Kale

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.”

Weather Dominates in California’s Winter Desert Vegetables

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 23:34:41 GMT

The “cool” in “cool-season crops” means something different when it comes to California’s deserts in winter.

For example, winter highs average 69°F to 80°F from December through March in the Palm Desert of southeastern California. Lows average 45°F to 54°F during the same time. In the more arid southern tip of the San Joaquin Valley, winter highs usually average 60°F to 71°F and winter lows average 41°F to 46°F.

Garret Powell, general manager of sales at Peter Rabbit Farms, likens California’s deserts in winter to summers for most of the rest of the country’s farming regions.

“Sunny days and cool nights create an ideal growing region for wintertime,” he says.

Speaking specifically of the Coachella Valley, where Peter Rabbit has been a seasonal grower of bell peppers, leafy greens, and eggplant for 75 years now, Powell adds that there is little rain and ample available water in the form of reliable aquifers.

“It means that we’re able to grow all sorts of vegetables here,” he says.

Steve Adlesh, director of sales and marketing of Beachside Produce, describes California winter desert growing as an essential element for any company that wants to provide vegetables to customers year-round. Powell similarly describes the time and place as the natural transition point for growers and distributors that grow in Mexico and South America in early spring and elsewhere in the U.S. in summer.

For cool-season vegetable crops like broccoli, cauliflower, celery, Brussels sprouts, cilantro and kale, the unique winter climate of California’s deserts is beneficial, Adlesh adds.

“Those have to be in a climate where you’re not going to have much rain, and in the desert region, there’s really little to no rain during December, January and February,” he says.

Weather is Everything in the Desert

Despite being essential to a year-round vegetable strategy, winter growing in California’s deserts comes with potentially unexpected weather-related challenges.

“The thing we worry about in the desert are the freezes and freezing temperatures,” Adlesh explains. “It can get into the 20s when you get into late November to late December.”

While most cool-season crops can tolerate a freeze, it results in logistical difficulties.

“[A freeze] curtails the harvest because you have to let the produce, especially the lettuces, thaw out before you can harvest them, or you damage the tissue, and it’s just no good for the customer,” Adlesh says. “If you have ice in the morning and you can’t start harvesting until 11, obviously the production is going to decline and there’s going to be a lack of supply. So that can be a deal breaker if we have a really cold, cold winter.”

However, this winter looks like it will potentially be warmer than usual. In early October, the National Weather Service announced a weak La Niña condition , which usually means drier and warmer winters for Southern California, had been confirmed. At the end of October, it projected higher-than-average temperatures will likely exist for the area through the end of January.

This fits with what Peter Rabbit Farms has experienced in the Coachella Valley, according to Powell.

“This is a peculiar fall, we’ve had about 12 [degrees] to 15 degrees of higher-than-average temperatures for the last two weeks,” Powell reported during the first week of November. “This season has been getting much warmer temperatures than average. So, it’s really brought all the crops forward a little bit. I think this year we started our red peppers maybe 15 days earlier than normal.”

Desert Weather Giveth and It Taketh Away

What the weather does in the desert can have outsized impacts on winter vegetable markets.

For example, Powell explained that while Peter Rabbit Farms was able to start its fall bell peppers early and get good color on them earlier; so too were all the other fall and early-winter pepper growers in the desert.

“The guys in Central California were allowed to keep going, and it has created a pepper market where you have a lot of suppliers that are either ending their season and then you have a lot of suppliers who are now starting earlier and getting started,” Powell says. “So, there’s been high availability of peppers out there, and that’s the challenge.”

The inverse is also true.

“Right now, the markets are so high due to Mother Nature,” says Adlesh, speaking of the hail that hit some greens-growing regions. “It’s crazy. There’s lettuce, $40, $50; romaine, $40, $50; green leaf, $40, $50. That’s because of what Mother Nature threw at us here about a month ago.”

While the success of all agriculture rests on the whims of weather, Adlesh says that is especially true in the California deserts in winter given the extremes in play and what that weather can mean for markets.

“It’s hard to make money in the desert, period. We go down there to keep our customers in supply year-round, but it’s a huge risk for all the shippers that do year-round programs,” he explains. “You just plan what you need for your contract and, outside of that, don’t take any chances, because if the if the weather is nice all winter and the supplies are heavy, it can be an absolute nightmare.”

Different Sort of ‘Winter’ Desert Vegetable

While sweetpotatoes aren’t grown in California’s deserts in the winter, with harvest usually wrapping up at the end of October, they are in highest demand during winter holiday meals and are grown in California’s deserts. These deserts are uniquely well suited to sweetpotatoes’ growing needs, according to Jeremy Fookes, director of sales at AV Thomas Produce.

Fookes explains that the massive day-to-night temperature swings, sometimes as much as 40 degrees to 50 degrees, common in California’s deserts are essential to sweetpotatoes’ ability to develop the best flavor. The nature of the desert soil is also important, he adds, describing a small patch of California’s Central Valley between southern Stanislaus County down through northern Merced County as perfect “for producing good looking sweet potatoes.”

“The soft, sandy soil allows for the shape of the potatoes to develop the clean look to them that makes for high-quality, aesthetically pleasing potatoes,” he says. “There are certain regions throughout the country or even the world that produce good quality wines. Well, it’s the same thing with sweetpotatoes and a lot of other crops.”

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

Hitchcock Farms back in Salinas Valley

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 19:00:20 GMT

Salinas, Calif.-based Hitchcock Farms has completed its transition from the Southern California desert region to its spring/summer/fall home in Salinas, said Dan Holt, vice president of sales and marketing.

The company is harvesting romaine, romaine hearts, Iceberg Babies — softball-size heads of lettuce — leeks, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cilantro, parsley and kale, he said.

Hitchcock Farms began its second year of napa cabbage in late April.

The company launched the napa deal in the Salinas growing region in 2019.

“We’re making a full cycle starting with the Salinas crop,” Holt said.

In mid-May, the company will be back into its fava bean program, and in July, white sweet corn will be back for its second year.

“We’re looking to build on it this year,” he said.

Some new products also are on the agenda for summer, Holt said.

Related content:
Salinas Valley suppliers look to sustainable packaging options
Organic going strong among Salinas growers
Salinas Valley grower-shippers cope with COVID-19

FDA proposes heightened traceability rules for certain produce

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:46:49 GMT

The Food and Drug Administration has proposed new traceability rules that seek elevated record-keeping for many fresh produce items, from all fresh-cut products to leafy greens and tomatoes.

Starting Sept. 23, there will be a 120-day public comment period on the new rule through the Federal Register. A draft is available for viewing until then. The rule is a key component of the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety and implements the long-awaited Section 204 of Food Safety Modernization Act.

Frank Yiannas, FDA deputy commissioner for food policy and response, said the agency seeks to harmonize and standardize record-keeping process to ease investigations. The FDA will still allow paper records, but all companies in the supply chain should be able to submit an electronic spreadsheet containing traceability information within 24 hours.

“More generally, the FDA encourages all food businesses to maintain their traceability records electronically whenever possible, to expedite the identification of traceability information when needed to address threats to public health,” according to an FDA news release.

