Melons

Classic Fruit, Westside Produce to Merge

Tue, 05 May 2026 20:41:57 GMT

Classic Fruit and Westside Produce have reached an agreement to officially unite the two melon companies under the Classic Fruit label. The companies have worked together as a melon alliance for the past four years, combining offshore and domestic operations.

Westside Produce, with its TRI label, began in the 1950s and has been a prominent grower-packer-shipper of cantaloupe and honeydew in California and Arizona. Classic Fruit, which celebrates its 20th anniversary, is one of the largest offshore melon shippers out of Guatemala and has since expanded its footprint to include domestic partnerships starting in 2017.

“By bringing together two organizations with shared values and a commitment to quality, we are strengthening our ability to deliver consistent supply, drive innovation and create long-term value for our customers and partners,” says Westside Produce CEO Steve Patricio. “The Westside Produce family of employees and growers is incredibly optimistic about the future of the melon category as our merger with Classic Fruit will allow us to continue to evolve.”

The companies say this merger brings together decades of expertise in farming operations, customer partnerships, food safety programs, commitment to quality and sustainability and more.

“This move isn’t just symbolic; it turns a cooperative relationship into a fully integrated business, which usually means faster decisions, lower costs and a stronger competitive edge,” says Garrett Patricio, president of Westside Produce. “This union is important to our customers, growers and employees as it creates year-round opportunities and continuity in the supply chain.”

The companies say there will be more updates in the future with their integration plans.

“We couldn’t be more aligned in merging the TRI/Patricio melon legacy into Classic Fruit. We have a shared vision, so it makes this announcement an incredible opportunity for the commodity,” says Paul Raggio, president of Classic Fruit. “Together, we are building a stronger future, and we are excited to bring everyone along for the journey.”

California Eyes Ample Supplies for Summer Fruit Promotions

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:34:52 GMT

With favorable crop conditions reported for California fruits like berries, citrus and melons, some major grower-shippers in the state are gearing up for promotions to help boost summer sales. Here’s a crop outlook from a few of those companies and a look at the best time to promote.

California Giant Berry Farms

California blueberries will be available from early May until late June, says Brad Peterson, director of business development for California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville, Calif.

They’ll peak during the last two weeks of May and the first week of June, which will make an ideal promotion window, he says.

Organic blueberry production will experience a large jump with the addition of a San Diego growing region, Peterson says.

Supplies of California raspberries and blackberries should be stable “outside of the tips and tails of the season,” he says, with the highest volumes available in August, September and October.

“Data from the International Fresh Produce Association and retail analytics firm Circana confirm that the Fourth of July generates massive sales spikes for fresh berries,” he adds.

The company’s conventional volume will be similar to past years with a slight increase thanks to continued trade-ups in raspberry varieties, Peterson says.

“Quality has been good so far for California blueberries,” he said in early April. “Caneberries are shaping up nicely and are anticipated to produce high-quality fruit.”

Growing weather in California has been unique so far “with minor subpar conditions,” he adds.

California mandarin season for Wonderful Halos will run through May before transitioning to a summer import program to ensure year-round availability, says Zak Laffite, president of Wonderful Citrus, part of Los Angeles-based The Wonderful Company. The company also offers navel and valencia oranges, minneolas, lemons and grapefruit during the summer.

(Photo courtesy of The Wonderful Company
)

The Wonderful Company

Summer is an important sales period for Los Angeles-based The Wonderful Company, which has operating divisions that market POM Wonderful beverages and Wonderful Citrus items.

“For POM Wonderful, we prioritize social and retail promotion of our pomegranate beverages during the summertime,” says Jennifer Hirano, vice president of marketing.

“Our lineup of POM Wonderful juices, which includes POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice, POM Wonderful Blueberry 100% Juice and POM Wonderful Cherry 100% Juice, offers a deep ruby red color and refreshing pomegranate flavor,” she says.

The company’s lineup of POM Antioxidant Super Teas is featured throughout the season as well. They offer the antioxidant quality of pomegranates with a blend of gently brewed teas and come in five flavors, she says.

On the citrus side, California mandarin season for Wonderful Halos will run through May before transitioning to a summer import program to ensure year-round availability, says Zak Laffite, president of Wonderful Citrus.

The supply of Wonderful Seedless Lemons continues to be strong, he adds. The company also offers navel and valencia oranges, minneolas, lemons and grapefruit during the summer.

Legend Produce

Well over half the cantaloupes and honeydew melons grown in the U.S. come from California, and Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Legend Produce LLC, one of the nation’s leading year-round melon producers, sources nearly 100% of its melons from the Golden State during the summer season, says Justin Bootz, sales manager.

Most of the state’s melons are grown in central California, where the agricultural community of Mendota is known as the “Cantaloupe Center of the World.”

Legend Produce LLC, Scottsdale, Ariz., one of the nation’s leading year-round melon producers, sources nearly 100% of its melons from California during the summer season, says Justin Bootz, sales manager. The company introduced its Kiss brand melons last year and plans to increase acreage this year.

(Photo courtesy of Legend Produce LLC
)

Most growers and retailers plan watermelon promotions for the Fourth of July, and melon availability typically remains high well into summer, Bootz says.

Legend Produce, which offers popular Origami melons, is a year-round melon shipper and offers California-grown cantaloupes, honeydew melons and seedless and mini watermelons from July through mid-October.

The company introduced its Kiss brand melons last year and plans to increase acreage this year.

The Kiss line includes Sugar Kiss, similar to a cantaloupe; Honey Kiss, similar to a hami melon; and Summer Kiss, similar to a galia melon, Bootz says.

Porterville, Calif.-based Homegrown Organic Farms offers peaches and a wide range of other organic fruit during the late spring and summer months, says Stephen Paul, deciduous category director.

(Photo courtesy of Homegrown Organic Farms
)

Organics Thrive in Summer

The organic category is a crucial part of California’s summer fruit program, and Porterville, Calif.-based Homegrown Organic Farms has a strong seasonal program lined up, says Stephen Paul, deciduous category director.

“During the late spring and summer months, we offer a wide range of organic fruit, including berries and stone fruit such as blueberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots and apricots,” he says.

The firm’s summer lineup also includes citrus like grapefruit, lemons and valencia oranges along with organic grapes. Fresh figs will come on later in the season.

Blueberries and stone fruit are the company’s most popular items at this time of year and drive strong demand throughout the summer, he says.

“We’re also seeing growing momentum around products tied to regenerative organic practices as consumer awareness continues to build,” Paul says. “Fresh figs are another exciting category as we enter our second season, and we’re seeing strong enthusiasm from customers.”

The company expects strong quality across its summer fruit programs despite some early-season weather variability.

The summer season runs from May through September and is highlighted by strong promotable volumes of stone fruit from late June through early August, along with domestic berries at key points throughout the California and Oregon seasons, Paul says.

“Beyond those core drivers, the season is supported by a steady mix of citrus, grapes and fresh figs, giving retailers the flexibility to build a dynamic, evolving summer fruit set from start to finish,” he adds.

New at Homegrown Organic Farms is a fully redesigned website that better reflects the company’s product offerings and sustainability commitments, Paul says.

And this summer, the company will expand its Regenerative Organic Certified program to include Oregon-grown blueberries, building on its already-certified ROC stone fruit program, he says.

After Florida Freezes, West Mexico Shippers Eye Robust Spring Amid High Prices

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:41:33 GMT

A pair of damaging freezes in Florida this winter caused more than $3 billion in agricultural losses in that state and put a squeeze on supplies out of west Mexico. As a result, prices of Mexican produce were sent skyrocketing. Here’s a look at how some distributors near the Nogales, Ariz., port of entry are dealing with conditions this spring.

Ciruli Bros.

Rio Rico, Ariz.-based Ciruli Bros. has a substantial mango program and ships vegetables like cucumbers, squash and eggplant.

“We’ve had some of the highest prices I’ve seen in the past 30 years I’ve been doing this,” says partner Chris Ciruli.

Prices should settle down when the U.S. starts producing again in late March, he says.

The company also has experienced growth in demand for organic items including squash, peppers, cucumbers and cabbage.

Ciruli Bros.’ mango deal kicked off the last week of February with the “first-flower” harvest. Second flower was expected to begin around March 23.

That will lead into Easter business, Ciruli says, with clear sailing for harvesting and preparing for Cinco de Mayo.

“We’re trending ahead of where Mexico was harvesting for 2025,” he said the first week of March.

The company was shipping 100% Champagne mangoes in March and will begin round varieties after Easter, April 5.

“Pricing has been challenging,” he says.

Freight costs have risen, and the U.S.-Mexico currency exchange rate is not favorable. Last year the rate was 18 pesos per dollar. This year it has dropped to 16 pesos per dollar, Ciruli says.

Core products from Rio Rico, Ariz.-based IPR Fresh are conventional and organic hothouse colored bell peppers and hothouse cucumbers, says Mark Munger, vice president of marketing and business development. The company has expanded its west Mexico colored bell pepper program by partnering with new growers in the Sonora region, he says.

(Photo courtesy of IPR Fresh)

IPR Fresh

Rio Rico-based IPR Fresh has expanded its west Mexico colored bell pepper program by partnering with new growers in the Sonora region, says Mark Munger, vice president of marketing and business development.

“We also increased production with our existing grower partners, securing additional acreage and boosting overall bell pepper volume,” he says.

The company’s core products are conventional and organic hothouse colored bell peppers and hothouse cucumbers.

Weather conditions have been favorable for nearly the entire season in central and western Mexico, Munger says, adding that he’s confident market conditions will stay steady into spring.

