Oregon

Northwest Cherry Growers Forecast High Quality and Early Volumes

Fri, 15 May 2026 21:37:47 GMT

Washington State Fruit Commission President Eric Patrick says that there’s no clearer sign to the start of summer than when it’s Northwest cherry season. Being that cherries are such a limited-run item in stores, he says consumers say, “Wow! Summer’s here, I need to get these cherries.”

While California’s cherry season looks to wrap up early, it’s going to be a good handoff to the Northwest cherry season, which looks to be starting a little ahead of schedule, but not by too much.

While it’s early and marketers say things could change, the season currently appears to have set up good promotable volume for the entire season.

“Recent rain events in California have continued to reduce the crop, and we’re now expecting their season to wrap earlier than originally projected,” says Catherine Gipe-Stewart, director of marketing for Superfresh Growers. “We stay closely aligned with our retail partners and monitor movement out of California in real time, which allows us to adjust timing and promotions as needed to ensure a smooth transition.”

Gipe-Stewart says the season wrapping up early in the state should help create a seamless transition and start to the Northwest season.

“That timing is lining up well with the earlier finish in California, which should help minimize overlap and create a clean handoff at retail,” she says.

Northwest Cherry Crop Estimate and Season Outlook

Jon Bailey, who leads the cherry category for Oppy, says early frosts impacted early orchards and late frost impacted later orchards, but “the midseason districts look very strong, so we expect our best continuity and overall quality through the center of the season and project to match last year’s volume.”

Gipe-Stewart says while early projections could evolve as the crop develops, she says retailers can expect “an early, high-quality Northwest cherry crop, with timing, volume and sizing still taking shape.”

“We’re continuing to monitor weather and growing conditions closely, as those will ultimately influence final yield and packouts,” she adds.

Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing for Honeybear Brands, says while this spring has created some variability, fruit quality is trending in the right direction for firmness, sugar and overall eating experience.

“We expect volume to build in waves rather than all at once,” he says.

Patrick says harvest could come between three and seven days early, adding that he expects some growers will begin harvest around Memorial Day with good volumes picking up around June 10. Patrick says that 30% of this year’s crop is destined for the export market.

“We’re putting that crop estimate somewhere in the 18 [million] to 20 million boxes,” he says. “A nice average size crop for us.”

Mac Riggan, vice president of sales and business development for Chelan Fresh, says while there’s a bit of growing to go until harvest, things are aligning well.

“If things are fairly normal, I’m expecting a lot of really good-sized fruit for export and domestic markets,” Riggan says. “I think the eating quality is going to be really good out of Washington.”

While volume comes off at one time in some seasons, Riggan says this season will be more in line with weekly demand, which is perfect for retailers and consumers alike. Barring any major changes, he says, the season will begin in late May and run through the end of August.

“That’s a 90-plus-day sales window, which is really nice. I think that the pipeline will be full of fresh cherries all the time, just picked, packed and shipped,” he says. “I’m expecting a very orderly sales season out of the Washington cherry industry this year, which is good for everybody — the shippers, the retailers, the consumers. It’s just a win-win all around.”

Having the cherry season wrap up early in California should help create a seamless transition and start to the Northwest season, says Catherine Gipe-Stewart, director of marketing for Superfresh Growers.

(Photo courtesy of Superfresh Growers)

Retail Merchandising Strategies and Consumer Value

If some of the crop tends to skew on the larger size, that’s a strong storytelling advantage for retailers, Sinks says.

“Size equals value in the shopper’s mind; it’s visible, experiential and justifies the price,” he explains. “Position cherries as a seasonal indulgence: a limited-time, peak-summer treat that delivers quality enjoyment at home. Messaging like ‘big, bold and worth it’ or ‘summer’s premium bite’ resonates well.”

Retailers can also deploy strong visuals and callouts to help consumers understand the value of those larger cherries, in that they’re trading up in experience, not just paying more, Sinks says.

“Ultimately, the retail community wants to win the price point, and that can be achieved with a smaller size at high value too,” he says. “With Washington supply potentially tighter, smaller cherries might signal good value to a consumer.”

Though the season will likely start a little early, Riggan says it’s important that retailers have good communication with a sales desk.

“Make sure you’re getting accurate information. Good news or bad news, just make sure it’s accurate so that you can plan,” he says. “I’m anticipating good volume for promotable volumes for Fourth of July ads this year. It should be good for retailers.”