Yiannas acknowledged that many in the produce industry have adopted voluntary traceability standards, whether through the Produce Traceability Initiative or the California/Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement.

But the current one-step forward, one step back requirement, is lacking, according to the FDA.

“These requirements form a baseline for traceability recordkeeping, but they provide limited information to effectively and rapidly link shipments of food through each point in the supply chain,” according to the FDA release. “This — and the fact that recordkeeping systems can be largely paper-based and lack a universal lexicon throughout industry — can make it difficult to trace a product to its original source when necessary.

Formerly referred to as “high-risk foods,” the Food Traceability List includes these items — and any items made with them:

Cucumbers, all varieties;
Fresh herbs, all varieties;
Leafy greens, including all lettuces and kale, chicory, watercress, chard, arugula, spinach, pak choi, sorrel, collards, and endive;
All melons, including watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe
Peppers, all varieties;
Sprouts; all varieties;
Tomatoes; all varieties;
Tropical tree fruits, including mangoes, papayas, lychees, starfruit and guavas; and
Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.

The FDA is highlighting what it calls Critical Tracking Events (CTEs), which includes growing, receiving, transforming (fresh-cut), and shipping. For each CTE, the FDA wants entities to maintain records (known as Key Data Elements/KDEs) including:

Traceability lot code;
Date the product was received;
When it was shipped; and
A description of the product.

“In addition, those subject to the rule would also be required to create and maintain records related to their internal traceability program, which would help regulators better understand a firm’s recordkeeping practices and traceability operations,” according to the release.

The industry will become familiar with the new terminology (CTE, KDE); Yiannas said a big step to standardization is a common language shared by all in the supply chain.

According to a statement from the California LGMA, it and its sister organization in Arizona appear to be in compliance with the proposed FDA rules.

“We want to assure our customers and consumers that members of the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement are already required to have traceback systems in place,” according to the statement. “This has been part of the LGMA requirements since the organization was formed in 2007.

“As with any other aspect of our program, the LGMA is committed to making any necessary improvements to protect consumers,” according to the LGMA’s statement.

Related stories:

New Era of Smarter Food Safety is upon us

California LGMA survey looks at members’ traceability plans

Groups urge FDA to require better traceability for leafy greens

GoodLeaf supplies local lettuce, microgreens from Ontario

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:35:48 GMT

GoodLeaf’s 45,000 square-foot Guelph, Ontario, facility is now fully functional.

The indoor vertical farm was opened in 2019, and after a few months of trials and COVID-19 pandemic-related delays, the facility is Safe Quality Food-certified and will be growing baby leaf products and microgreens year-round.

GoodLeaf has been selling four microgreen stock-keeping units commercially about a year, according to a news release, and with full production, retail partners include Loblaws, Longo’s Sobeys and Whole Foods. Foodservice customers will also be added.

The company recently released Ontario Arugula and Ontario Baby Kale into the market.

According to the company, producing in Canada makes the product immune from delays or longer wait times at the border such as those caused by the pandemic.

GoodLeaf has four microgreens and two baby greens available in Ontario:

Spicy Mustard Medley
Pea Shoots
Micro Asian Blend
Micro Arugula
Baby Kale
Baby Arugula

Marketscope — Fruit f.o.b.s as of May 4

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:44:12 GMT

Apples

YAKIMA VALLEY AND WENATCHEE DISTRICT WASHINGTON 2019 CROP — Shipments (1,053-1,133-1,147, Includes exports 265-256-279) — Movement expected about the same. Trading Gala active, others moderate. Prices Generally Unchanged. Washington Extra Fancy Carton tray pack Red Delicious 72-88s mostly 14.00-16.00, 100-113s mostly 13.00-15.00; Golden Delicious fine appearance 72s mostly 25.00- 28.00, 80s mostly 24.00-26.00, 88s mostly 22.00-26.00, 100s mostly 18.00-22.00; Fuji 64-88s mostly 18.00-20.00, 100s mostly 16.00- 18.00, 113s mostly 14.00-17.00; Granny Smith 64s mostly 18.00-20.00, 72-80s mostly 18.00-22.00, 88s 18.00-20.00, 100s mostly 17.00- 19.00, 113-125s mostly 16.00-18.00; Gala 64-72s mostly 22.00-24.00, 80s 20.00-24.00, 88s mostly 18.00-20.00, 100s mostly 15.00-17.00, 113s 13.00-16.00, 125s mostly 13.00-15.00; Honeycrisp 56s mostly 28.00-34.90, 64s mostly 32.00-38.90, 72-80s 34.00-40.90, 88s mostly 32.00-38.90, 100s mostly 30.00-36.90. Cartons 12 3-pound film bags Red Delicious Washington Extra Fancy 2 1/2" minimum mostly 15.95-17.95; Golden Delicious, Fuji, and Gala 2 1/2" minimum mostly 16.95-18.95; Granny Smith 1/2" minimum mostly 18.95-20.95; Honeycrisp 2 1/2" minimum mostly 30.95-34.95. ORGANIC cartons tray pack Gala Washington Extra Fancy 64s mostly 22.00-26.00, 72- 80s mostly 20.00-26.00, 88s mostly 18.00-24.00, 100s mostly 18.00-20.00; cartons 12 3 pound film bags Gala 2 1/2" minimum mostly 16.95-20.95.

NEW YORK 2019 CROP — Shipments (68-72-69) — Movement expected to remain about the same. Trading Moderate. Prices Generally Unchanged. Fuji Cartons Tray Pack U.S. Extra Fancy 80s-88s mostly 26.00-27.00; Gala Cartons Tray Pack U.S. Extra Fancy 80s-88s mostly 26.00-30.00; McIntosh Cartons Tray Pack U.S. Extra Fancy 80s-88s mostly 27.00-28.00; Empire Cartons Tray Pack U.S. Extra Fancy 80s-88s mostly 23.50-26.00; Cortland Cartons Tray Pack U.S. Extra Fancy 80s-88s mostly 24.00-28.00. Cartons 12 3-pound Film Bags Red Delicious U.S. Extra Fancy mostly 16.00-19.00; Fuji U.S. Extra Fancy mostly 20.00-22.00; Gala U.S. Extra Fancy 2 1/2 inch minimum mostly 20.00-23.00; McIntosh U.S. Extra Fancy 2 ½ inch minimum mostly 18.00-22.00; Empire U.S. Extra Fancy 2 1/2 inch minimum mostly 18.00-22.00.

MICHIGAN — Shipments (61-68-51) — Movement expected about the same. Trading Moderate. Prices Generally Unchanged. cartons 12 3- pound film bags U.S. Extra Fancy Gala and McIntosh mostly 18.00-20.00, Red Delicious mostly 17.00-19.00, Jonagold mostly 17.00- 18.00, Fuji and Golden Delicious mostly 19.00-21.00, Tray pack 88s Gala and Fuji 24.00-28.00, Red Delicious mostly 20.00-22.00, Golden Delicious 21.00-24.00. Supplies of Golden Delicious and McIntoshlight and in few hands, Fuji fairly light.