“Cooler than normal weather in the southeastern U.S. this winter has kept demand strong, resulting in markets for west Mexico hothouse bell peppers that have remained very firm and slightly above historical averages for most of the season,” he says.

Quality and sizing have been strong for most of the season as well.

“Looking ahead to the remainder of the west Mexico program, we’re confident that this consistency will continue,” Munger says.

Grower Alliance

“Prices are through the roof right now on everything — green bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans, watermelons, honeydews, hot peppers,” Jorge Quintero Jr., partner at Grower Alliance LLC in Rio Rico, said in early March.

Prices on up to 90% of the company’s items are strong because of the weather issues in Florida, he says.

“We’ve been able to see some really high prices to offset the bad prices we saw in the fall,” Quintero says.

Quality problems have been minimal, he says. However, some green beans have experienced whitefly infestations that don’t usually materialize until mid-April.

“[Green bean] yields probably will be lower, but with prices where they are right now, we should be able to come out all right,” he says.

The company’s volume should be similar to last year, if not a bit larger, Quintero says.

Caribe yellow chili peppers are among a number of items shipped by Rio Rico, Ariz.-based Rich River Produce LLC, says Edgar Duarte, sales manager. The company is expanding its warehouse by 20,000 square feet this spring, he says.

(Photo courtesy of Rich River Produce LLC)

Rich River

Rio Rico-based Rich River Produce LLC has experienced a hectic season, says Edgar Duarte, sales manager.

“Things started out sky high in October, then came off, then went up again after the freeze happened in Florida,” he says. “We’re expecting to have a strong finish to our season, which will probably go until June.”

The company has seen good but not great production out of west Mexico, he says.

“We are expecting good pricing and good order flow,” he adds.

Quality was looking good for new items now coming out of Hermosillo, Guaymas and Obregon in Sonora, he says. But the same could not be said for the tail end of the deal out of Sinaloa, which will wrap up around the end of March.

“Prices are high, quality is fair,” out of Sinaloa, he says.

“We’re running into issues here and there,” Duarte adds. “We’re not looking at diamonds, but they’re the same amount of money as if they were diamonds.”

Volume at Rich River Produce should be a bit higher than last year because growers were not sending out as much product a year ago because of low markets.

“Right now, with the situation the way it is, they’re sending us everything because they’re getting really good prices for it,” he says.

MAS Melons & Grapes

Rio Rico-based MAS Melons & Grapes will kick off its new honeydew program around April 1 and start watermelons the week of April 12, says Miguel Suarez Jr., sales manager. Good weather should bring on good quality, he says. Volume should be about the same as last year.

“Markets and quality are all pointing in a positive direction,” he says.

Honeydews and watermelons will continue to be shipped out of southern Mexico until the end of March and into April.

“That will take us into our northern Mexico deal probably pretty flawlessly,” he says.

The company also ships butternut squash and kabocha squash.

“The workhorse definitely in the summer is our watermelon and honeydew programs,” Suarez says.

The company has pulled back a bit from table grapes. The Mexican grape deal traditionally has been 10 to 12 weeks in the spring and summer, he says, but that has shrunk to about eight weeks.

“The majority of our acreage was in Caborca, which is the later part of the deal, which is becoming a little bit of a challenge,” he says.

Also, retailers tend to seek out year-round suppliers.

“We were basically a boutique grape company,” he says.

But Suarez is optimistic for the future.

“I do believe the boutique grape will be back at one point,” he says.

Your next read:
$3B in Losses Estimated in Florida Freeze

Weather and Innovation Take Center Stage at SEPC’s Southern Exposure

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:45:40 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. — Across the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure trade show floor, a recurring theme emerged: resilience in the face of erratic weather. While companies like North Bay Produce and AC Foods navigated the fallout of recent cold snaps and California storms, others such as Giumarra Cos. and Freshouse highlighted aggressive expansions in Florida and Mexico to ensure year-round availability for increasingly health-conscious consumers.

Harris Trock, Karl Ronhave, the Carrot Czar, Kaitlyn Anderson and Robert Dunning are shown at the Freshouse and Hapco Farms booth at Southern Exposure.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

It was all about carrots at the Freshouse and Hapco Farms’ booth. The aptly named Carrot Czar waved to passersby, and those manning the booth handed out carrot-shaped pens and socks with carrot prints on them.

Karl Ronhave, procurement and sales manager, says the carrot program is doing well, especially as California faces unpredictable weather.

The company expanded its carrot program in Florida in 2025 and did so again this year. The program will move to Canada as the season begins there at MR Farms.

“We have a year-round carrot program,” Ronhave says.

John Pursel, Chuck Plummer and Ron Steele are shown at the AC Foods and Suntreat Packing booth at Southern Exposure.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Visitors to the Sumo Citrus booth want to talk availability, timing and season duration, says Ron Steele, vice president of citrus sales for AC Foods. Steele says he has also discussed many promotional opportunities with digital and coupled that with demoing Sumos in-store.

“It’s about consistency of what we do,” he says.

Visitors to the booth also had questions about the weather in California and its impact on the Sumo crop.

“It’s been a challenge, but our teams have performed brilliantly due to the learnings of years past,” Steele says.

Sarah Quackenbush, Hannah Gaither, Chuck Yow, Doug Rombach and Ryan Lockman are shown at the North Bay booth at Southern Exposure.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Much of the conversation at North Bay’s booth stemmed from how berries fared through the cold temperatures that hit earlier this year.

“Some held up and what doesn’t will have a short season,” says Chuck Yow, business development account manager for North Bay.

He says it may be a rough couple of months for blueberries, but the industry will “learn more as we go.”

A big trend, too, is the push for larger berries: the Erandy blackberry and jumbo blueberries. He says consumers like that the fruit has good Brix and are looking for those larger fruits year-round.

“As popularity grows in sales, we’re still in periods of lower availability,” Yow says.

Matt Mariani, Darryl Bollack and Brad Ryan are shown at the Mariani Nut Co. booth at Southern Exposure.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Matt Mariani, director of retail sales at Mariani Nut Co., says visitors to the company’s booth talked about availability.

“The crop is above average with good supply,” he says.

He says tree nuts are experiencing robust growth in the tree nut oil market as health-conscious consumers seek plant-based and nutrient-dense ingredients.

“We’re grateful for that,” he says.

Jesus Cavazos, Richard Armata, Leslie Hernandez, Fraymil Rodriguez and Priscilla Diaz are shown at the EXP Group’s Southern Exposure booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Fraymil Rodriguez, chief operating officer of EXP Group, says imports of roots and tropical yams continue to grow.

“They’re right in our wheelhouse,” he says, noting that as ethnic cuisines and foods become more mainstream, consumers are branching out and trying new things.

“There’s room for growth,” he says.

Weather patterns have proven to be a bit of a challenge for imports, Rodriguez notes.

“It’s not predictable,” he says. “It’s not easy doing sales with retailers, because we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

But he says he and the EXP Group team are planning as best as they can, and it’s important to have a relationship with these retailers as well.

“We can tell retailers what’s going on, and having that established relationship helps us pivot,” he says.

Gary Caloroso, Kristina Lorusso and Rob Campbell are shown at the Giumarra Cos. booth at Southern Exposure.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Weather was on the mind of visitors to the Giumarra Cos. booth, says Kellee Harris, vice president of retail merchandising services.

Harris says many conversations also focused on the strong availability of Mexican watermelons.

Cesar Pacheco, vice president of sales for Nogales at Giumarra Cos., says watermelons from the state of Nayarit will run through the end of March, and the northern crop will begin around April 10 and run through the end of June.

He says this northern crop will start a week early to catch gaps.

“It’ll be a good season,” Pacheco says. “Acreage is up.”

He says conventional seedless and organic watermelon will be available in bins and cartons, as will mini watermelons and organic mini watermelons. Harris says demand for mini watermelons continues to grow.

“We’re starting to see an uptick in minis,” she says.

Shown in back from left, are Matt Quiing, Thomas Matier, Spencer Lightfoot, Hunter Tiveron; in front from left are Josianne Legare, Jocelyn Mastronardi and Pam Cherwak at Nature Fresh Farms’ Southern Exposure booth.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

Spencer Lightfoot, key account manager for Nature Fresh Farms, says a lot of conversations at the event were about organic produce and bringing organics into the Nature Fresh label.

And from there, Lightfoot says a lot of Nature Fresh’s efforts are set around marketing.

“We’re making sure our efforts with promotion align with good supply so we can promote it with consumers,” Lightfoot says.

Legend Produce Targets Retail Growth With High-Brix Winter Melon Program

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 22:49:13 GMT

Legend Produce says its partnership with Honduran grower-exporter Agrolibano and Kiss melons will return in February and run through May. The companies have collaborated for more than 25 years to bring winter melons to the domestic market.

Retailers can expect the orange-fleshed Sugar Kiss and green-fleshed Summer Kiss melons to offer consumers a sweet, high-Brix eating experience, according to Legend Produce.

The company says it will ship weekly deliveries to Port Hueneme, Calif., and Miami, and a limited volume of containers will also be available to select partners in Asia and Europe.

“Production will be limited, but our goal is to keep a consistent volume on both coasts (East and West) to cover a larger geography and evaluate the response from consumers,” says Marco Ochoa, chief financial officer for Legend Produce.

Reversing the Category Downturn

Ochoa sees 2026 as an inflection point for melons, noting some varieties have not performed well with consumers and retailers, while wholesalers and foodservice look to melon varieties that can bring customers back to the category. This will put pressure on breeders, growers and shippers to help deliver a great eating experience, he explains.

Retailers are looking to fresh-cut melons to tap into consumers’ interest in convenience, Ochoa adds.