Patrick says with the crop expected this year, it’s critical that retailers think promotions and even look to back-to-back ads and promotions during the heart of the season to drive sales. He also says studies show larger displays for cherries help drive sales.

“Cherries obviously have a longer shelf life when you put them in the cooler, but then they’re a little more hidden,” he says. “When you put them front and center and allow consumers to see them, those sales usually go up.”

(Photo courtesy of Stemilt Growers)

Driving Sales Through Health Benefits and Impulse Purchases

Gipe-Stewart says the team at Superfresh Growers looked to prune for sizing, which she says means retailers can expect a strong Super Cherry premium program.

“From a retail perspective, this creates an opportunity to segment and merchandise strategically,” she says. “Larger fruit can be positioned as a true premium, an ‘affordable luxury’ moment for consumers, through strong display, clear sizing communication and elevated presentation. At the same time, smaller sizes still deliver on flavor and eating experience and can be leveraged for value-driven promotions to keep cherries accessible and drive volume.”

Brianna Shales, marketing director for Stemilt Growers, says the impulse factor isn’t limited to the physical aisle.

“Shoppers need to know they are in season through visibility, whether they are shopping in-store through a front-of-department display or online via featured items,” she says. “Ultimately, quality and the eating experience drive repeat purchases.”

Bailey, too, says those larger cherries help drive the “wow” factor at the store and can help retailers “position cherries as a special, treat-yourself item that still feels justified, even when budgets are tight.”

While smaller pack sizes might help consumers manage out-of-pocket costs, “they’re also more expensive to pack and typically require significantly higher unit movement to drive meaningful volume,” he says.

With shoppers making fewer trips, Bailey says it’s a good opportunity for retailers to lean into larger purchases per trip with bigger packs and “strong displays that encourage shoppers to stock up when they do visit.”

And with the expected steady volume throughout the season, Riggan says it’s important that retailers use displays to help drive sales.

“You want to have a good display where customers are hit with it, because cherries are a very impulse item,” he says. “They’re not year-round like so many other items. Give cherries the space and the respect that I think they command because of the dollars that they can generate for retailers.”

While consumers might be a little more budget-conscious going into this year’s cherry season, Gipe-Stewart says retailers should work with growers and shippers on promotional fob opportunities.

“That helps maintain category momentum, supports movement across all size profiles and ultimately benefits the full supply chain, including growers who are often operating at or below cost in challenging seasons,” she says. “When retailers strike the balance between positioning the top end while still creating value entry points, it keeps cherries relevant, exciting and attainable for a broad range of shoppers.”

Gipe-Stewart also says health messaging can help drive sales as consumers look to better-for-you options.

“Cherries deliver about 3 grams of fiber per 1-cup serving, including both insoluble fiber, which supports digestion and gut movement, and soluble fiber, which can help with cholesterol and blood sugar regulation,” she says. “Cherries are also one of the few foods that naturally contain melatonin, which supports sleep. Those are powerful, easy-to-understand benefits that give retailers a strong foundation for messaging in-store and digitally.”

Patrick also points to a recent study out of Texas A&M University that shows anthocyanins and other natural compounds in dark sweet cherries could reduce tumor growth, metastasis and therapy resistance in triple-negative breast cancer.

“We’re just seeing more and more consumers trying to step away from processed foods, and of course, fresh produce is one of the first places they go to, and we want everyone to focus on cherries as much as much as they can,” he says.

This blend of wellness and convenient pack sizes provides a unique opening for stores to market cherries as a multifunctional staple rather than just a seasonal treat, Gipe-Stewart says.

“When retailers combine clear health messaging with thoughtful pack size strategy, it allows cherries to function as both an everyday wellness item and an affordable indulgence, driving both accessibility and overall category growth.”

Sinks also suggests retailers approach displays with select items to drive sales.

“Retailers should pair cherries with complementary, high-frequency items — berries, yogurt, bagged salads, grilling items — to build a full summer meal or snacking occasion,” he says.

Sinks encourages retailers to use urgency as a strength, as cherries are one of the most time-sensitive produce categories.

“Retailers should start building awareness just ahead of first promotable volume, then go all-in as soon as supply and sizing align — likely shortly after Memorial Day this year,” he says. “A strong start to the Northwest season is critical to establish momentum and drive destination trips. Lean into ‘now is the moment’ messaging early and often, because once peak passes, the opportunity narrows quickly.”