APPALACHIAN DISTRICT 2019 CROP — Shipments (22-19-20) — Movement expected about the same. Trading Fairly Active. Prices Unchanged. Cartons traypack U.S. Extra Fancy Red Delicious 72s-88s $20.00-21.00, 100s $19.00-20.00; Golden Delicious 72s-88s $25.00-26.00; Fuji 80s-88s $27.00-28.00; Gala 80s-88s $27.00-30.00; and McIntosh 80s-88s $26.00-28.00 cartons 12-3 pound filmbags U.S. Extra Fancy 2 1/2" minimum Red Delicious mostly $18.00-19.00, Golden Delicious $20.00-22.00, Fuji $21.00-23.00, Gala $22.00-24.00 and McIntosh $19.00-21.00.

NEW ENGLAND 2019 CROP — Shipments (2-2-3) — Movement expected to remain about the same. Too few open market sales to establish a market.

Apricots

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CALIFORNIA 2020 CROP — Shipments (U-U-U) — Light and sporadic has harvesting has begun. Rain and cooler then normal temperatures have postponed harvest. First F.O.B. expected week of May 10, 2020. (U = unavailable)

Avocados

MEXICO — CROSSINGS THROUGH TEXAS 2019 CROP — Crossings (353-543-437) — Movement expected to remain about the same. Trading Fairly Slow. Prices Lower. Cartons 2 layer Hass 32-36s mostly 38.25-40.25, 40-48s mostly 38.25-40.25, 60s mostly 36.25-38.25, 70s mostly 27.25-29.25, 84s mostly 21.25-22.25. Extra services included.

SOUTH DISTRICT CALIFORNIA 2020 CROP — Shipments (112-140-U) — Movement expected to increase. Trading Fairly Slow. Prices 60-84s lower, others generally unchanged. Carton 2 layer Hass 32-36s mostly 44.25-46.25, 40-48s mostly 42.25-44.25, 60s mostly 39.25-41.25, 70s mostly 29.25-30.25, 84s mostly 22.25-23.25. Carton 2 layer Hass ORGANIC 48s mostly 58.25-60.25, 60s mostly 56.25-58.25, 70s mostly 42.25-45.25. Extra services included. (U = unavailable)

Blueberries

SOUTH GEORGIA 2020 CROP — Shipments (17-38-52) — Movement expected to remain about the same. Trading Fairly Active. Prices Higher. Flats 12 1-pint cups with lids large 20.00-22.00, ORGANIC 12 1-pint cups with lids medium large 25.00-28.00, 6 ounce cups with lids medium-large 14.00-18.50. Quality variable.

MEXICO — CROSSINGS THROUGH ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA AND TEXAS — Crossings (56-53*-48) — Movement expected to decrease. Trading early moderate, late slow. Prices Generally Unchanged. Flats 12 6-oz cups with lids mostly 10.00. Quality and condition variable. (* revised)

SOUTH AND CENTRAL DISTRICT CALIFORNIA — Shipments (12-18-27) — Movement expected to increase seasonally. Trading Slow. Flats 12 1- pint cups with lids 18.00-28.00 mostly 22.00-24.00 occasional higher flats 12 6-ounce cups with lids 10.00-16.00 mostly 12.00-14.00 occasional higher. ORGANIC flats 12 6-ounce cups with lids 12.00-16.00 mostly 14.00-16.00 few 10.00 occasional higher.

CENTRAL AND NORTH FLORIDA 2020 CROP — Shipments (33-18-14) — Movement expected to decrease sharply as nearly all growers have finished for the season. Expect very light — Shipments for 1-2 more weeks. LAST REPORT

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA — Light harvest expected during the current trade week (May 03-09, 2020). Currently, no F.O.B. is being issued. FIRST REPORT.

Cherries

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CALIFORNIA 2020 CROP — Shipments (0-0-47) — Movement expected to increase. Harvesting has begun in the Southern portion of the district. First F.o.b expected to begin on or around May 7th.

Grapes

CHILE IMPORTS — PORT OF ENTRY PHILADELPHIA AREA 2020 CROP Imports via Boat — (44-205-38) — Movement expected to decrease seasonally. Trading White Seedless Type Moderate, others Slow. Prices Generally Unchanged. 18 lb containers bagged Red Seedless exlge 16.00-18.00, lge 14.00- 16.00, med 12.00-14.00 Black Seedless exlge mostly 16.00, lge 14.00-16.00, med-lge mostly 12.00-14.00 Red Globe jbo mostly 16.00, exlge 14.00-16.00, lge 12.00-14.00 SPECIAL STORAGE White Seedless Type exlge 34.00-36.00, lge mostly 32.00-34.00, med-lge mostly 28.00-30.00.

MEXICO — CROSSINGS THROUGH NOGALES ARIZONA — Crossings (6-13-31) — Movement from Jalisco expected to increase slightly. Harvest in Hermosillo is expected to begin the week of May 2. The Hermosillo Grape Growers Association estimates the 2020 crop at 19.7 million 18 -pound cartons, down 20 percent from 23.6 million in 2019. Harvest of White, Red and Black varieties expected to begin the week May 3 from Sonora, Mexico. Quality generally good. The first F.O.B report is expected to be issued the week of May 10, when most shippers expect to be fully underway.

CHILE IMPORTS — PORT OF ENTRY LOS ANGELES AREA 2020 CROP Imports via Boat — (13-29-23) — Movement expected to decrease seasonally. Trading White Seedless Type Moderate, others Slow. Prices Red Seedless Slightly Lower, others Generally Unchanged. 18 lb containers bagged Red Seedless exlge mostly 16.00, lge 14.00- 16.00, med-lge 12.00-14.00 Black Seedless exlge mostly 16.00, lge 14.00- 16.00, med-lge mostly 12.00-14.00 Red Globe jbo mostly 16.00, exlge 14.00-16.00, lge 12.00-14.00 SPECIAL STORAGE White Seedless Type exlge mostly 34.00-36.00, lge mostly 32.00-34.00, med-lge mostly 30.00-32.00.

COACHELLA VALLEY CALIFORNIA 2020 CROP — Shipments (0-0-0) — Movement expected to increase seasonally. Light harvesting is expected to get underway the week of May 11th. F.O.B. expected to begin on or around May 18th. FIRST REPORT

Lemons

SOUTH AND CENTRAL DISTRICT CALIFORNIA — Shipments Moderate — Movement expected about the same. Trading Moderate. Prices Shippers First Grade 75-115s and 165s slightly higher, others generally unchanged. 7/10 bushel cartons Shippers First Grade 75s mostly 24.18-26.20, 95-115s mostly 25.18-28.20, 140s mostly 24.18-27.20, 165s mostly 24.18-26.20, 200s mostly 23.18-26.20, 235s mostly 19.18-22.20; Shippers Choice 75s mostly 16.18-19.20, 95s mostly 17.10-20.20, 115s mostly 18.18-20.20, 140s mostly 19.18-23.20, 165s mostly 21.18-24.20, 200s mostly 20.10-24.20, 235s mostly 18.18-21.20. ORGANIC 7/10 bushel Shippers First Grade 75s mostly 28.18- 32.20, 95-115s mostly 37.18-42.20, 140s mostly 37.18-41.20; Shippers Choice 95-115s mostly 22.18-26.20, 140s mostly 24.18-30.20.