“More and more retailers are transitioning to cutting fruit in-store to preserve freshness, increase appeal, and convenience,” he says. “There is a great opportunity here to capitalize on that growth and ensure melons are at the forefront of giving retail shoppers more healthy options to fill their baskets with.”

Precision Growing in Southern Honduras

Legend Produce co-founder Barry Zwillinger says Agrolibano has been growing melons in Honduras for more than 40 years and has the expertise and state-of-the-art facilities to execute Sugar Kiss’ strict harvesting and packing guidelines, which help to deliver the eating experience consumers have come to expect from Kiss melons.

“The Sugar Kiss program follows the same quality assurance protocols no matter where it is grown,” Zwillinger says. “Our focus is to ‘harvest for flavor.’ Our internal processes ensure that only the best melons reach the consumer’s hands.”

Zwillinger says southern Honduras is the premier melon-growing region in Central America due to its diversity of soils and microclimates. This means Agrolibano can grow in five different regions with a wide range of melon varieties.

“We have identified the farms and time windows we feel will produce an optimal crop, but it really boils down to the expertise of the people growing the melons at Agrolibano,” Zwillinger says. “They are, without a doubt, one of the best in the industry. Their care and attention to detail are exceptional.”

Can Genome Editing Make Produce Taste Better? Syngenta Says ‘Yes’

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 20:52:03 GMT

Melon sales are in decline, said Uri Krieger, Syngenta’s global R&D head for vegetable seeds, during a “Seeds of Change” panel discussion at last month’s New York Produce Show’s Global Symposium.

Why? They’re not harvested at the right time, so they’re not as flavorful, and consumers aren’t sure what they’re going to get when they buy one, Krieger told The Packer.

This is where genome editing comes into play.

“As a seed and technology company, genome editing is another tool — a very effective tool — in the toolbox, and we’ve been investing quite heavily in that space, not just in veg but also in row crops,” Krieger says. “It can serve, I won’t say any crop today — some are a little bit more complicated — but we’ve made a lot of progress in enabling that technology across many crops in our portfolio.

“The benefit that it can bring, first of all, is speed to market and also precision,” he continues. “You’re no longer bringing traits from the wild that normally bring some of what we call ‘linkage drag.’”

Linkage drag refers to undesirable traits like lower yield or quality that get carried along with beneficial genes when they are transferred from the wild into cultivated crops.

“It comes as a package, because it’s very hard just to take one nucleotide, the one gene out of the wild accessions,” he says. “This basically allows us to enter and make the edits to exactly what is needed. If you want to knock out a gene, just change one amino acid, and you can do that today.”

Uri Krieger is Syngenta’s global R&D head for vegetable seeds.

(Photo courtesy of Syngenta)

In addition to speed and precision, Krieger says genome editing also allows for the introduction of desirable new traits from disease resistance to flavor enhancements and more.

“The list of traits that we need to pack into our new varieties — that list is getting longer and longer,” he says. “Consumer demands are only going up; they want sweeter, better taste. They want the shelf life. And it gets more and more complicated to deliver that entire package in a variety. So, genome editing gives us kind of a shortcut.”

Can Melons Make a Comeback?

“We see a decline in melon consumption here in the U.S. Overall, I think the trend is not positive, and I love melons, so I’m a little bit biased,” Krieger says.

Long shipping processes and market demand for melons with a longer shelf life have also gotten in the way of more flavorful fruit. Krieger says once upon a time the same was true for tomatoes, but the industry moved away from it because of the impact on quality.

But Syngenta has found a solution for longer shelf life through the wild, he says.

“There are genes that don’t stop the ripening process, but they slow it down dramatically,” Krieger says.

The loss of seasonality with demand for melons 365 days a year has also played a role in melon sales decline, he says.

For melons to truly make a comeback, the industry needs to rebuild consumer confidence in knowing that they’re going to get a sweet and flavorful melon every time, he says.

“Our breeders have been working for the last eight years to identify a trait from a wild melon — I mean you wouldn’t eat this melon. It looks like a tennis ball, but it has one very unique trait: When it’s ripe, the ring around the melon turns from green to yellow,” Krieger says. “The breeder was able to isolate that gene and bring it into the modern melon, meaning when the melon starts accumulating enough sugars and is technically ripe, it’s going to look yellow instead of green.”

The implications for melons with visual ripeness cues are potentially profound for both hand and automated harvesting.

“Think about it from a mechanical harvest perspective in the future,” he says. “Think about it in terms of the crew that is harvesting melons. You don’t tell them, ‘Pick whatever you think is ready,’ you tell them to pick the yellow ones instead of the green ones. You can’t miss that.”

Krieger says highly flavorful melons are possible if you remove all the ripening inhibitors and grow them during the summer.

Syngenta hosts open field days every August in Woodland, Calif. Designed for professionals across the agricultural supply chain, these field days are also an opportunity to taste some amazing melons, Krieger says.

“We’re going to have wonderful melons out of there in the field that taste just like you remember them from your childhood. They exist,” he says.

Thanks to genome editing, Krieger is confident melons will regain momentum.

“Slowly, we’ll start to bring back the good image of melons at the retail level,” he says.

California Melon Leader Don Smith Dies

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:00:49 GMT

Donald J. “Don” Smith, second-generation owner of Turlock Fruit Company , died peacefully at his home in Turlock, Calif., surrounded by family after a brief illness on July 3. He was 95 years old. His celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 12 at 11:00 a.m. at First United Methodist, Turlock, 1660 Arbor Way, 95380.

Smith was called “a legendary figure in California’s Central Valley farming community” by his alma mater, College of the Pacific (now University of the Pacific), which he graduated from in 1952. Generational business partner Nathel & Nathel noted in a Facebook tribute that Smith “remained active in his fields until just weeks before his passing.”

Smith’s father, James H. “Cantaloupe” Smith founded the melon packing and growing operation in 1918, now one of the oldest commercial growers of honeydew and cantaloupe in California. Smith took over as co-owner alongside his brother-in-law, William “Bill” Palmer.

According to Smith’s obituary, under his and Bill’s leadership, Turlock Fruit Company established a reputation for quality produce that continues to this day under the management of son, Stephen; grandson, Alec Smith; and grandson-in-law, Neill Callis. The company is over 107 years old. The company is known for its melons under the Peacock, King of the West and Sycamore brands.

“Don Smith will be remembered for his brilliance, humility and tireless dedication — a man who loved his work, his land and the people he worked with. His legacy lives on in every box of melons, in the wisdom he shared, and in the generations he inspired,” Nathel & Nathel say.

Among his many affiliations and efforts within the industry, Smith was a member of the board of Western Growers Association for many years and served as president in 1964. He also served on the board of the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association for several years.

Within his community, Smith served on the Turlock Joint Union High School Board for 12 years, and the Board of Regents of University of the Pacific for 24 years. He was an active member of the First United Methodist Church, past president of the Turlock noon Rotary Club, and a member of Turlock Masonic Lodge F&AM, Stockton Scottish Rite, and Aahmes Shriners Hospital.

Smith was preceded in death by parents, James Smith and Rose Smith; sister, Marian Smith Palmer; and brother-in-law and business partner, William “Bill” Palmer.

He is survived by his three children, Stephen (Kathleen) Smith of Turlock, Calif., Sally (John) Robinson of Woodside, Calif., and Stuart Smith of San Jose, Calif.; six grandchildren, Hilary (Neill) Callis of Turlock, Alec (Hillary) Smith of Turlock, Heidi (Tyler) Rosengren of Belvedere, Calif., Gretchen (Spencer) Rawles of San Francisco, Calif., and Jamie Smith and Julian Smith of Valencia, Spain; and eight great-grandchildren, Daniel and Elin Callis, Owen and Beau Smith, Annika and Aksel Rosengren, and Ainsley and Blythe Rawles.

The family say remembrances in Smith’s honor can be made to:

The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Grand Central Station, P.O. Box 4777, NY, NY 10163;
Shriners Children’s Northern California, Attn: Shriners Hospitals for Children, P.O. Box 947765, Atlanta, GA. 30394;
Or a favorite charity.

Legend Produce expands melon program

Fri, 30 May 2025 12:51:31 GMT

Fourth-generation melon grower Legend Produce says it has added mini watermelons to its melon program, complementing its full-size seedless offerings.

“Adding mini watermelons to our melon program is the natural step forward, building on the successful full-size program,” Legend Produce founder Barry Zwillinger said in a news release. “Now we are a one-stop shop for everything from cantaloupe and honeydew to our specialty Origami and Kiss melons and finally our full-size and mini watermelon programs.”

Starting in spring, the mini watermelons will be available through November with the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Legend Produce’s growing regions of Mexico, California’s Imperial Valley, central Arizona and central California.

“Working with the right growers during their best harvest windows has been our primary goal,” Zwillinger said. “This sourcing strategy allows Legend to continually offer the quality that we are known for in the industry.”

Legend Produce says it wants to offer watermelons year-round and is working to expand its production in the winter months.

“Legend is a relationship-first company when working with growers,” Chief Financial Officer Marco Ochoa said in the release. “Most of our growers have been working with us for 20-plus years. As we expand our watermelon offerings, we are working with our existing partners as well as forging new relationships to make the program successful.”

West Coast Produce Expo's tour spotlights fresh production

Fri, 30 May 2025 11:59:30 GMT

PALM DESERT, Calif. — Living herbs, fresh melons, organic citrus were some of what West Coast Produce Expo tourgoers got a chance to experience on May 29.

A sold-out tour crisscrossed the Coachella and Imperial Valleys to get a closer look at fresh produce production.