And Gipe-Stewart says retailers should tap into the fear of missing out in digital marketing.

“From a strategy standpoint, digital marketing should shift into high gear in early to mid June as volume builds, then stay consistent through the full season,” she says. “Positioning cherries as a limited-time, peak-summer item — while reinforcing quality, freshness and health benefits — helps create that sense of urgency and drives destination trips throughout the entire June to August window.”

But, Sinks says, it all comes down to the fruit consumers take home.

“None of this works without delivering on quality and eating experience,” he says. “In a value-conscious environment, cherries have to look great and eat even better. When shoppers feel confident they’re getting a consistently high-quality product, it drives repeat purchases. If the eating experience misses, those repeat trips become fewer and further between — something retailers can’t afford in today’s environment.”

Promotions, Promotions, Promotions

And don’t neglect promotions, Riggan says. Retailers should be confident in the quality and sizing of this year’s crop to be able to promote cherries in a way that will bring new customers to the category who will come back again and again in the season, he adds, noting that cherries are a basket-driver that justifies the floor space.

“Cherries are a powerful enough item that people will come to a store for them, and they’ll usually fill the rest of their basket with stuff,” he says. “Maybe [retailers] lean in a little bit and have some aggressive ads and then drive some new customers to the category; maybe make up your money next week, get your sales velocity up and try to drive as much volume through as you can because cherries are limited.”

Patrick says Northwest cherries will partner with Washington State University on a national consumer contest to guess the number of cherries on a tree in professor Matt Whiting’s research orchards. He says this is a promotion Northwest cherries used to do in the past, and he’s excited to bring it back.

“The winner will receive a box of cherries and there’s going to be a whole bunch of different prizes as well,” he says.

Sinks says Honeybear Brands will help celebrate America’s milestone with its own unique packaging.

“We are also packing in a patriotic-themed pack that celebrates the 250th birthday of the USA for a limited time,” he says. “That will provide a nice complement for July 4 celebrations.”

Gipe-Stewart says eye-catching packaging is a great way to catch the shopper’s eye in the produce department and build on those impulse buys. She says Superfresh Growers recently refreshed its cherry pouch bags with revamped Superfresh-branded bags and its Super Cherry program that features bold colors, graphics and visual cues to grab shoppers’ attention.

“For the Superfresh line, the new bags bring a more modern, approachable feel, while helping clearly differentiate between dark sweet and rainier cherries at the shelf,” she says. “For the premium Super Cherry line, the refreshed packaging leans heavily into the program’s core differentiators: jumbo sizing, flavor and a more elevated consumer experience. The bold ‘Jumbo Size & Flavor!’ messaging was designed to quickly communicate value and reinforce the premium nature of the fruit.”

Shales points to Stemilt’s ultrapremium cherry program, Kyle’s Pick, as a way to position cherries to highlight not only flavor but also quality.

“This is not just a fruit-size program, but [it also] looks at data from multiple points to select the very best cherries for this pack,” she says. “There is even an R&D signoff via taste test to ensure the flavor matches our Ultra Premium promise. We’ve seen success selling this alongside other cherry packages and encourage retailers to bring it in as a premium SKU like they would in berries or grapes to drive sales with specific shopper groups.”

(Photo courtesy of Oppy)

Maximizing the 90-Day Window Beyond the Holiday

Shales says it’s important to remember that “every week of cherry sales matters” and echoes Riggan’s advice for retailers to remain in constant communication with cherry suppliers to adjust as the market changes.

“The Fourth of July holiday is critical for building momentum in cherry sales as the industry reaches its peak post-holiday, yet June is a volatile time for cherry volume and pricing, and that can cause trade-offs in retail pricing that will get that momentum started,” she says. “Make the most of the holiday so that cherry sales are in ‘repeat’ mode as the peak arrives. Quality drives consumer purchases and should be a focus all season long.”

Riggan points to National Rainier Cherry Day on June 28 as a way to help promote the red-blushed cherry variety, as well as the Fourth of July, though retailers should also think about the post-July 4 window.

“We’re about midway [on July 4], so there’s a whole month and a half, almost two months of cherry sales opportunity after July 4,” he says. “There is a good volume of cherries generally through the 20th of August for sure. Again, communicate with your sales desk that they’re buying from and make sure they get all the opportunities.”