Oranges

FLORIDA — Shipments (85-96-84, Includes exports 2-3-2) — Prices not reported. — Shipments are for weeks ending April 4, April 11 and April 18 in that order.

MEXICO — CROSSINGS THROUGH NOGALES ARIZONA — Crossings (12-15-17) — Movement expected about the same. Trading Active. Prices Slightly Higher. 7/10 bushel cartons Valencia No Grade Marks 72-88s mostly 13.95-15.95, 113s 13.95-15.95, 138s 13.95-14.95. Quality variable.

SOUTH AND CENTRAL DISTRICT CALIFORNIA — Shipments 113-138s Fairly Light, others Moderate — Movement expected about the same. Trading Active. Prices First Grade 40s and 113s generally unchanged, others slightly higher. 7/10 bushel cartons Navel Shippers First Grade 40s mostly 17.18-19.20, 48-56s mostly 19.18-20.20, 72s mostly 17.18-20.20, 88-138s mostly 17.18-19.20; Shippers Choice 40s mostly 13.20-14.20, 48-72s mostly 14.18-15.20, 88s 14.18-16.50, 113s mostly 15.18-16.20, 138s mostly 14.18-16.20. ORGANIC 7/10 bushel cartons Navel Shippers First Grade 48-72s mostly 26.18-32.20, 88s 24.18-28.20, 113s mostly 24.18-28.20; Shippers Choice 56s mostly 18.18-22.20, 72-88s mostly 16.18-22.20.

Peaches

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CALIFORNIA 2020 CROP — Shipments (U-U-U) — Light and sporadic has harvesting has begun. Rain and cooler then normal temperatures have postponed harvest. First F.O.B. expected week of May 10, 2020. (U = unavailable)

Strawberries

SANTA MARIA DISTRICT — Shipments (218-286-352) — Movement expected to increase. Trading Conventional active, Organic moderate. Prices Higher. Flats 8 1-pound containers with lids medium-large mostly 8.00-10.00. ORGANIC Flats 1-pound containers with lids medium-large mostly 10.00-12.00. Quality and condition variable. Most present — Shipments from prior bookings and/or previous commitments.

OXNARD DISTRICT CALIFORNIA — Shipments (224-240-198) — Movement expected to decrease. Trading Moderate. Prices Unchanged. Flats 8 1-pound containers with lids small-medium mostly 8.00. Quality and condition variable. Most present — Shipments from prior bookings and/or previous commitments. Some berries being diverted to to freezer and/or processor.

SALINAS-WATSONVILLE CALIFORNIA — Shipments (37-82-168) — Movement expected to increase. Trading Conventional active, Organic moderate. Prices Higher. Flats 8 1-lb containers with lids large-extra large mostly 9.00-10.00. Quality variable. ORGANIC flats 8 1-pound containers with lids large-extra large mostly 10.00-12.00.

MEXICO — CROSSINGS THROUGH OTAY MESA CALIFORNIA — Crossings (43-33-22) — Movement expected to decrease sharply. Supplies in too few hands to establish a market. Quality and condition variable. Some berries being diverted to freezer and/or processor. Light and sporadic — Crossings expected to continue through May 9. LAST REPORT.

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA — Shipments (5-6-6) — Movement expected to remain about the same. Trading Moderate. Prices Generally Unchanged. Flats 8 1-pound containers with lids large 12.00-14.50. Includes palletizing and cooling.

Watermelons

FLORIDA SOUTH DISTRICT — Shipments (381-537-733, Seeded 46-54-56; Seedless 335-483-677) —Movement expected to increase. Trading Red Flesh Seedless 60s Very Active, Others Active. Prices Red Flesh Seedless 36s and 45s Slightly Lower, Others Generally Unchanged. 24 inch bins. Red Flesh Seeded type 35s mostly 105.00; Seedless type 36s 126.00-133.00, 45s mostly 147.00, 60s mostly 147.00. Quality generally good.

MEXICO — CROSSINGS THROUGH NOGALES ARIZONA — Crossings (318-408*-558) — Movement expected about the same. Trading Active. Prices Miniature 6s and 11s generally unchanged, others slightly higher. Red Flesh Seedless type 24 inch bins approximately 35-45 counts mostly 140.00-147.00, approximately 60 count mostly 133.00; Miniature (supplies light) cartons 6s 10.95-12.95, 8s mostly 13.95, 9s mostly 12.95-13.95, 11s 8.95-9.95. Quality variable. (* revised)

MEXICO — CROSSINGS THROUGH TEXAS — Crossings (111-100-43) — Movement expected to decrease seasonally. Trading Fairly Slow. Prices Generally Unchanged. Red Flesh Seedless type 24 inch bins per pound approximately 35 and 45 counts mostly .17-.18. Quality variable.

LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS — Shipments (5*-13-8) — Movement expected to increase seasonally. Supplies insufficient and in too few hands to establish a market. Quality generally good. The first F.O.B. report is expected to be issued the week of May 10. (* revised)

CENTRAL AND WESTERN ARIZONA — Harvest expected to begin in Western Arizona the week of May 10, followed by Central Arizona the week of May 17. Quality expected to be generally good.

IMPERIAL AND COACHELLA VALLEYS CALIFORNIA — Harvest expected to begin the week of May 3. Quality expected to be generally good.

A&A Organic shipping full line of spring vegetables

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:33:24 GMT

A&A Organic Farms, Watsonville, Calif., is busy with a full line of spring crops.

The company ships organic produce exclusively. Crops shipping this spring include artichokes , sugar snap peas , broccoli , kales , chards and turmeric, from the company’s Central California hub, according to a news release.

A&A Organic Farms also has a steady supply of strawberries from California’s Central Coast and Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. President Andy Martin said strawberry pack options are 1-pound clamshells, 1-pound ReadyCycle package and open pint ReadyCycle containers.

The company has the open pint ReadyCycle packs and 1-pound boxes for a variety of items. The ReadyCycle packaging uses vegetable-based inks, food grade adhesives and a water-based coating.

“This packaging enables us to follow our commitment to help provide customers with options for environmentally sustainable and earth-friendly packaging,” according to the release.

The company’s citrus line includes limes and Valencia oranges .

“We are sending a container per week of organic limes from the Jalisco area,” Martin said in the release. “Organic lime production will be steady all year.”

Related stories:

A&A Organic Farms ships organic lemons

A&A Organic noted for recyclable packaging

Salinas Valley crops look promising, growers say

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 19:00:24 GMT

Good growing weather this winter should result in some exceptional fruit and vegetable crops out of California’s Salinas Valley this season.

Monterey County, which encompasses the valley, produced about $2.8 billion worth of vegetables in 2018, the latest year for which statistics are available from the county agricultural commissioner’s office, and just over $1 billion worth of fruit.