North Shore Greenhouses

Co-owner Suzette Overgaag gave tourgoers a sneak peek at North Shore Greenhouses’ production process.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

The first stop was at North Shore Greenhouses, where Leo and Suzette Overgaag first started farming in 1987 with greenhouse-grown English cucumbers, then living herbs.

Suzette Overgaag said her husband promised her “a small greenhouse you can start in,” to understand how to produce living herbs. North Shore Greenhouses now has about 10 acres of greenhouses in living herb production.

She said a challenge when launching the living herbs was having roots in the wet rack at a grocery store. But she said she firmly thinks a wet rack is the proper place for the herbs.

“It took us a long time to get people to put it in the wet rack,” she said.

The Overgaags landed their first client, Whole Foods, which asked North Shore Greenhouses to grow organic herbs. When company transitioned to organic, a key challenge was sourcing a good organic fertilizer, so it invented an organic fertilizer to make it happen.

On the tour, visitors saw North Shore Greenhouses’ production techniques, automated flat-filling system and packaging system, as well as its greenhouses designed specifically for herb production.

Suzette Overgaag said its herbs typically last about one to two weeks in its innovative clamshells versus fresh-cut herbs, which results in less shrinkage for the retailer and less food waste for the consumer.

And while tourgoers asked about alternative packaging, the Overgaags say that as fragile as the living herb plants are, its recyclable packaging is what helps the products stay as fresh as possible in the store.

West Valley Organic Farm

Jesse Leyva, harvest manager for West Valley Organic Farm, discusses the differences between seedless and seeded watermelons with tourgoers and shares tips on how to pick a ripe watermelon.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

The next stop was West Valley Organic Farm in the Imperial Valley, where visitors got to see cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon production.

Cantaloupe harvest will start in a week and watermelon harvest began last week, said Jesus Macias, general manager of West Valley Organic Farm.

Creekside Organic has worked with West Valley Organic Farm for the past several years. The farm uses its melons as a seasonal summer complement to its broccoli, cauliflower, iceberg lettuce and celery production, which occupies the fields during the winter months.

West Valley Organic Farm harvests watermelons twice; the first is a significant harvest and the second is usually a routine cleanup.

Macias said it’s a challenge to grow organic melons, as he and the crews constantly battle thrips and aphids.

“You’re up against Mother Nature,” he said, noting there are not many good organic controls for these pests.

Avoiding sunburn is also a challenge, so a major focus for the crews is to grow significant vines to shade the melons. While crews can supplement the vines’ coverage with hay, the wind often blows the hay away, and then crews need to reapply.

“There’s not a lot of room for error,” Macias said.

The team at Creekside said it’s important for retailers to help communicate the challenges of organic production and what it takes to grow organic melons to emphasize the value of the melons in the store.

Tourgoers also got to see beehives in action, as those act as pollinators for the melons. Beekeeper Brock Ashurst shared a little bit about the role of bees in pollination and why his hives go to Montana after pollinating crops in California.

“The Imperial Valley is the worst place to keep bees,” he said, noting the amount of honey generated by his bees from pollinating melons is significantly less than what his bees can produce in Montana.

Doc’s Organic Farm

The Doc’s Organic Farm team treated West Coast Produce Expo tourgoers to a taco lunch.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

The Dockstader family has been growing organic lemons, minneolas, mandarins, grapefruit and dates since the mid-1990s. Doc’s Organic Farm has 250 acres of organic medjool dates, 430 acres of organic lemons, 160 acres of organic grapefruit, 80 acres of organic minneolas and 50 acres of organic sweet limes.

The farm markets its fruit to retailers across the country and into Canada and other international markets.

While the fruit is grown under P&T Enterprises, all fruit is packed under the Doc’s Organics label. The Dockstader family opened a new packing shed in 2017.

“This allows us so much control,” said owner Gina Dockstader, adding that this means the team can leave the fruit on the tree until it’s ready.

Dusty Dockstader, partner, said his grandfather and uncle added some citrus trees to complement its 3,000-acre forage production. When his grandfather and uncle faced some challenges growing conventional citrus trees, someone advised the Dockstaders to transition to organic production.

“My uncle, to his credit, we are not smart enough to separate organic and conventional, and this was years ago — we went all 100% organic,” he said. “It was easier for us to deal with. It solved our problems over the years. We have totally bought into the difference.”

Dockstader said his uncle also understood the need to diversify crops and added the organic date trees.

“My uncle was forward-thinking that we need to diversify, because sometimes lemons are terrible, oranges are good,” he said. “It was just trying to give us options. That’s why we ended up with three or four different crops. We are not big enough, and it’s very hard for us to get everybody to come to us to buy just lemons. But if you got minneolas and you got lemons, now I got two products in this palette.”

While growing organic citrus can have its challenges, Dusty Dockstader said huanglongbing — also known as HLB or citrus greening — hasn’t really affected the citrus production in the Imperial Valley. He said citrus growers in the valley have come together to push for mandatory preventative sprays and a committee that monitors everything.

“We are very blessed, I would say, to be secluded in a place where we have minimal growers and minimal acres, and we can monitor each other,” he said.

Dockstader said one citrus grower abandoned his groves, and the committee has worked with the grower to have him bulldoze the grove to protect those still in production.

Dusty Dockstader, partner with Doc’s Organic Farm shows just how yellow ripe Persian sweet limes can get.

(Photo: Christina Herrick)

On the tour, Dockstader took a small group to see the farm’s organic Persian sweet limes. Because it’s a lime, people think that when they’re green, they’re ripe.

“Everybody hears the word lime, and they think it’s something sour,” he said. “These turn yellow when they get ripe, and they’re sweet. They get a little bit of sugar to them.”

Tanner Dockstader, a fifth-generation farmer and part of the sales team with Doc’s Organic Farm, said the sweet limes are popular with ethnic groups, but because the limes turn yellow when ripe, it takes some education.

“It’s actually gotten better lately,” Dusty Dockstader said. “Last year we did some business with Whole Foods. They’ve been putting them in a bag in their grocery store. It used to be a little more difficult for us to get a market on them and now other people are starting to become open to the idea.”

How one grower seeks to grow the melon category

Fri, 16 May 2025 16:43:46 GMT

Marco Ochoa, chief financial officer with Legend Produce , a fourth-generation melon grower, said the melon category has been evolving for Legend Produce as consumers seek out produce with high flavor. He said while melon consumers tend to skew older, Legend Produce seeks to buck that trend with an emphasis on varieties that pack a punch with flavor.

While other growers in the melon category have focused on improving shelf life and shipability, he said retailers want to draw more attention to melons.

“A melon that is in the store today is no longer the melon that it used to be,” he said.

Legend Produce introduced the Origami melon in the early 2000s to offer a cantaloupe with a better eating experience. Barry Zwillinger, co-founder of Legend Produce, said he knew he was on to something with Origami.

“Everybody thought Barry was crazy, but Barry knew he had something special,” Ochoa said.

Earlier this year, Legend Produce announced it had partnered with Kiss Melons to link Legend Produce’s distribution network with Kiss Melons’ flavor-driven varieties, which include Sugar Kiss, Honey Kiss and Summer Kiss.

Making of success

Milas Russell Jr., co-founder of the Kiss Melon brand, said the idea for Kiss Melons started with a desire to offer melons with better flavor at the store level. Russell said he and his family looked for varieties with good eating quality, texture, Brix and aftertaste. In conversations with seed breeders, Russell said his family would learn which varieties the breeders would take home to their families, and those became the foundation for the popular Kiss Melon offerings.

“How do we change the conversation with the consumers?” he said. “How do we bring the flavor-first mantra of our company to the consumer?”

From there, Russell said he and his family worked to perfect the growing practices to deliver a consistent eating experience for the consumer during a time when specialty melons weren’t a thing. Russell said Kiss Melons compete against other melons, but also against the ample choices a produce consumer could make in the store.

“If you’re asking a consumer to buy something, you need to deliver a product that rivals not just other melons but other commodities,” Russell said.

Russell said what else helped the Kiss Melons become recognizable and sought-after was that the Russell family would visit retailers that sold Kiss Melons so that shoppers could meet and connect with those growing the melons. Those consumers would email stores if Kiss Melons weren’t in stock and ask when the next season would begin. And that, Russell said, is hard to beat.

“We had created a relationship, a trust base with the consumer and now we have end consumers that are advocates,” he said.

Future goals

Zwillinger said there’s been an increase in demand for both Origami and other high-flavor melon varieties in the fresh-cut and value-added sector. Legend Produce adds Kiss Melon and Origami stickers to its fresh-cut produce to help build brand awareness, especially in high-end stores.

“That is really offering a seasonal treat, an ad for a particular variety,” he said. “We’ve seen a slow transition of melons being a bulk item to melons being a strong cut item.”

Zwillinger said he’s also noticed the continued interest in consumers of where their produce comes from.

“Consumers want to hear about how their produce went to market and being able to personalize and tell the story of that brand builds equity with the consumer,” he said.

Zwillinger said Legend Produce looks to add high-flavor watermelons, much like it did with Origami and Kiss Melons, in the future.

“Legend Produce is focused on bringing back those good eating melons and giving the consumer that high-quality eating experience,” he said.

Legend Produce, Kiss Melons join forces

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:53:42 GMT

Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Legend Produce , a fourth-generation melon grower, has partnered with Kiss Melons, a specialty melon brand. Kiss Melons is known for offerings such as Sugar Kiss, Honey Kiss and Summer Kiss.

Legend Produce said this collaboration brings together its decades of expertise in sustainable melon farming and its robust distribution network with Kiss Melons’ innovative approach to developing unique, flavor-driven melon varieties.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Kiss Melons into the Legend Produce family,” said Barry Zwillinger, co-founder of Legend Produce. “Their dedication to quality and flavor aligns perfectly with our mission to provide the finest melons to consumers. Together, we’ll expand our offerings, enhance our research into new varieties and ensure that every bite delivers the taste and satisfaction our customers expect.”