Gipe-Stewart says one of Superfresh Growers’ largest cherry orchards doesn’t begin to harvest until mid-July and continues picking into mid-August or later.

“When retailers step off promotions too early, it can slow category momentum right when the crop is hitting its stride,” she says. “The opportunity is to stay committed, maintaining strong displays, consistent ad support and digital presence throughout July and into August. Retailers who do this not only drive better movement but also maximize the full value of the Northwest season for both themselves and their grower partners.”

Sinks says a mistake retailers can make is waiting till close to the July 4 holiday to promote cherries.

“There’s often a tendency to wait for ‘perfect’ volume or cost, but in an early, dynamic season, that hesitation can mean missing the most impactful selling window,” he says.

Peak isn’t just the biggest volume, Sinks says, but it’s when quality, size and consumer excitement align.

“Retailers who lean in early, adjust pricing aggressively and promote consistently throughout the peak window will capture more dollars, drive velocity and build stronger category momentum,” he says.

Produce Leaders Sound the Alarm as California Closes the Window on Packaging Rules

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 19:55:49 GMT

The story of the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act is not a new one in the state of California. However, those in the produce industry say the regulations called for in this act have taken a sharp and alarming turn, one that would have severe consequences in the fresh produce industry.

This act calls for all packaging to be recyclable or compostable, and plastic packaging to exceed a 50% recycling rate by 2032. CalRecycle released a permanent draft of the regulations for the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, which is significantly different than its December 2025 draft, which it withdrew and replaced with a new version on Jan. 29.

Gail Delihant, senior director of governmental affairs at Western Growers, says this new draft eliminates previous categorical exclusions for fresh produce packaging, which would have allowed for compliance while also meeting food safety requirements.

Kevin Kelly, CEO of Emerald Packaging, says he has been advocating for achievable goals within produce packaging since SB 54’s inception. But he says this latest change in the regulations has definitely caught the fresh produce industry a little off guard.

“I think what surprised people is everybody thought that the language would eventually make for a gentle transition to using products in the ag sector that could be recycled or were compostable,” Kelly says. “And that we build a recycling system that could actually handle like a salad package or a clam shell. Instead, what we’ve gotten is something that still says, ‘By 2027 if your recycling rate isn’t 25%, you’re potentially banned.”

Delihant says there is an immediate need for those in the fresh produce industry to review this final draft and submit comments on the potential impacts of this regulation. CalRecycle will accept comments on this draft regulation through Friday, Feb. 13.

“We just need people to raise the alarm loud enough that they actually do change the wording and send it back out for another 15 days,” she says.

What Changed?

Kelly says SB 54 was a tough bill for the produce industry from the start, but he adds the change in these regulations has made it worse.

“It was an unreasonable bill, and these regulations now are unreasonable,” he says. “They don’t make packaging impossible, but they’re going to make it very difficult.”

Western Growers broke down the key changes and points of note, which include the addition of the word “mandatory”, which Delihant says puts additional responsibility on growers. Western Growers says growers must now prove no alternative packaging is FSMA, California law and FDA food-contact rules compliant, that liners, coatings and closures cannot resolve conflicts, that a redesign would fail safety or legal requirements and more. Western Growers’ analysis can be found online .

Both Kelly and Delihant say the original draft of the regulations had exemptions carved out for fresh produce that would both encourage progress, but not set unrealistic deadlines and standards.

“They think it would be easy for us to comply, but they have no clue what it would take to gather that information to submit,” Delihant says. “That’s why we’re asking everybody to please write to the governor’s office, write to Cal Recycle and provide comments in the hope they will fix this language.”

Kelly and Delihant say this new draft also makes the exemption process much more difficult and costly for growers. Kelly says while growers can apply for exemptions to not meet the recycle rates, but they will still need to pay the fees.

“Not only are you going to get whacked around the fees, you’re going to have to pay consultants every two to five years to go argue that there’s no possible alternative to the packaging you’re using, and the information they’re asking for is crazy,” Kelly says.

Delihant says what also makes this difficult is the infrastructure to recycle the types of material used currently doesn’t exist. So, it’s incredibly difficult to meet a 50% recycling benchmark by 2030 and the 100% by 2032. And federal food safety guidelines highlight the need for breathable packaging to prevent pathogens.