Salinas-based Coastline Family Farms will ship about 25 kinds of mixed vegetables, including iceberg lettuce, romaine, romaine hearts, leaf lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, green onions, kale and spinach this season, said Tami Gutierrez, vice president sales and marketing.

Wet weather during planting and again during harvesting in April could reduce early-season yields and result in scattered quality issues that should be resolved as the season progresses, she said.

Volume at Coastline should be about the same as last year early in the season but likely will be down during the summer as the company cuts back planting because of competition from other growing areas during the peak growing season and because of the impact of COVID-19.

“Due to COVID-19, we have reduced our summer planting because we don’t know what the recovery period is going to be like,” she said.

Related content: Helping growers safeguard workers from the coronavirus

Gonzalez, Calif.-based Misionero Vegetables LLC has year-round programs for salads, value-added lettuces and mostly organic vegetables, said Nicole Zapata, marketing manager.

Like many Salinas grower-shippers, the company grows in the desert during the fall and winter and transitions back to the Salinas Valley for spring and summer.

“Given the current circumstances happening across the globe, we are being mindful of our planting schedule,” Zapata said.

“We’re maintaining retail distribution and anticipating potential bounce back for foodservice sales throughout the summer and fall.”

There were a few weather challenges this winter, Zapata said, but overall, quality is good.

Iceberg lettuce, romaine, romaine hearts, broccoli, cauliflower, green leaf and red leaf are shipping from Salinas-based Bengard Ranch Inc., said Steve Koran, general manager.

The company now has a celery deal in Oxnard that will switch to Salinas in June.

Quality is excellent, he said.

“We didn’t have any disruption with any weather events.”

Product is plentiful, he said, but he added that retail and especially foodservice demand was uncertain in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Related content: Salinas volume lighter due to rain

“Everybody is rolling along, but the distribution avenues are going to change drastically until restaurants open again,” said Gib Papazian, president of Lucky Strike Farms , Burlingame, Calif.

Although restaurants in California were closed because of the outbreak, more than half were open for takeout orders, he said.

“They’re not doing a brisk business, but they’re doing enough business to keep their place on life support,” Papazian said.

He said he was concerned for independent restaurants.

“Several of them are having a terrible struggle right now,” he said.

Lucky Strike’s foodservice business is “within acceptable risk tolerances,” Papazian said.

“It is still a daily financial challenge collecting money and paying our growers in accordance with our historical practices,” he said. “But we’ll get through it.”

The company handles a full line of vegetables, citrus, some melons and fruit.

“I expect quality is going to be top-notch through the summer,” he said.

The berry deal also was progressing well.

In an April 10 crop update, The Buzz, from Watsonville, Calif.-based California Giant Berry Farms , the company said that Salinas berries should be good quality despite some mid-April showers.

With no rain forecast for the rest of April, Cal Giant was looking forward to “a very rapid increase in production.”

“Our blackberry and raspberry season will also kick off come May and into June,” the company said.

Raspberries were set to begin in the middle of May, and blackberries should be ready for harvest by the middle of June.

Related content: Salinas Valley Produce

Braga Fresh gears up for fall

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:18 GMT

Soledad, Calif.-based Braga Fresh Family Farms plans to extend its Josie’s Organics Cut Veg product line by late October with an organic riced cauliflower option, said Heather Fuller, senior sales manager.

The company’s organic romaine , green leaf and red leaf lettuce crops as well as organic lacinato and red kale are scheduled to start by mid-September, she said.

Green kale is available now, and a strong organic celery program is planned for fall.

Sweet baby broccoli is available year-round.

Sales of the company’s newest organic commodity, purple baby broccoli, are expected to ramp up significantly by mid-March, she added.

Braga Fresh already was anticipating the seasonal transition from the Salinas, Calif., area to its desert growing region in California’s Imperial Valley for its Josie’s Organics brand product line, said Peter Cling, senior vice president of operations.

Broccoli and cauliflower are scheduled to start harvest in the desert in early December.

“We are also planning to have a longer overlap than normal given the COVID situation and have product in both areas for the Christmas season and strong early January demand,” Cling said.

Other desert start dates include spring mix and spinach in late October; romaine and romaine hearts, Nov. 1; iceberg, mid-November; bunching greens (kales), early to mid-November; cabbage, early December; and celery , late December/early January in Yuma, Ariz.

On the personnel side, the company has named a new vice president of operations and welcomed a new member to its sales team.

Colby Pereira, the new vice president of operations, has an extensive background in farming, harvesting and food safety and holds a bachelor’s of science degree in agricultural business with a minor in crop science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Jason Duran joined the Braga Fresh seals team in late July, Fuller said.

Duran is an expert in the organic produce industry, having spent more than 20 years at Whole Foods Market, she said.

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Jason Duran joins Braga Fresh sales team

Colby Pereira joins Braga Fresh as VP of operations

Braga Fresh bringing new products to United Fresh Live

Field Fresh Farms rebrands as it forges into retail

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:37:32 GMT

Field Fresh Farms, Watsonville, Calif., has refreshed its branding and packaging and expanded to retail business.

The company has a new website ( fieldfreshproduce.com ) and developed new conventional and organic retail packaging.
Fernando Ramirez, sales manager, said the company has a history of responding to market needs “quickly and decisively.”

“When it became clear retailers were looking for additional sources of conventional and organic produce, we quickly adapted,” Ramirez said in a news release. “Now we have the capacity to continue to meet the needs of our foodservice customers, while also filling a gap for the growing retail segment.”

Field Fresh Farms has been a foodservice supplier for decades, Ramirez said, through the Field Fresh Farms and Beach Road Organics labels. The company will continue to grow, pack and ship to those customers, even as the retail program continues momentum.

“As our business moves into a new phase, we thought it was the perfect time to refresh our website and our branding,” Jacob Dobler, marketing manager and fourth-generation farmer whose family founded the company in the 1950s, said in the release.

The company’s logo still features a seaside cypress tree, which has been a key element of the company’s visual identity for many years.

“However, it’s been updated to make an even bolder, modern statement,” Dobler said in the release. “We feel the change is a great metaphor for what’s taking place at our company, as we leverage our legacy to build new relationships with respected retailers around North America.”

The company’s conventional retail products (Field Fresh Brand) include:

Romaine hearts, three-count bags;
Iceberg lettuce, film-wrapped heads;
Spinach , 10-ounce bags;
Spring mix , 10-ounce bags;
Baby kale , 16-ounce clamshells.

The Beach Road Organics retail line is:

Mega mix, 5- and 16-ounce clamshells and 10-ounce bags;
Arugula, 5- and 16-ounce clamshells and 10-ounce bags;
Baby kale, 5- and 16-ounce clamshells and 10-ounce bags; and
Baby spinach, 5- and 16-ounce clamshells.

Moxxy Marketing , Salinas, Calif., designed the updated logo, website and retail packaging.

All things kale

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:41:09 GMT

Check out the recent kale news on The Packer and Produce Marketing Guide!

Revol Greens adds three salads to retail line

The three new salads are Romaine Twins, Arctic Crunch, and Power Up Blend.