Legend Produce said this partnership will also leverage its flexible growing conditions in Arizona, California and Central America and Kiss Melons’ proprietary breeding techniques honed by the Russell family. Legend Produce said this partnership will bolster the availability of Kiss Melons.

“Joining Legend Produce allows us to focus on what we do best, creating exceptional melons, while tapping into Legend’s established infrastructure to bring our products to more consumers than ever before,” said Diana Russell, co-founder of Kiss Melons. “This is a natural next step for Kiss Melons, and we’re eager to see where this collaboration takes us.”

Legend Produce said customers can expect to see enhanced melon programs throughout 2025 and the same consistent quality and sweetness from both brands.

Melon shippers ready to roll for spring and summer sales

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:17:23 GMT

Spring is here, and summer’s not far behind. That means it’s melon season, and some major shippers have a packed agenda for the spring/summer selling period.

Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea Farms is introducing a line of high-flavor, high-quality melons, while Dixondale Farms Inc. is preparing to relaunch its popular Navigator cantaloupe program, and MAS Melons & Grapes is ready to enter its biggest promotional time of the year despite the threat of a hefty tariff.

Los Angeles-based Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea Farms will kick off its brand-new Dulcinea Pure Perfection melons program with three offerings, said Howard Nager, director of marketing and business development.

Pure Sweetness is an extra-sweet variety known for its “incredibly juicy, soft, melt-in-your-mouth flavor,” he said. Pure Sunshine is firm, juicy and sweet with a refreshing, smooth taste. Pure Crunch is an oblong Chinese hami melon characterized by a crisp texture and a refreshing flesh with hints of honey and pear.

The company also is the innovator of the mini seedless watermelon, which it calls PureHearts, Nager said. The firm grows organic and conventional full-size seedless watermelons called Sugar Daddy.

“We have a great-tasting Tuscan Style extra-sweet cantaloupe and a great-tasting yellow mini seedless watermelon called SunnyGold,” he added.

Dixondale Farms in Carrizo Springs, Texas, may be known for growing onions, but consumers turn out from early June until mid-July to take home its Navigator cantaloupe — sometimes by the case — said Bruce Frasier, president, adding that Dixondale Farms is the only company that grows the Navigator variety.

“The large production areas in Arizona and California have gone to the extended-shelf-life varieties,” he said. “We’re fortunate that we have the support of Texas retailers.”

The Navigator is a full-slip variety with a straw color, heavy netting and “unbelievable aroma,” Frasier said. The company has offered the melon, which it calls Carrizo, for almost 30 years.

Some retailers say they sell more cantaloupes during the 45 days Carrizo is available than they do the rest of year, Frasier said.

In Rio Rico, Ariz., MAS Melons & Grapes has been shipping honeydews and watermelons under the Desert Pride label since the company was started 28 years ago, said Miguel Suarez, managing partner.

The company transitions its melon program from the states of Colima and Nayarit in central Mexico to Sonora in the north in early April.

“We’re going to have plenty of fruit,” Suarez said. But he’s not sure what impact the tariffs that may be levied by the Trump administration will have on sales.

When a 25% tariff was imposed from March 4-6, the company had to raise its price for honeydew melons from $12 a box to $16.25. The market remained active at first.

“The customers bought the fruit even with 25% added to the prices,” he said. But sales quickly slowed.

“The consumers cannot afford these prices,” Suarez said.

Mexico melon acreage likely will be down industrywide compared to last year, he said. But MAS Melons & Grapes isn’t slowing down.

“We have big acreage for the spring season,” he said.

The tariff was scheduled to go back into effect April 4.

The company has been selling melons to Japan since 2001 and sells the fruit to Canada as well as U.S. buyers.

Mexican melon markets to stabilize for peak summer promotions, forecasts grower

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 13:30:43 GMT

Like much of the Western U.S., this year the Mexican melon market has experienced delays from unpredictable and unprecedented spring weather, but it seems to be returning to business as usual in time for peak summer promotions.

“In Mexico, we were expecting to start in mid-April, but everything pretty much started in May,” Jean P. Honoroat, Fresh Farms melon sales director, told The Packer after having just returned from meeting with growers in Mexico. “That’s been very interesting. I think the weather is going to be the x-factor in our forecasts, and we just must adjust.”

To capitalize on this moment, the Arizona-based producer and importer is leaning into its Mexican melon market, driving growth and expansion with its melon offerings heading into summer.

Related news: Later start but good quality expected for California tree fruit, melons

“Looking at the summertime after the recent delay, things seem to have gotten back on the right track. Volumes are starting to come up on cantaloupe, but the honeydew is still lagging behind,” Honorat said. “For cantaloupe and honeydews, we might have a bit of a roller coaster ride in the month of July. There will be some peaks and valleys that are predicted, but the weather could warm up nicely and then everything will get back on track naturally.”

Despite the delay and lower volume than anticipated, the quality of melons coming harvested is high with high brix, he said.

“In terms of challenges, all I can see is the weather. It’s been very unusual this year,” Honorat said. “Some areas of production have seen delays. We’re not talking about two to three days — we’re talking weeks, and I don’t see that changing.”

As a result of these weather changes, harvest and sourcing windows have been shifting, he said.

“Now, in Central America, you can start a little earlier than usual. Typically, it hasn’t been the case. Then you can finish a little later because of lack of a rain or the weather has been mild and other areas,” Honorat said.

When it comes to sourcing watermelons, Fresh Farms exclusively partners with local growers in Hermosillo, Mexico. These long-standing relationships with growers have been cultivated over the years, establishing them as an integral part of the Fresh Farms family.

The produce industry is all about relationships, Honorat said.

“At the end of the day, when we’re talking about the offshore season, there’s not too many players out there,” he added.

Eyeing the long game

With a focus on future expansion, Fresh Farms has ambitious plans to extend its melon program beyond Mexico. Collaborating with additional U.S. partners, the company is mapping out a strategy to broaden offerings and secure a year-round supply.

“For watermelon, in the fall typically we run through October and November and then, depending on the weather, sometimes extend the first week of December,” Honorat said. “Then we have no output in watermelon until we get into the Sonora again. That will change starting next year.”

Fresh Farms is looking forward to having at least watermelon move from the fall season into the winter and that will carry it through the winter months until the spring and into the summer, he said.

“For the summer program, we are working loosely with East Coast. We have just initiated that partnership and [are] exchanging some pricing guidelines and what have you,” Honorat said. “The deal is in the infant stages, and we are looking forward to [learning] from each other this summer and perhaps the following year in order to develop something really substantial.”

This development will give Fresh Farms the year-round program that it’s looking for, he added.

“It’s about supplying consistent, high-quality product and fair pricing. That’s where we are right now,” Honorat said.

Harvest dates near for California melons

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 22:51:05 GMT

California’s Westside melon deal should get underway by early July, as usual, and growers expect to provide their customers with ample supplies of tasty melons this summer.

Cantaloupe volume should reach 14 million 40-pound cartons, up from just over 13 million cartons last year, said John Gilstrap, manager of the Dinuba-based California Cantaloupe Advisory Board.

Del Mar Packing in Westley, Calif., offers a full line of conventional and organic melons, said Brian Wright, sales manager. This year, the company has added organic seedless and seeded watermelons in response to customer demand.

“We’ve seen growth in our organic program, so every year we try to add an additional item to our offerings,” Wright said. “We feel there is a need and demand for them.”

Harvesting of conventional honeydew and cantaloupe melons will start first week of July for Del Mar Packing. They should be available nationwide through October.

Because of the large number of watermelon growers throughout the nation, the company concentrates on West Coast customers for its watermelon program.

Volume will be the same as last year for many items, but there will be added supplies of organic and conventional hami melons and a few more conventional honeydews at Del Mar Packing.

Fresno, Calif.-based Classic Fruit Co. is in the second year of an alliance with Firebaugh, Calif.-based Westside Produce, said Tom Conrado, vice president of West Coast sales and business.

“[The alliance] provides us with more opportunities to provide fruit to our customers on a year-round basis,” he said.

The companies maintain two distinct labels — Tri and Classic Fruit — but the melons are packed in adjacent fields.

“We do everything together,” Wright said. “We’re vertically integrated.”

The two companies had worked together for more than 25 years before forming an official partnership, he said. Now they have an integrated sales, growing, harvesting, crewing and shipping operation that combines Classic Fruit Co.’s offshore program and Westside’s operations.

The companies will transition from Yuma, Ariz., and start shipping cantaloupes and honeydews from the Firebaugh area July 1.

Turlock, Calif.-based Turlock Fruit Co. Inc. grows cantaloupes, honeydews and several kinds of mixed melons, said co-owner Steve Smith.

Cantaloupes should start harvesting by June 27 with honeydews following the first week of July. Specialty melons should be underway by July 10.

Smith said he’s spotted a new trend at some major supermarkets: They’re cutting up their own melons and packing them in-store in clamshell containers.

“Customers who are doing that are seeing expansion in their melon category,” he said.

Retailers are responding to the wishes of a new generation of consumers who are not used to cutting up whole melons at home, he said. The trend is paying off for supermarkets, because clamshells take up less space on produce shelves and bring in more dollars per square foot.

“Any chains — especially upscale chains — that have done cut fruit have been really successful,” Smith said.

Later start but good quality expected for California tree fruit, melons

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 12:26:10 GMT

Despite record rain, snow and some unusually cold weather this winter, California should have plenty of good-quality tree fruit, melons and other commodities this summer.