“We showed CalRecycle, that we are complying with the guidance documents, and that currently we have a hardship in that we don’t have the infrastructure for our products to be recycled yet. It went really well, until almost 15 days ago, when they issued a new draft that basically strips us of our categorical exclusion language,” she says.

Packaging’s Vital Role

Kelly says current produce packaging keeps fresh produce alive, while compostable and recycled packaging does not.

“Most compostable materials don’t breathe at all,” he says.

And Delihant says the industry has spent a lot of time, money and effort in packaging research and development to create what the industry uses today.

“We’ve come up with what we have now that you see in the produce section of the grocery store fully complies with federal rules, regulations and guidance documents for keeping food safe and keeping food fresh longer,” she says. “That’s the goal. Keep your food fresh, keep it alive, because it is alive. Keep it safe to eat and keep it fresh as long as possible.”

Kelly cites studies released by the Canadian government, which says banning produce packaging or pushing for alternatives would raise the price of produce at retail between 5% and 10%, require the hiring of more people and cause much more food waste.

“Jeff Brandenburg [president of The JSB Group and founding partner of QFresh Lab] always says, ‘We keep a living product alive.’ We’re the only packaging that has the honor of keeping a living product alive,” Kelly notes.

Kelly says plastic manufacturers in California lobbied the American Chemistry Council in the 2000s to organize and recycle plastics, but that never moved forward. He says it’s not as though the industry hasn’t worked to add compostable packaging, either — noting Emerald Packaging began offering a corn-based film to package spinach as early as 2002. But, it hasn’t been widely adopted, and that’s part of the issue with scale and capacity, which has widely remained around the same as 2002.

“The problem with all these materials is that they’re expensive, so people don’t switch to them, so the capacity is never built,” he says. “If you were to try and replace the billions of pounds of material that’s used across the United States … there’s a whole petrochemical industry that’s built around this.”

And he says this regulation will require wholesale changes to the entire fresh produce supply chain.

“The world doesn’t work this way,” he says. “There isn’t an infinite capital out there to spend on projects like this, where you’re not going to get a return.”

What Happens Next?

Delihant says CalRecycle will review and respond to all comments submitted by Friday, Feb. 13. If the fresh produce industry successfully raises the alarm, updates would have to go through another comment period.

“We’ve been told they don’t want to do that because there are dates certain in the law that must be met, and those are coming up in April and this summer,” Delihant says.

And Delihant says growers should look to Oregon and Colorado to see what’s coming as producers have received Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) invoices to mitigate the pollution caused by plastic packaging. She says this means growers are spending thousands and thousands of dollars on these fees.

She says these implications will extend way beyond Oregon, Colorado or California, but will impact any company shipping packaged produce into those states.

“You could be growing in Arizona, and packing in Arizona and shipping into Oregon and Colorado,” she says. “You’re going to pay the fees. You could be growing in Florida and shipping into California. With this regulation, you’re going to be paying fees in every single one of the states.”

Kelly, too, says he doesn’t see an outright plastics ban with this regulation as the fees gathered by Circular Action Alliance through the recycling of clamshells and flexible packaging will help fund the recycling infrastructure for the organization.

“It’s not that packaging will disappear,” he says. “It’s going to become a lot more expensive now that may chase it off the shelves. But for CAA certainly, there’s no economic incentive here for them to demand that food packaging get banned.”

Kelly also points out advocating for plastics in the specialty crop industry will not be a one-and-done type of movement. He says the industry will need to continue to be engaged. Much like the adage, of “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” that’s the role specialty crop growers will need to play in the future.

“Individual growers and shippers have to stay involved,” he says. “This rock is going to roll over people if they don’t push it uphill.”

As Acreage Expands, Idaho-East Oregon Onion Crop Shows Promise

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:57:58 GMT

It looks like Idaho and East Oregon onion acreage will continue its upward trend in 2025.

Growers in the Snake River Valley, which runs through southwest Idaho and Malheur County in Oregon, planted 23,592 acres of onions in 2025, up from 22,583 acres in 2024, according to the National Onion Association. Annual production averages about 20 million 50-pound units, depending on weather and other conditions, says Greg Yielding, the association’s executive vice president.

Eagle Eye Produce

Onion harvest started the week of Aug. 4 in Idaho, Oregon and Washington for Iona, Idaho-based Eagle Eye Produce, says Joe Ange, director of onion sales.