“We are incredibly appreciative of the strong loyalty among our followers,” Mark Schulze, CEO of Revol Greens, said. “Based on their feedback, we developed these three new products.”

New York grocery store builds vertical, soil-based greens farm

Monsey, N.Y.-based Evergreen Kosher Market is debuting a 20-foot high “wall farm” enabling customers to see where their fresh-picked produce is grown.

The lettuce , kale , arugula, basil and cilantro from Evergreen are sold in individual pots, according to a news release.

Canada to require LGMA certification for Arizona leafy greens

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.

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.”

Field Fresh Farms rebrands as it forges into retail

The company has a new website ( fieldfreshproduce.com ) and developed new conventional and organic retail packaging.

“When it became clear retailers were looking for additional sources of conventional and organic produce, we quickly adapted,” Fernando Ramirez, sales manager, said in a news release. “Now we have the capacity to continue to meet the needs of our foodservice customers, while also filling a gap for the growing retail segment.”

Dole has new chopped and premium salads

The salads are:

Sweet Kale Salad Kit : Green cabbage , kale , shredded broccoli , Brussels sprouts and radicchio, topped with pepitas, dried cranberries and poppy seed dressing;
Blueberry Bliss Salad Kit : Spinach , baby red chard and carrots , topped with almonds, dried blueberries and blueberry lemon dressing; and
Chopped! Avocado Ranch Salad Kit : Chopped cabbages, green leaf lettuce, kale, carrots and green onions, topped with shredded cheddar cheese, crispy corn and avocado ranch dressing.

More Kale News Here!

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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Romaine Task force calls for action, further study of outbreak causes

Arizona LGMA revises metrics in wake of E. coli outbreak

Sobeys recalls Sweet Kale salad blend

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:40:22 GMT

Sobeys Inc. has recalled Compliments brand Sweet Kale Blend from stores throughout Canada due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency triggered the recall after it conducted a test on the salad blend, according to a news release from the federal agency. It is conducting a food safety investigation, and is verifying that Sobeys is removing the product from shelves.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall.

According to the bag, the product originated from the U.S. and contains broccoli, green cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale and raddichio. Compliments is a Sobeys’ private label.

The Sweet Kale Blend was sold in these stores, according to a Sobeys news release:

West: FreshCo, IGA, Safeway, Sobeys and Thrifty Foods;
Ontario: Foodland, FreshCo, Price Chopper and Sobeys; and
Atlantic: Coop, Foodland and Sobeys.

The company removed the product from shelves throughout the country on Oct. 30, according to the release.

The 255-gram (9-ounce) bags have a UPC of ) 68820 13305 6 and “best before” dates of Oct. 28, Oct. 31, Nov. 1, Nov. 2 and Nov. 3.

Fifth Season plans vertical farm near Pittsburgh

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:40:46 GMT

Indoor farming company Fifth Season plans to open a 60,000-square-foot vertical farm in Braddock, Pa., a former steel town near Pittsburgh.

The opening is set for early 2020 for the facility, which will grow lettuces , spinach , kale , arugula and herbs, according to a news release from Fifth Season, formerly known as RoBotany Ltd.

The company developed its greenhouse technology with two research and development vertical farms in Pittsburgh. Its products have been sold at Whole Foods Markets and other retailers, as well as Pittsburgh restaurants. The company has raised more than $35 million from private investors with ties to Carnegie Mellon University, where it incubated at the Swartz Center Entrepreneurship.

“The goal through our first three years of development was to prove we could bring fresh food to urban customers at prices competitive with conventionally grown produce,” Austin Webb, co-founder and CEO said, said in the release.

“We have developed fully integrated, proprietary technology to completely control the hydroponic growing process and optimize key factors such as energy, labor usage and crop output,” Webb said, resulting in lower costs and higher efficiencies than traditional vertical farms.

The Braddock farm will produce more than 500,000 pounds of lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula and herbs from its 25,000-square-foot grow room during the first full year of operation, according to the release.

San Miguel’s Kale Chip Kits offer healthy snack option

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:40:17 GMT

San Miguel Produce Inc. , Oxnard, Calif., is introducing a line of Kale Chip Kits for consumers to make the healthy snacks at home.

The kits, under the Cut ‘N Clean Greens label, come in Zesty Ranch, Sea Salt & Lemon Pepper and Honey Mustard. Each bag includes de-stemmed kale and a seasoning packet. They can be prepared in an oven or microwave, and each bag makes two servings, according to a news release.

“We are always getting requests for new ways to use kale, and the number-one cooking question asked by our consumers is ‘how do I make kale chips?’” Megan Ichimoto, marketing and product development manager, said in the release. “ … Kale Chips can easily substitute as a great-tasting snack in place of many of the less healthy snacking alternatives on the market.”

The Kale Chip Kits debuted at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit Expo in mid-October and are now available for order.

Related stories:

San Miguel’s new facility expands fresh-cut greens capacity

San Miguel Produce adds Jennifer Osborne as director of sales

San Miguel hires John Killeen as VP and GM

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)

Related stories:

Alliance for Food and Farming educates dieticians through webpage

CAST Releases New Pesticide Report

AFF, Markon wrap up “Facts, Not Fear” Produce Safety Media Tour

Canadian health agency recalls Eat Smart kale salads

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:41:49 GMT

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling Eat Smart brand Sweet Kale bagged salad kits from six provinces due to possible Listeria monocytogenes.

The July 9 recall is for 28-ounce bags of the kale salads, issued by the national agency after it detected listeria in a sample. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall, according to a news release.

The salads have this code on the front of the bag: JUL 17 2019, 2019 JL 17, 2 00 183. The Universal Product Code is 7 09351 89140 3, according to the CFIA release.

The salads were distributed to the following provinces:

New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec

The salads were distributed by Fresh Taste Produce Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, according to the release.

Related articles:

Eat Smart Sweet Kale bagged salads recalled in Canada

Kale products in Canada recalled after listeria test

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:40:52 GMT

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced that two Randsland brand kale products because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Randsland Farms Inc. , Canning, Nova Scotia, recalled the products after the Canadian agency detected the listeria during routine inspections, according to a Canadian Food Inspection Agency news release.

The kale products were sent to retailers in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia provinces. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall, and the CFIA is verifying that the recalled items are being removed from the marketplace, according to the release.

The recall, announced Sept. 24, is for:

Super Salad Kit, 454 grams, with a Universal Product Code of 0 57225 00005 6 and a product code of 2919071 100119; and
Kale, 340 grams, with a UPC of 0 57225 00006 3 and a product code of 2919071 1000119.

San Miguel evolution shifts greens supply to other growers

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 20:31:22 GMT

Increased regulations and other issues have prompted greens grower and marketer San Miguel Produce Inc. to significantly reduce Ventura County, Calif., acreage and partner with other growers across North America to ensure a year-round supply.

It’s one of several changes the company is making to increase efficiency and promote its long-term sustainability, according to a news release.

San Miguel Produce, Oxnard, has farmed in Ventura County for since it was established 43 years ago. As part of what it calls a business evolution, it will be partnering with other growers to supply for its processing operation. That includes product from Mexico and western U.S. states, according to a San Miguel spokeswoman.