However, some items might get off to a later start than usual, and early volume on others may be off a bit.

“We had a lot of rain, but the rain really didn’t do any damage at all,” said Levon Ganajian, vice president of retail relations for Fresno, Calif.-based Trinity Fruit Sales Co. “We think the front end of the program is going to be light, but not very much.”

Early volume of peaches and nectarines will be off because rain prevented bees from pollinating the flowers, Ganajian said.

“Even when the flowers were out, the bees weren’t able to pollinate,” he said.

Ganajian was optimistic about the later part of the season.

“Once we get past the early part of the season in May and into the bulk of the season in June, July and August, we expect full crops and good volume on everything,” he said.

The combination of ample water, plenty of chill hours and little stress on the trees should result in good quality and good sizing.

An early freeze affected the apricot crop, so it will get a later start. Supplies during May will be lighter than usual.

“We’ll have promotable volume in June into the first part of September,” Ganajian said.

California’s melon crop escaped the wrath of the state’s cold, rainy winter, said Garrett Patricio, president of Firebaugh, Calif.-based Westside Produce . Patricio also is chairman of the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board and serves on the California Melon Research Board.

Though the California melon industry has had a reduction in acreage over the past 20 years, things seem to have stabilized during the past five years, he said. Volume has stayed the same, even as some acreage has fallen off.

“We’ve gotten much better with agronomy and farming practices,” he said. “While acres are decreasing, total volumes have managed to stay the same because yields are better.”

He said he expected to see as many cantaloupes, honeydews and mixed melons planted in 2022 as in 2023.

As with other commodities, the season may get a later start than usual for California’s Imperial Valley spring melon deal and the Westside summer program.

“We may not see an early May or a mid-May start,” Patricio said.

A late-May kickoff seemed more likely.

“I anticipate there will be some gaps throughout the spring, summer and fall based on the weather, water and environmental impacts we’ve seen,” he said.

Westside Produce recently joined with Fresno-based Classic Fruit Co. to offer melons year-round.

Fresno-based Crown Jewels Produce will start its melon program in late April, said salesman Stephen Thomason. The company offers cantaloupes, honeydews and watermelons as well as grapes, pears and pomegranates. All commodities will start 10-14 days later than usual because of rain and cold weather, he said, but size and quality should be good. Volume should be similar to last year.

Grapes will start middle to late May, pears will get underway the second week of July and pomegranates in September.

How specialty varieties are attracting melon consumers

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 14:52:22 GMT

Retailers — and consumers — looking to liven up their melon menus continue to turn to the specialty category.

Turlock, Calif.-based Turlock Fruit Co. Inc. grows a number of mixed melons, said co-owner Steve Smith.

Canary, piel del sapo and galia are the traditional specialties, but the company’s customers seem to prefer orange-flesh honeydew melons that the company calls Orangedews and green and yellow hami melons.

“Of all the mixed melons that we have, hami and the Orangedews are the most popular,” Smith said. “We’re going to be really promoting [Orangedews] this year as a unique melon.”

Orangedews come from proprietary seed and are exclusive to Turlock Fruit Co., he said. The company will expand acreage for Orangedews this year to accommodate growing demand for them.

Classic Fruit Co., Fresno, Calif., is trialing a number of specialty melons but will add golden honeydews starting in July, said Tom Conrado, vice president of West Coast sales and business.

“It’s one we have a pretty good handle on,” he said.

The company has been growing golden honeydews in Central America with good results, Conrado said.

“Now we have found what we feel is the right variety in the [U.S.],”

The golden honeydew, which is the same size as a regular honeydew melon, is golden with a white flesh but tastes sweeter than regular honeydews, Conrado said.

“I think people have a great eating experience with it,” he said.

Del Mar Packing, Westley, Calif., offers galia, hami and juan canary specialty melons, said Brian Wright, sales manager.

Harvesting will start in late June or early July.

“We’ve seen pretty good demand increases, specifically for the hami,” Wright said. “That’s where we’ve seen our best growth.”

Hami melons have a crispy texture and a flavor blend of cantaloupe and honeydew, he said.

They did what to their melons? Learning from an old family-favorite technique

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 18:33:33 GMT

Editor’s note: This article is from a digital edition of PMG magazine. You can read all the issues here , cover to cover.

When I think of my own personal connection to melons, it’s intrinsically tied to my summers with Nana and Pop in Eastern Shore, Md.

This was back in the 1980s, when I was in elementary school. (Yes, do the math; I’m cool with it). I remember the mustard-yellow laminate flooring under the kitchen table, where I sat watching my grandmother sweat at the stove, crafting her yellow summer squash pie, cooking up her blueberry cobbler and canning pickles and beets, just as my mother must’ve watched when she was my age.

My grandparents were part of the Greatest Generation. They had a victory garden shared with the two next-door neighbors, with about six rows of corn, lima beans, string beans, cabbage, fruit trees and, yes, melons.

We always had cantaloupe. Pop would tap it and smell the melon’s belly button to check for ripeness. Nana would slice it in half, scoop out the seeds and messy gunk, and then slice wedges like thin moons. The three of us tackled our semicircle cantaloupe servings by gliding and scooping out bites with our spoons.

Learn on PMG: Melons

But Nana did something that flummoxed me: She sprinkled salt on her cantaloupe. As an 8-year-old, I thought salting your cantaloupe was absurd and gross. She couldn’t convince me otherwise. I mean, salty fruit!? Ewww.

Thirty years later, as an established food writer, I learned to open my mind to different ways of doing things in the kitchen. So, I retested (or possibly tested for the first time, actually) this summer-fruit salting practice.

Huh.

Turns out, salting cantaloupe and watermelon doesn’t make it taste salty. It enhances the mild fruit’s sweetness. And Southern Living magazine corroborated these findings, saying it’s a common technique for enjoying subtly sweet fruit, but not great for cloying fruit.

Who knew?

They did.

Note: As always, these kinds of tips and tricks can be helpful nuggets of information on point-of-sale signage, in-store and online, as well as on your company’s social media platforms.

Dulcinea Farms adds Sugar Kiss, Summer Kiss melons

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:38:04 GMT

Dulcinea Farms is the exclusive marketer and distributor of Kiss Melons, through a new partnership.

Dulcinea Farms has signed an agreement with Diana and Milas Russell Jr., who founded specialty melon brand Kiss Melons in 2006. They will continue to grow and harvest the crop in Arizona, according to a news release.

“We are excited to add Kiss Melons to our existing melon portfolio,” Josh Leichter, general manager of Dulcinea Farms, said in the release. “The Sugar Kiss and Summer Kiss Melons complement our PureHeart, SugarDaddy, SunnyGold and Tuscan-style melons perfectly, and the fact that Kiss Melons are already offered by many of our current retail partners should make it seamless for customers.”

Dulcinea will offer the Sugar Kiss and Summer Kiss melons starting in June. Dresick Farms , Huron, Calif., will ship the melons through late November, according to the release.

The melons will ship from Yuma, Ariz., and Central California.

Related stories:

Dulcinea mandarins, oranges feature new packaging

Dulcinea PureHeart watermelons grown with new shade house method

Salt on the watermelon

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:05:02 GMT

A couple of weeks ago, somebody in a Facebook group I’m part of shared an article on the proper (and Southern) way to eat watermelon — with salt. The post garnered 50+ comments from folks all around the country, many of whom loved salting their watermelon ... and many who said they “couldn’t stand it.”

As someone who perks up at any sign of a produce controversy, I was intrigued.

I knew that salting certain fruits was a norm for some people in my family — as kids my mom and her siblings salted luscious wedges of black diamond watermelon and put salt and pepper on cantaloupe , and my grandma has been known to salt grapefruit — but the salt shaker never comes out when it’s watermelon time at our house, so I’d never had this taste experience myself.

But, I thought, maybe my family and Facebook friends are the weird outliers on this issue and other people don’t eat their watermelon this way. So I posed the question to my LinkedIn followers: Do you salt your melon? Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew , or any other variety? Do any of your family or friends?

I was surprised at the number of responses that quickly rolled in.

“Grew up eating watermelon with salt thanks to my Grandpa!” one produce industry member said. “My mom and dad sprinkle salt on their watermelon too ... isn’t that normal?!?”

Well, I guess it is.

“My wife and boys are from Colombia; they salt much of their fruit. Mangoes, watermelons for sure,” someone else said.

“Always salt my melons and oranges,” another replied.

“I had a co-worker who was from Georgia and she salted EVERY piece of fruit,” a former colleague shared. “Peaches, plums ... would even salt lemons and eat them whole (without the peels).”

OK, produce industry folks must know what they’re doing, right? I decided to try this taste sensation for myself ... and I roped Produce Retailer editor Ashley Nickle into trying it with me for an episode of Millennials Eat.

You can watch our reactions for yourself on video here , but I have to say that salted watermelon was a lot more delicious than I’d expected, and it didn’t really even taste salty, as I’d feared it might. The important point, of course, is to not go overboard with the salt — it’s just meant to enhance the flavor and bring out the juicyness of the fruit.

The next day I had two slices of cantaloupe with breakfast — I salted one and put salt and pepper on the other, like my mom did. Again, the salt seemed to heighten the natural sweetness of the melon. The pepper, though, didn’t add much. Maybe I’ll try a little more next time.

Another way many of my LinkedIn commenters said they ate their fruit was with chili-lime seasoning. Ashley and I wanted to compare this topping to the plain salt version, but as I wasn’t able to find any in my store, I guess we’ll save that for another episode.

Until then, I might be the newest convert to melon salting.

Amelia Freidline is The Packer’s designer and copy chief. E-mail her at afreidline@farmjournal.com .

