn’t do any damage; it was good to have.”

Kirschenman also has table grapes, which should start in Kern County at the end of June.

“A lot have been pushed out because (of) too much supply,” he said.

“There will be less grapes this year. It has nothing to do with COVID, but all to do with declining markets. There will be less production.”

Some grape varieties were pulled out in favor of new varieties, and that will lead to less volume, he said.

“Overall, 10% of production in the industry got pulled out from a year ago because of saturation of markets,” he said.

Bakersfield-based TD Produce Sales anticipates a good potato crop, beginning with whites April 27 and reds and yellows May 4, said Tom Drulias, owner.

“The crop is coming along fine,” he said. “We’ve had some cool weather here and a lot of rain over the last three days, and maybe that has slowed things up a little bit.”

Everything was “pretty much” on time, he said.

“Quality looks good with all the varieties at this time on the samples I’ve seen from the field,” he said.

Georgia produce growers focus on retail, new strategies

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:38:03 GMT

Georgia growers who supply mostly retailers say they’re doing fine, but as for foodservice business — well, not so much.

Consumers are still eating leafy greens and also demanding his other vegetables, said Heath Wetherington, director of operations for Baker Farms , Norman Park, Ga.

“I don’t think consumption of food has gone down, more just the way it’s consumed,” Wetherington said.

Some growers of cabbage used for foodservice slaw have seen a 40% decrease in sales, he said.

Baker Farms’ ratio of retail, foodservice and wholesale customers changes year to year, and with its processing facility and ability to bag leafy greens, Wetherington said the company has picked up more retail customers. However, he’s seen a drop in wholesale sales.

Aries Haygood — owner of A&M Farms, Lyons, Ga., president of the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association and chairman of the Vidalia Onion Committee — hasn’t been doing too badly on the demand side either, and his experience isn’t unique.

“I think there’s definitely been an uptick in onion sales overall because they’re a staple item with most meals, everybody pretty much wants them and they keep longer,” Haygood said.

Most of the Vidalia onions from Bland Farms , Glennville, Ga., go to retailers, so customer demand is “right on track,” said Delbert Bland, president.

“As a Vidalia grower, we feel fortunate. Most generic onion varieties go to restaurants and have seen a drop in business due to shutdowns. But most Vidalias go to retailers, and we’ve seen an increase in sales as people cook more meals at home,” Bland said.

Shuman Farms , Reidsville, Ga., is also seeing good demand for its RealSweet-branded Vidalia onions, said John Shuman, president and CEO.

Baker Farms isn’t launching new promotions during this global pandemic, but rather is adjusting to the news and changing realities as they come.

Shuman Farms is continuing with its 2020 plans of cross-merchandising initiatives and on-pack coupons, as well as offering retail partners several options for in-store signage and display bins.

Georgia may be famous for its Vidalia onions, peaches and pecans, but it’s often the No. 1 state in the nation for production of blueberries, according to the Georgia Farm Bureau.

While it’s too soon to tell about this season, the market was better for these popular berries in 2019 than in 2018, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market News.

In the peak month of May 2019, southern Georgia moved 19.7 million pallets of blueberry clamshell pints, compared to 13.3 million in May 2018, according to the USDA.

Georgia is also one of biggest U.S. producers of watermelon, peaches, cucumbers, sweet corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, cantaloupes and cabbage, according to the bureau.

For cabbage, May 2018 was by far the highest-moving month of the year, with 28 million cartons compared to 23.4 million cartons in May 2019.

PACKAGING

Entering its second spring season and in some Winn-Dixie and Food Lion stores, Baker Farms’ 1-pound Rootables bags of turnip and beet roots are doing well, Wetherington said.

“Along with our leafy greens, when we started bagging products, it just made it more convenient. Maybe we’ll discover it makes it safer. If you’re like me, once you’re in that grocery store, you’ll pick up one, two or three tomatoes before you find the good one that you want. I think you’re going to see a lot more of that non-contact packaging. We were seeing a lot more of that before all this (COVID-19) came about,” he said.

With consumers shopping inside grocery stores as quickly as possible, Haygood expects bagged onions to be easiest, but they’re still buying bulk, “so it’s hard to predict,” he said.

The inclement weather has caused more medium-sized Vidalia onions this season, several growers said, and Shuman pointed out that size profile may work even better with bagged onion promotions anyway.

“Consumers are also preferring bagged produce for its convenience and perceived safety,” Shuman said.

Eric Bolesta, salesman for Grower Network, founded by Corbett Bros. Farms , Lake Park, Ga., said more and more of his customers are asking for value-added, packaged items.

“Some attribute it to COVID-19 stuff; others just see a consumer preference leaning into that year after year. People are more focused on it than before,” Bolesta said.

PROMOTING LOCAL

Buying Georgia-grown — or American-grown for that matter — produce is more important than ever with the roller-coaster rises and dives in demand since the pandemic took hold of the U.S., said Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

“You’re basically buying for the survival of the American farmer. If you lose 40% of your market because foodservice is not buying, it’s more of a survival message than a support message,” Hall said.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., Georgia and Florida growers launched an American-Grown consumer campaign, spurred on by concerns of trade deals causing an influx of imported fruits and vegetables.

The Georgia association is ramping up its buy-local efforts in collaboration with the state department of agriculture, promoting the #BuyGeorgiaGrown or #GeorgiaGrown hashtag on social media, using the slogan, “Do you know where your produce comes from?”

Members are also encouraged to use the #AmericaGrowsitBest hashtag.

Forced to find new lines of business during the coronavirus fallout, Hall said there is a lot of growth in farmers selling mixed-produce boxes in their local areas.

“They’re looking for ways to get produce moved,” Hall said.

On 500 acres in Moultrie, Ga., Chill C Farms grows bell peppers, yellow squash, eggplant, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and specialty peppers, selling to wholesalers and directly to consumers. The farm has seen growth in its mixed-produce boxes for pickup or delivery.

Lewis Taylor Farms, Tifton, Ga., grows more than 8,500 acres of produce, including cantaloupes, watermelon, pepper, tomato, squash, cucumbers, greens, broccoli.

In mid-April on its Facebook page, the company started offering the mixed-produce boxes to the public for pickup without having to leave their vehicles, and the response was so great that the consumer boxes returned the following weeks.

The old channels of business will come back, one way or another, growers say.

Wetherington said his restaurateur friends tell him when the country re-opens, they will need to restock 100% of their inventory.

“I do think there will be a surge. I think there will be a lot of good movement,” he said.

“I ask people to be patient, because farmers haven’t quit, and we want to be here for America when it gets back on its feet, 100%.”