The company is emphasizing local, family farms, including smaller growers and cooperatives across North America. In Ventura County, San Miguel Produce is working with growers on food safety and farming programs, according to the release.

Roy Nishimori, president and CEO, said farming and regulations in Ventura County have change significantly in recent years.

“For more than four decades, we successfully focused on the Ventura County growing region,: Nishimori said in the release. “However, with crop, weather and regulation changes in this farming region, this business model is no longer sustainable for consistent, year-round quality supply.

“This next step in our strategic plan will allow us to continue to grow and innovate in new areas of the industry,” he said in the release.

This year, all San Miguel Produce operations will move to the company’s 85,000-square-foot facility, which opened in 2019. Farming and warehousing functions continued in the former headquarters office and processing facility in 2019.

The company remains a family operation at its core, according to the release.

“San Miguel is taking the next strategic steps in its evolution to strengthen its ability to better serve customers, improve operational efficiency and continue to innovate in the dark leafy greens category,” John Killeen, vice president of sales and general manager of San Miguel Produce, said in the release.

Related stories:

San Miguel’s new facility expands fresh-cut greens capacity

San Miguel Produce redesigns website with consumers in mind

San Miguel’s Kale Chip Kits offer healthy snack option

Supermarkets scale back produce ads during COVID-19 lockdown

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:38:31 GMT

In the continuing market disruption related to the COVID-19, supermarkets are not running their typical amount of weekly promotions for fruits and vegetables.

In the latest April 10 National Retail Report for Specialty Crops , the USDA reported:

“This week saw a slight increase in ads, likely due to Easter promotions and perhaps to an improvement of supply chain kinks. Recently instated policies such as quantity limits, no rainchecks, and social distancing requirements were still in effect with no sign of returning to normal.

Total ad numbers this week were 208,333, a 3% increase from last week’s 202,735, and an 8% decrease from 2 weeks ago. Seventeen percent of regularly reported stores had no ad this week and specifically cited COVID-19 as the reason.

The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 99,348 (48% of all ads), onions and potatoes 9,658 (5%), vegetables 85,007 (41%), herbs 259, and ornamentals 14,061 (7%). The number of ads for organic produce was 11,985, 6% of total ads. The number of ads for hemp were 282.”

Hemp, huh? In the April 12 report from a year ago, the USDA commentary read:

“With Easter and Passover just days away, produce aisles abounded with everything shoppers needed for holiday celebrations. Spring favorites such as cantaloupe, watermelon, asparagus, corn, yellow squash, and strawberries were readily available. Staples for holiday meals were showcased heavily, including apples, grapes, pineapples, raspberries, avocados, green beans, carrots, corn, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and roma tomatoes.

Floral departments were decked out in Easter lilies, daffodils, and tulips. Most retailers featured a special section for Easter candy, decorations, and bakery items.

Total ad numbers this week were 369,234, about steady from last weeks 371,577.

The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 139,379 (46% of all ads), onions and potatoes 31,746 (9%), vegetables 157,093 (43%), herbs 1,199, and ornamentals 9,817 (3%). The number of ads for organic produce was 50,685, 14% of total ads.”

TK: Comparing the April 10 report this year to the April 12 report last year, total ad numbers in 2020 were a whopping 44% lower.

Here are further comparisons that speak to the importance of individual commodities compared with the whole pie:

This year, the percentage of fruit on ad (as a percent of total fruit) on April 10, compared with the same week last year:

Apples: 16%, compared with 15% last year;
Blueberries: 6%, compared with 5% last year;
Cantaloupes: 5%, compared with 4% last year;
Grapes: 12%, compared with 8% last year;
Misc Berries: 7%, no change from last year;
Oranges: 8%, no change from last year;
Pineapples: 10%, compared with 6% last year;
Strawberries: 8%, compared with 6% last year;

For vegetables, here are the percentages of individual vegetables on ad (as a percent of vegetables on ad), compared with the same week a year ago:

Asparagus: 14%, no data a year ago;
Beans: 4%, compared with 3% last year;
Carrots: 7%, compared with 8% last year;
Celery: 4%, no data a year ago;
Corn-Sweet: 6%, no data a year ago;
Onions: 5%, compared with 6% last year;
Bell peppers: 8%, no change compared with a year ago;
Potatoes: 5%, compared with 11% last year;
Salad: 7%, compared with 6% lat year;
Sweet Potatoes: 8%, no data a year ago.

TK: With retailers experiencing a new baseline of demand with the contraction of foodservice, the normal beat of supermarket produce promotions has changed.

I find it interesting that 2020 promotions of asparagus are way up compared with a year ago, however. Why is that? It could be that retailers did not feel the need to promote potatoes (or other hardware veggies) since they have been flying off shelves, and that asparagus simply seemed to make sense as a seasonally strong option that could pull consumers in the store. Give a gold medal to asparagus marketers to garner that much retail attention.

Packer COVID-19 Updates

San Miguel Produce redesigns website with consumers in mind

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:39:41 GMT

Leafy greens company San Miguel Produce Inc. , Oxnard, Calif., has redesigned its website with the goal of aiding consumers looking for recipes and health information on dark leafy greens.

The new site, sanmiguelproduce.com , brings together what was three separate sites for the company’s brands, including Cut ‘N’ Clean Greens and Jade Asian Greens, according to a news release. An improved functionality and focus on the Nishimori family, as well as expanded information on the health benefits of dark leafy greens are included in the new design.

“Sharing nutritional tips and healthy recipes has always been at the forefront of our company, and with this site we are now able to more easily share them with our following,” Jan Berk, chief operating officer, said in the release. “Our goal for our website is to be the go-to destination for dark leafy greens.”

Berk said the site’s “Did You Know?” facts and a recipe catalog allow consumers to incorporate dark leafy greens into their diets.

The site will be updated to feature new products and recipes, according to the release.

Related stories:

San Miguel’s Kale Chip Kits offer healthy snack option

San Miguel Produce adds Jennifer Osborne as director of sales

San Miguel’s new facility expands fresh-cut greens capacity

A food safety call to produce buyers

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:29:37 GMT

On April 16 the California LGMA Board took decisive action to endorse pre-harvest testing guidance. The guidance recommends pre-harvest testing specifically when leafy greens are being farmed in proximity to animal operations.

It’s the intention of the board to include pre-harvest testing as part of the LGMA audit checklist so the government can verify that all LGMA members are in compliance.

This is the first time an entire commodity group will be required to conduct pre-harvest testing.

This is a big deal, but a necessary response to the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration report on outbreaks associated with lettuce in 2020. The findings and regulatory language used by FDA in this report were nothing short of a warning shot that calls on our industry to do more to stop outbreaks.

And so, we must do more.

Updating LGMA’s required food safety practices is an involved process that seeks input from scientists, food safety experts and the public. No other entity is capable of making such widespread change as quickly as we can.

Some weeks ago, in the first piece I wrote for The Packer as CEO of the California LGMA, I stressed the need for collaboration with the retail and foodservice buying community, noting that we must lean on each other to make needed improvements together. And now, I am asking for your help.