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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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Grower Alliance uses Hazel Tech on Mexican melons

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:37:56 GMT

Hazel Technologies Inc. , Chicago, has a partnership with Mexican melon importer Grower Alliance, Rio Rico, Ariz.

Grower Alliance will be packing melons for export, placing Hazel for Melon sachets in each box to help extend the fruits’ shelf life, according to a news release.

The sachets reduce the respiration of melons after harvest, resulting in a longer shelf life.

“In our extensive testing, we found that the Hazel for melon technology resulted in a 45% longer shelf life with our honeydew melons and a vastly improved eating experience 21 days after harvest,” Luis Caballero, a managing member at Grower Alliance.

“Melons were one of the first crops that we saw a huge potential in for Hazel’s technologies and they are still a major focus area for us,” Aidan Mouat, Hazel Technologies CEO, said in release.

Caballero and Jorge Quintero Jr. started Grower Alliance in 2007 along with Jorge Quintero Sr. The business supplies more than 100 retailers and distributors, according to the release.

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Georgia watermelons arriving in southeast stores

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:37:46 GMT

The 2020 Georgia watermelon crop is starting in early June.

“We expect excellent quality and even more, we are eager to have a successful growing season,” Rob Greene, Georgia Watermelon Association president and owner of Lime Creek Farms, Arabi, said in a news release.

While peak watermelon season in Georgia is around June 20, Georgia watermelons are expected to be in stores and markets throughout the southeast by June 3.

“It’s more important now than ever to support your local economy — and we do that from purchasing in season produce like watermelon when it comes in stores,” Samantha Kilgore, Georgia Watermelon Association executive director, said in the release.

Georgia ranks in the top four in the U.S. for watermelon production, averaging more than 18,000 acres of harvested watermelon each year. Other top watermelon-producing states are Texas, Florida and California.

“The 2020 GWA queen ambassador, Lindsey Westberry, would normally be in stores this summer, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, she is helping consumers through serving in other ways in her local community,” according to the release.

Westberry, along with members of the National Guard, recently packed food boxes for the community at Second Harvest of South Georgia.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2XEYh70

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Plenty of summer fruit available from Golden State

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:42:00 GMT

California summer fruit grower-shippers traditionally credit weather with having a say in what kind of season they’ll have.

This year, weather conditions have cooperated, but the coronavirus COVID-19 that blew across the U.S. in March has created a tempest of its own.

However that plays out, suppliers say they will have plenty of citrus, grapes, stone fruit, melons and other items available throughout the May-August season.

Citrus

Valencia season will be starting soon, although a major sales channel for the fruit — foodservice — has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and the restaurant closures it has wrought, said Casey Creamer, president/CEO of the Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual.

California’s citrus season is about 40% harvested as the summer season begins, he noted.

“We’ve been all right this year, as far as harvesting,” Creamer said. “We’ve been able to get in there and pick. We’d prefer a little more water; that would be helpful. We had a warmer-than-usual winter, but for the most part, we’ve got a pretty good crop on the tree, and it’s been holding well.”

Alex Teague, COO of Santa Paula, Calif.-based grower-shipper Limoneira Co ., agreed.

“Citrus supplies look strong for the summer period from California,” he said. “Lemons from California will have ample supplies all summer long while other summer citrus items such as valencias and grapefruit also have good supplies.”

California’s navel crop — which account for around 40% of California citrus — was about 75% picked as of April 10, and returns have been largely below product costs, Creamer said.

“Navels will improve, but there isn’t much left to make up what people have lost,” he said.

The mandarin market has been “good,” and lemons have “sort of held on pricing,” even with a “huge drop” in sales in their major channel, foodservice, Creamer said.

“Overall, I’d say pricing in citrus has been on a downward trend for the last couple of years,” he said.

Cherries

California’s cherry estimate forecasts just over 6.5 million boxes, “which is about spot-on for our 10-year average, said Richard Sambado, sales manager with Stockton, Calif.-based grower-shipper Primavera Marketing Inc.

“We’re trending early, looking at to start the last few days of April — a little bit earlier than normal and definitely earlier than last year,” he said. “We’ll do a bit of Mother’s Day promotion and all retailers generally promote every Memorial Day.”

Some cherry varieties will be down this year after big years in 2019, said Kyle Persky, sales manager with Lodi, Calif.-based Rivermaid Trading Co .

“We didn’t have a lot of chill over the winter months, but the biggest factor was just over-cropped last year,” he said.

Too much rain held back a big crop a year ago, and suppliers packed only about 5.5 million boxes, Persky said.

“If weather had cooperated, it could have been 12 million-plus,” he said, adding that California had a 10 million-box crop in 2017.

The early district will wrap up in mid-May, and the Northern district will get underway around May 10-11, Persky said.

The bing crop in Lodi and Stockton should start May 20 and go through June 3 or 4, he said.

“The bings are OK, certainly not a bumper crop,” he said. “The crop is a little earlier than normal, but the bings were advanced, so it will be a two-week bing harvest.”

Suppliers are anticipating 2.75 million boxes of bing cherries this year, Persky said.

In all, California’s cherry season should run from about May 7 to June 1, said Brianna Shales, communications manager for Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers LLC .

“Quality should be very strong because of the lighter crop set, and at Stemilt, because of our advanced farming practices that focus on yielding cherries with good size and flavors,” she said.

Melons

Brawley, Calif.-based melon grower-shipper Five Crowns Marketing will start its new Origami cantaloupe crop May 1, and honeydews and variety melons start May 10-15, said Daren Van Dyke, director of sales and marketing.

“We are doing conditioned (gassed) honeydews for the first time this year,” he said.

Five Crowns’ first watermelons will ship out of Mendota and Tracy in June, Van Dyke said.

“Overall, I’m very pleased with the crop, our start, what our sets look like,” he said. “The biggest thing is how is business going to be in an uncertain time.”

Timing of melons in both Arizona and California appeared similar to past years, said Garrett Patricio, COO at Westside Produce , a Firebaugh, Calif.-based cantaloupe grower-shipper.

“More than 60% of the domestic melon supply comes from these two states and, despite a trend down in acreage, consistency in production levels has been key to supplying North America,” he said.

Westside Produce’s spring desert program will begin in May and continue through June, and its summer Central Valley program should start in early July and finish sometime in late October, Patricio said.

Grapes

Grape grower-shippers are expecting ample summer supplies.

“It’s a bit early to give a real accurate description of the size of the grape crop, but the industry should see a good size crop with good portion of it from new varieties,” said Alex Giumarra, account manager with Giumarra Vineyards in Bakersfield, Calif.

“If things trend as usual, there should be plenty of opportunities to promote grapes from late July through Thanksgiving.”

Things looked good at Bakersfield, Calif.-based Anthony Vineyards, said John Harley, vice president of marketing and sales.

“The 2020 crop looks really good and looks to be a normal crop — not late, like last year and not short, like last year,” he said.

Anthony expected to start its Coachella deal May 10, he said.

Stone fruit

Stone fruit harvest may begin as much as a week earlier this year than last, suppliers say.

“Recently, hail hit some growing regions of the San Joaquin Valley, and some growers have experienced partial loss of crop due to the damage.

However, we are expecting similar volumes to 2019 overall,” said Jeannine Martin, director of sales for Giumarra Reedley. “Crop set for 2020 is looking normal.”

There should be ample volumes available throughout the season, said Jeff Simonian, sales manager at Fowler, Calif.-based Simonian Fruit Co .

“We feel like we have good crops on the early, mid- and late-season stone fruit varieties,” he said. “We had some hail this past week and it looks like we will have a little damage on some of our early season peaches.”

That was the only weather issue, he noted.

“We are really enjoying this late March and early April rain we have received; it’s allowing us to not turn on the pumps just quite yet,” he said.

Weather has been “perfect” for Kingsburg, Calif.-based apricot and plum grower-shipper Valhalla Sales & Marketing Co ., said David Stone, partner.

“For the most part, we’re getting to the part we’re starting to thin and sizing fruit,” he said April 10. “Weather was perfect for bloom. Trees set. Nice crop. We’re setting up to have a beautiful season.”

The peaches, nectarines and apricots look “very good,” while plums and plumcots “could be as much as 20-30% down,” said Chad Allred, vice president of sales and marketing for Kingsburg-based Kingsburg Orchards.

“That’s not always a negative; sometimes we get better-size fruit in smaller volumes,” Allred said.

Things looked positive for Fresno, Calif.-based Trinity Fruit Sales Co. Inc., said Levon Ganajian, retail relations director.

“This year, we’re going to have an ample-size crop — average to better than average,” he said. “Apricots are going to be way up. All in all, we look really good, looking like a nice-size crop. We had plenty of chill hours.”

Pears

Rivermaid Trading Co. will start packing red pears a few days after July Fourth and bartletts, around July 10, said Persky said.

Pears have faced challenges in recent years, Persky said.

“There are a lot of competing items that take shelf space, promotion efforts and focus away,” he said.

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Del Monte Produce hires vice president of sales

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:09:14 GMT

Coral Gables, Fla.-based Del Monte Fresh Produce NA has appointed Scott Owens vice president of sales and product management.

Owens will head the company’s banana , pineapple and melon programs, according to a news release.

“We are thrilled to have appointed Scott to this new role,” Danny Dumas, senior vice president of sales and product management, said in the release.

“As the previous vice president of sales and product management (for the banana and pineapple program), I personally know that this position is in good hands and that Scott will have a positive impact on our banana, pineapple and melon programs.”

Dumas said in the release Owens’ expertise in customer engagement and brand development will bring a fresh perspective to the company.