“It’s a little earlier than usual thanks to near-ideal growing conditions,” he says. Harvest should continue into early October.

The company, which has a year-round onion program, will offer a complete line of red, yellow and white onions as well as sweet yellow onions in its Harvest Time label this season. Ange says acreage at Eagle Eye Produce is up slightly this year thanks to the acquisition of the Baker and Murakami warehouse in Ontario, Ore., and quality should be strong.

“Our growing teams are happy with what they are seeing,” he says.

Quality seems to be top notch on onions from Nyssa, Ore.-based Snake River Produce, says Kyle Erstrom, general manager. Planted acreage is similar to last year, and growing conditions have been good this season, he says.

(Photo courtesy of Snake River Produce)

Snake River Produce

At Nyssa, Ore.-based Snake River Produce, Kyle Erstrom, general manager, says he expects to have a very nice crop this year.

“Everything seems to be on schedule,” Erstrom explains. “We’re excited to get the season going.”

The company ships mainly yellow Spanish sweet onions and also has some red and white varieties.

The season is expected to get underway shortly after mid-August, and the company will ship storage onions as late as mid-April, Erstrom says.

Planted acreage is similar to last year at Snake River Produce, and growing conditions have been good this season with fairly mild weather and plenty of water, Erstrom says, adding that quality seems to be top notch.

Owyhee Produce

Parma, Idaho-based Owyhee Produce started harvesting onions July 1 and plans to keep onions coming from Idaho year-round, says Bailey Myers, agritourism and marketing director at the company, which grows, ships, packs and processes potatoes.

Owyhee Produce offers red, yellow and white potatoes and has a sweet red variety.

“Quality is looking good coming out of the fields now and going into storage and hitting the roads,” says Myers, who adds volume will be up slightly this year.

ICE Effect

President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals and immigration crackdowns are on the minds of onion shippers but don’t seem to have caused much of an impact yet.

Eagle Eye Produce had not experienced any labor disruptions as of early August, Ange says.

“We work with a consistent and reliable labor force that returns year after year,”
he adds.

The company would like to see a reliable, legal labor program that benefits migrant workers, growers and the country.

“A stable workforce keeps the food supply moving and helps make sure fresh produce stays affordable and available for everyone,” he says.

Owyhee Produce also would like to see a workable program with steps to enable migrants to have a process to either citizenship or a program for working legally, Myers says.

Snake River Produce is definitely worried about the potential for visits from ICE, Erstrom says.

“Whether they stop here or not, if they’re in the area, people are going to quit coming to work,” he says. “We’re trying to do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen, but we don’t have complete control over it.”

Tariff Talk

Tariffs have already had some effect on the cost of supplies such as packaging and fertilizer, Ange says.

“We have made some adjustments by working with more domestic suppliers or sourcing from places that are not impacted,” he says.

Eagle Eye Produce understands the intention behind Trump’s tariff policies and supports fair trade policies that benefit the U.S., he says.

“At the same time, tariffs can create uncertainty in the produce industry, where pricing and margins are already tight and logistics are already challenging.” Ange says. “Even small changes in input costs can have a big impact.”

Myers hopes any tariffs will be a good thing in the long run.

“The tariffs will have challenges for all companies, but we are hoping long term it will be helpful to the U.S. growers and companies,” she says.

Onion Outlook: Washington and Oregon Growers Share Expectations for Harvest

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 22:32:11 GMT

Favorable growing conditions this season should result in good-quality onions out of Washington and Oregon, grower-shippers say.

In 2024, Washington, the nation’s top onion producer, grew about 21 million cwt of onions, up from about 20 million cwt in 2023, according to USDA. Oregon produced 14,189,000 cwt of onions, up from 13,747,000 in 2023.

Eagle Eye Produce

Onion acreage is up slightly this year for Iona, Idaho-based Eagle Eye Produce thanks to the acquisition of the Baker and Murakami warehouse in Ontario, Ore., says Joe Ange, Eagle Eye Produce’s director of onion sales.

“We have more supply than ever and are better equipped to support our customers,” Ange says.

The company is set to start harvesting its eastern Oregon crop in late July, which is slightly earlier than usual, and will continue through September.

Eagle Eye Produce ships out of storage through April from facilities in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

“After that, we transition to fresh-field onions from California, New Mexico and Texas,” says Ange, who adds that growing conditions have been “close to ideal.”