Updating LGMA’s required food safety practices is an involved process that seeks input from scientists, food safety experts and the public. No other entity is capable of making such widespread change as quickly as we can. But it will take some time.

The LGMA is working as quickly as we can to educate members on how to conduct the necessary risk assessments for pre-harvest testing. We’re also working on an updated adjacent land risk assessment tool and, in collaboration with Dr. Trevor Suslow, a pre-harvest testing methodology is being developed.

In order for pre-harvest testing to become an official LGMA requirement, it must go through the public input process administered through Western Growers. Our goal is to have that in place as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, the fastest and most efficient means of implementing pre-harvest testing on leafy greens farms is for buyers to require their suppliers to follow the LGMA guidance available here .

Under the LGMA system, buyers have always played an important role when it comes to enforcing food safety practices on leafy greens farms. When buyers demand something of their suppliers, it almost always happens.

So, I am asking the buying community for two very important things to help prevent future foodborne illness outbreaks.

First, we urge buyers to accept and require the LGMA’s pre-harvest testing guidance of all your leafy greens suppliers.

Simply put, when buyers support the LGMA, they support a system that offers the best path to reduce incidents of foodborne illness.

Second, we encourage you to become part of the process to establish LGMA as the standard for leafy greens food safety. In the coming weeks and months, the LGMA will be making several more changes to update and strengthen our practices utilizing input from the FDA and some of the best and brightest minds in the produce industry. We would really like the buying community to be a part of this effort.

The LGMA provides a unique system that establishes and verifies food safety practices for California and Arizona farmers who produce over 90% of the leafy greens consumed in the U.S. The LGMA is and should be how food safety standards for leafy greens are determined.

When produce buyers require their suppliers to be certified members of the LGMA, they reinforce best practices uniformly on leafy greens farms. Simply put, when buyers support the LGMA, they support a system that offers the best path to reduce incidents of foodborne illness.

Isn’t that what we all want?

Tim York is CEO of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement.

Consumers seek out specific types of items as organic

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 15:49:38 GMT

Selections at the supermarket are sometimes based on a whim, but when you look at consumer data and track the trends, Organic Fresh Trends research shows that shoppers search for particular items in organic form. Leafy greens like kale and spinach have topped the list for several years, followed by berries . This year avocados moved up in the mix significantly.

Always opting for organic

Avocados were the biggest year-to-year in organics this year. Shoppers who bought organic avocados exclusively moved the fruit from the No. 12 spot last year to the No. 3 spot for 2022. Avocados were also No. 3 on the list of items purchased as organic periodically (up from the No. 7 spot last year).

Sixteen percent of shoppers in Organic Fresh Trends 2022 said they always chose organic avocados, while only 10% said so last year.

Kale remains the king of organic-only purchases—23% of kale buyers said they always chose organic greens (up from 21% who said the same last year). Spinach claimed the No. 2 spot (which was also true last year) for organically
exclusive purchases, with one-fifth of buyers saying they chose organic every time they bought spinach.

While some might lump all tender leafy items into this category, they shouldn’t. Interestingly, fewer shoppers sought out organic bagged salad mix this year. The likelihood of an organic-only salad mix purchase dipped from 12% to 10% this year, forcing salad mix to the bottom of the list for organic-exclusive purchases (of items studied by Organic Fresh Trends 2022).

More shoppers chose organic strawberries exclusively in the past 12 months (15% said so), and the fruit inched out blueberries this year (although the percentage of buyers choosing organic blueberries remained the same as in 2021).

Avocados and carrots moved up in the lineup to No. 3 for organic exclusive purchases this year.

Buying organic periodically

When it came to periodic organic purchases, nearly half of all kale buyers (48%) noted that they bought organic kale at least some of the time—making it the top item purchased as organic periodically. Kale has held the top spot on this list for the past three years.

Interest in organic spinach rose this year, with 44% of spinach buyers saying they selected organic at least some of the time—up from 36% who said so last year. Blueberries and strawberries also came out on top of the list of commodities that consumers chose to buy as organic periodically.

In addition to being a mover in the exclusively organic category, avocados were also a top contender among items that shoppers periodically bought as organic. While 30% of shoppers last year were prone to buy organic avocados at least some of the time, this year 38% of buyers said they chose organic avocados periodically.

Read the entire 2022 Organic Fresh Trends Magazine here.

Kale is the top produce item shoppers purchase organic

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:27:22 GMT

Kale brings a steady following when it comes to organic purchases. The leafy greens were the No. 1 item that shoppers purchased as organic—both periodically and exclusively again this year. Nearly half of all kale buyers (48%) said they chose organic product at least some of the time, and nearly a quarter (23%) said they always selected organic kale.

Organic kale represented about 46% of kale retail sales, according to IRI. Organic kale accounted for more than $103 in sales in 2020.

Affluent shoppers were undoubtedly more likely to buy organic kale than those in lower income brackets, according to Organic Fresh Trends 2022. In fact, shoppers earning more than $100,000 annually were nearly three times as likely to choose organic product than those in the lowest income bracket.

Not surprisingly, shoppers living in the South where kale is staple commodity were much more likely to always buy organic kale than those in other regions. Westerners—the second most likely region to choose organic—were twice as likely to select organic product than those living in the Midwest and Northeast.

Fortysomethings were more apt to buy organic kale at least some of the time, followed by shoppers in their twenties and thirties. Older consumers were less likely to buy.

Asian shoppers favored organic kale more than those of other ethnicities; they were more than twice as likely to always choose organic as Hispanics and “other” ethnicities, and nearly four times more likely to buy organic kale than Black shoppers.

Read the 2022 Organic Fresh Trends magazine here.

Boskovich Farms moves fall-winter organic vegetable deal to Mexico

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 14:13:55 GMT

Because of increased growing costs at its Oxnard, Calif., headquarters, Boskovich Farms Inc. now is producing its fall-winter organic vegetable crop in Baja California, Mexico, said Michael Boskovich, who handles organic sales for the company.

The program remains the same as past seasons and includes organic green onions, three varieties of kale, broccoli and celery, he said. The fall-winter deal began in November and early December and will continue in Mexico through April.

Boskovich Farms cuts back its summer program because consumers nationwide tend to support their local organic growers during that time, Boskovich said.

Related news: Organic vegetable category expands

Kale salads recalled in Canada for listeria

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:43:50 GMT

Apio Inc., Guadalupe, Calif., is recalling Eat Smart brand Salad Shake Ups — Sweet Kale salads from Canadian retailers for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which reported the recall on Dec. 4, said it was triggered by results of a test the agency conducted on the salad.

The CFIA did not report how much product is involved in the recall. No illnesses have been reported in connection to the recall.

The salad, about 5.5 ounces, has a “best before” date of Dec. 3 and a Universal Product Code of 7 09351 30243 5, according to the CDFI notice.

The salads went to retailers nationally in Canada.

“The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products,” according to the recall notice. “If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings.”

The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing recalled product from the marketplace, according to the agency.