The release said Owens has had roles with Wonderful Citrus, Chiquita Brands International and General Mills, among others.

COVID-19 adds to Kern County produce suppliers’ concerns

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:36:29 GMT

The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic affecting U.S. businesses is a multi-headed monster for the agriculture sector, and produce suppliers in California’s Kern County are no exception.

Grower-shippers and marketers are dealing with foodservice closures, possible labor shortages and tightened personnel protocols as they head into the 2020 season.

State and local shelter-in-place restrictions, as well as government-ordered business shutdowns or slowdowns, have shaken demand patterns and left suppliers not knowing what to expect next, said Casey Creamer, president and CEO of the Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual .

“It’s varied; it’s really by variety and it’s very volatile, so in supermarkets, as the shelter-in-place orders took effect, we did see some increases in mandarins and navels and other varieties,” he said.

“Where it got hurt was lemons, which were focused on foodservice.”

Orders have see-sawed, as well, he said.

“I’ve heard when we had orders first in place that orders jumped, with navels and mandarins, but that died down and then jumped again,” Creamer said.

Demand for some citrus items shot up dramatically, but not on the international market, said Dennis Johnston, owner of Edison, Calif.-based Johnston Farms , which just wrapped up its citrus production and will move into potatoes around May 10 and bell peppers June 1.

“Demand picked way up,” he said.

“But prices were depressed before this because the overseas markets have been depressed all year. South Korea and China were not buying as much the last year or two. New Zealand has bug issues and has been shut off. Australia has been slow. So, 25% of the industry’s market has been shut off because of this overseas problem. We were trying to shove all this in the U.S. and Canadian markets.”

Demand for carrots has shot up, as well, said Doug Stewart, salesman at Arvin, Calif.-based Kern Ridge Growers LLC .

“It’s crazy, that’s why we’re in a crazy business,” he said.

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“The virus, panic buying,” Stewart said. “Rain. Schools, all the kids are getting sack breakfast and lunch.”

Kern Ridge supplies carrots year-round, Stewart said, noting that the company will finish its navel harvest by early May and move into valencias.

The company’s foodservice business is limited to schools, Stewart said.

“Closures haven’t affected us one bit; we actually can’t keep up with them,” he said.

After COVID-19 hit, consumers started buying large amounts of fruits and vegetables that had shelf life under refrigeration, Johnston said.

“That’s when it took off, and it’s still strong,” he said.

“There’s been some signs of moderating, but I don’t think there’s any worry fruit will fall on the ground before we finish.”

Packaged fruit may become more common in the wake of the pandemic, Creamer said.

“I’ve heard that, especially lemons trying to go with more bags, but the other problem is the demand on bags and the ability to get them has been frustrating; they’re not available,” he said.

As of mid-April, there were plenty of labor available, but logistics could be a problem, especially for exports, Creamer said.

“What we’re hearing is it’s a significant challenge, not only domestically, but internationally, finding container vessels,” he said.

“They’ve been able to work through that, for the most part.”

Finding enough trucks might be a problem, he noted.

“Transportation is difficult, too, as you’d imagine, with all the essential items on order,” he said. “I don’t see any relief in sight there. We’ve been able to operate, for the most part, but it’s been a challenge.”

COVID-19 has delivered perhaps its harshest blow on restaurants, and it likely will cut into foodservice sales at Bakersfield, Calif.-based Dan Andrews Farms LLC , said Danny Andrews, owner.

“It will reduce my customer base because of the restaurant and school closures,” he said.

“That’s a good majority of the distribution from the wholesalers I sell. That’s going to limit me to retail, and I’m a small shipper.”

Andrews said he had heard the foodservice trade had been cut by as much as 80%.

“We can all live with 10-20% down, but not 80%,” he said.

“Some of the guys who already have a thriving take-out operation are staying with it, but guys that aren’t set up or familiar with the standard operating procedures of getting people to curbside, everyone is trying it, but they’re only getting a few sales, initially; it’s not a barn-buster.”

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Shifting more business to retail isn’t much of a relief, Andrews said, because he’s not a year-round shipper.

“But I’m a speculator, and I’ve been in the game a long time, around 30 years, so I know sometimes there’s no business,” he said.

“But this hit everyone. A lot of my customers are working from home and most are closed one or maybe two days a week.”

Labor might be an issue this year as the deal progresses, thanks to COVID-19, Andrews said.

“I talk to a lot of labor contractors in Imperial Valley, and I can get some of those experienced crews (early in the deal), but looking ahead to my next crop, I’ve been trying to get bids for summer melons,” he said.

“Right now, he said they can’t cross the border at Mexicali. I don’t think it’s a matter of fear of working, but it’s very difficult to move around if you live in Mexico.”

Suppliers say they have implemented all recommended restrictions in the wake of COVID-19, including social distancing.

“We’re doing all the things that they are recommending,” Johnston said.

“They’re wearing some sort of dust masks, and we’re providing them when we can get them. Everybody’s washing hands, wearing gloves. We’re doing all we can. The biggest thing is to try to keep them all apart and, by and large, we’ve been successful.”

The process of harvesting has some alterations, Johnston said.

“We’ll be ready,” he said.

“Bell peppers are still-hand-picked, but the way we pick them, we think we can put people behind our picking belt and six feet apart when they’re working across the rows from each other. We think we can overcome it by having them pick every other row.”

Safety also is a priority at Edison-based Kirschenman Enterprises Inc ., said Wayde Kirschenman, owner and president.

“We’re trying to keep everybody safe, and we have extra hand-washing and sanitation stations,” he said.

“We have everybody wearing masks and scarves but at same time doing best we can to sanitize everything, but we’re also an essential business, getting potatoes harvested and packed. We’ve been really careful. We haven’t been affected much; things are going a little slower as we take all these extra precautions.”

Year-round potato supplier TD Produce Sales, in Bakersfield, has felt a pinch from the pandemic, said Tom Drulias, owner.

“It has affected demand on the potatoes used by the restaurants and foodservice purveyors,” he said.

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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West Mexico growers anticipate improved spring crop

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:48:59 GMT

Distributors of produce from West Mexico were hoping for a fruitful spring after a fall/winter season affected by rainstorms and cold weather.

“It’s been a very, very difficult season for all of us,” said Jose Luis Obregon, president of IPR Fresh , Rio Rico, Ariz.

“We’ve had peaks and valleys like we’ve never seen before.”

No one knows what spring will bring, he said, but he expected the weather to warm up with good production through the first week of June.

IPR Fresh will have bell peppers all summer from Jalisco, which will cross through McAllen, Texas. And the company was waiting for the new spring deal from Hermosillo that will include squash and cucumbers from the last week of March through the end of May.

“Hopefully, this new stage of the production will be going back to normal,” he said.

“It’s been an up and down roller coaster this season,” said Chuck Thomas, owner/president at Thomas Produce Sales Inc. , Rio Rico.

Recent weather had been fairly good through the last week of February, he said, “but the damage has been done with all the bad weather we’ve had previously this season.”

He expected cucumber supplies to be tight until Florida starts in mid- to late March.

Bell peppers were low most of the season but were finally “showing some life,” he said in late February, and eggplant will get a boost with the arrival of Lent.

Tomatoes never were plentiful during the winter, Thomas said, but they finally were dropping into the low $20 range from the mid $20-30s. Romas were backing off the $30 range, dropping to $22-24.

But he said some growers who usually go to May or June may have lost so many tomatoes that they might finish their season significantly earlier than usual.

Squash was “substantially damaged” by the weather, with zucchini that normally sells for $6-8 going for $16-18, and good yellow squash selling for $28-30 instead of the usual $8-10, he said.

“Even the chili market has been on fire this season,” he said, with jalapeños selling for $18 that usually average $12-14.

So many weather events occurred throughout the fall/winter season that product had to be sold within Mexico because it could not meet quality standards to ship across the border, he said.

March and April should be good months for Nogales, Ariz.-based Divine Flavor LLC , said Michael DuPuis, quality assurance and public relations coordinator.

“It looks like we’re in good shape,” he said in late February.

The company will offer roma, round, beefsteak and grape tomatoes; slicer, European and Persian cucumbers; conventional and organic bell peppers and some squash.

Ranches in the Culiacan, Sinaloa, region are in especially good shape with “healthy production and healthy fields,” he said.

Most of Divine Flavor’s bell peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers are grown in greenhouses, so that helped keep volume from falling too far behind despite some weather issues, he said.

Divine Flavor will have conventional and organic seedless watermelon, seedless mini watermelons, cantaloupes and honeydews from Hermosillo starting in late March or early April and peaches from northern Mexico for a few weeks starting in April, DuPuis said.

“We had a very rough, long winter,” said Chris Ciruli, partner at Ciruli Bros. , Rio Rico, Ariz.

The company’s Champagne brand ataulfo mangoes out of Chiapas should hit peak volume the second week of March, he said, and new spring plantings of cucumbers should reach decent volume by mid-March.

“We’re looking forward to a really nice spring cucumber crop,” Ciruli said.

Next will come the spring zucchini crop from Hermosillo, followed by honeydews.

After several months of double-digit prices and low volume, spring will bring “more favorable weather, more favorable volume and more promotable prices for consumers and customers in March and April,” he said.

With uncertainty sparked by the tomato suspension agreement, Rio Rico-based Peppers Plus LLC decided to stay with the status quo rather than plant more bell peppers, said owner Bobby Astengo.

“I’m glad we made that decision,” he said.

More bell peppers ended up in the marketplace than usual because a number of growers who reduced tomato plantings in covered structures replaced them with bell peppers, he said.

Peppers Plus focuses on red, yellow and orange hothouse bell peppers and also ships winter squash — especially the acorn variety.

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