“The weather has been warm without excessive heat, and cool nights have created excellent conditions for onion growth,” he says. As a result, the company expects strong quality.

“The onion plants are healthy, and sizing is progressing well,” Ange adds.

Eagle Eye Produce offers a complete line of red, yellow and white onions to meet the needs of retail, foodservice and export customers, he says.

Onions 52

Syracuse, Utah-based Onions 52, which has growing and packing operations in Washington, Oregon and other locations, specializes in yellow, red, white, organic, tearless and sweet onions, says Tiffany Cruickshank, sales representative.

“In the Pacific Northwest, our harvest will begin late July and go through mid-October,” she says. “In Oregon, we will likely begin later in August and finish in the same time frame.”

The company has onions available 52 weeks a year.

“Our robust, year-round program ensures consistent supply, quality and service no matter the season,” she says.

So far, quality looks excellent this season, Cruickshank says.

“We’re optimistic that favorable weather and growing conditions will hold steady for a strong finish and successful harvest,” she adds.

Onion 52’s volume should be similar to last year.

F.C. Bloxom Co.

Seattle-based F.C. Bloxom Co. began its onion harvest the week of July 13, about five days earlier than usual as a result of a good growing season, says salesman Steve Brennan.

“There weren’t too many days over 100 degrees,” he adds.

Harvest will continue until the end of September.

F.C. Bloxom grows red, yellow, white and sweet onions and shallots, Brennan says. Yellow onions are shipped year round.

“Quality yields and size should all be good this year,” he says. “It will be a strong jumbo profile.”

The company’s volume should be about the same as last year.

Castoldi’s

Castoldi’s family farm in Walla Walla, Wash., celebrated its 100^th anniversary this year, says Nathan Castoldi, a fourth-generation owner and operator of the company.

Castoldi’s grows Candy Winter Sweets, Walla Walla sweet onions and red onions.

Harvest started June 9 for Walla Walla sweets and will continue until the end of July. Candy Winter Sweets will be harvested until the end of September.

Growing conditions were good, with no freezes and pretty fair weather, Castoldi says. Volume and acreage will be the same as last year.

Countryside Acres LLC, Walla Walla, Wash., started its harvest of yellow Walla Walla sweet onions the second week of June, says Tim Knowles, vice president. Quality is good this season, and though acreage was the same as last year, yields were higher, he says.

(Photo courtesy of Countryside Acres LLC)

Countryside Acres

Walla Walla-based Countryside Acres LLC started its harvest of yellow Walla Walla sweet onions the second week of June, says Tim Knowles, vice president.

“Weather was pretty good,” he says. “We had a good amount of rain — not too much, not too little.”

The harvest finished the first week of July; the company will offer Walla Walla sweet onions until the first week of August.

Quality is good this season, and though acreage was the same as last year, yields were higher, he says.

A Look at Exports

A number of Washington and Oregon grower-shippers say exports play a significant role in their sales programs.

About 15% of the onions at F.C. Bloxom are exported, Brennan says. Puerto Rico, Singapore, Malaysia, Guam, New Zealand and some Pacific Rim countries are the company’s main export destinations.

Export volume can depend on how crops shape up in other countries, like Holland, Spain and China, he says, because freight rates typically are lower from those growing regions.

Eagle Eye Produce exports onions to foodservice and retail customers in Mexico, Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Honduras, Guatemala and other international markets, Ange says.

“Export volume can vary year to year, particularly with Mexico and overseas shipments, which are more dependent on local crop conditions,” he says.

Onions 52 exports primarily to Canada and Mexico, Cruickshank says.

Tariffs can influence export dynamics, especially in terms of pricing competitiveness and overall demand in key international markets, she says.

“We continue to monitor trade policies closely and adjust as needed to remain flexible and responsive to market shifts,” she says. “Our primary focus remains on delivering quality onions and maintaining strong relationships both domestically
and abroad.”

Washington, Oregon Onion Growers Wary of ICE Visits

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 22:06:55 GMT

So far, it doesn’t appear that onion growers in Washington or Oregon have experienced significant disruptions from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents looking for undocumented immigrants under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, but that doesn’t mean employers and workers themselves aren’t concerned.

Securing adequate labor is “getting harder and harder with ICE and deportations,” says Steve Brennan, salesman for Seattle-based F.C. Bloxom Co.

“It’s going to trickle down,” he says. “It started in the field, it’s going to trickle to the shed, and it’s going to trickle to transportation and drivers, too.”

F.C. Bloxom Co. hadn’t been visited by ICE agents as of mid-July, he says, but some nearby cherry orchards had. Even workers with valid visas were being detained while their paperwork was verified, he says. “People are a little scared.”

ICE had not bothered Iona, Idaho-based Eagle Eye Produce either, says Joe Ange, director of onion sales.

“We work with a consistent and reliable labor force that returns year after year,” Ange explains. “We have been staying up to date on recent immigration developments, and while labor is always a consideration in agriculture, we have not experienced any disruptions this season.”

The same was true at Castoldi’s family farm in Walla Walla, Wash., says Nathan Castoldi, an owner and operator.

“We have a good, solid crew and have had no [ICE] issues at this time,” he says, adding that things could change in the future.

Potato Growers Have Eyes on Potential ICE Raids and Labor Changes

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:28:12 GMT

As of late June, potato growers and immigrant workers in Washington and Oregon had not experienced any major disruptions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

There might have been some “small-scale, isolated incidents,” says Chris Voigt, executive director of the Moses Lake-based Washington Potato Commission, but “there haven’t been any large-scale raids of any farming or packing operations.”

There’s some concern about potential ICE actions in the state, Voigt says, adding that the potato industry is fortunate in that it is highly mechanized. Unlike growers of fruits and other vegetables, he explains, “We don’t require a lot of hand labor during our harvest.”

Voigt says he heard that President Donald Trump wants to protect agriculture workers, and Voigt would like to see some type of work visa program that will “protect good employees.”

“We’re excited that (Trump) brought it up, and we hope that he acts on it soon,” he says.

At Eagle Eye Produce, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Coleman Oswald, director of sales, says no ICE agents had shown up at Del Christensen & Sons in Mattawa, Wash., whose potatoes Eagle Eye markets.

“We’re obviously concerned about it because we need that labor to harvest our crops and to run our packinghouses,” Oswald says. “It’s a concern we have, but we haven’t had any adverse or bad experiences with it to this point.”

He says he was optimistic after hearing that the agriculture industry had expressed its concerns to Trump, and that the president had committed to address the situation.

“I don’t know what will come of that, but I do know farmers are worried about it, it has been raised up, and the government is responding saying they’ll find a way to make sure we don’t lose our labor force,” Oswald says.

“At least (Trump) sees it as an issue and said he’d do something about it,” he adds.

Ryan Schols, chief financial officer for Burlington, Wash.-based Norman Nelson Inc., says he has not heard of any local enforcement actions, however, he sees the need for a solution to the immigration quagmire.

“It’s necessary for our country to have solutions for immigration so that we can be sure we have a consistent work force,” Schols says.

In Oregon, Gary Roth, executive director of the Portland-based Oregon Potato Commission, says he was not aware of any immigration-related work disruptions so far at Oregon potato facilities.

Anticipated Crop Quality Provides a Bright Spot for Washington and Oregon Potatoes

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 18:59:21 GMT

Potato volume in Washington and Oregon may be down slightly this season, but growers anticipate decent size and quality.

Eagle Eye Produce

Growing conditions have been very good so far this summer for Mattawa, Wash.-based Del Christensen & Sons, whose potatoes are marketed by Eagle
Eye Produce, Idaho Falls, Idaho, says Coleman Oswald, director of sales for Eagle Eye Produce.

“We’ve had no major issues or disruptions from weather,” he says. “The crop is progressing very nicely.”

The company, which ships russet potatoes year round from the Mattawa location, will begin its 2025 harvest in August and continue as late as mid-October.

Oswald says Eagle Eye has been marketing product from Del Christensen & Sons, a multigenerational family farm, for about 10 years.

Great size and great quality are expected, Oswald says, “If all goes well until harvest time.”

About 70% of the product grown by the Washington location of Eagle Eye Produce goes to retail accounts, and 30% goes to foodservice buyers.

The company sells bulk product to retailers as well as consumer packs — mostly 5-pound bags but also a number of 10-pounders for club stores.

Growing conditions were favorable this season as of late June for Burlington, Wash.-based Norm Nelson Inc., says Ryan Schols, CFO. The family-owned company, established in the early 1940s, markets Double-N brand potatoes.

(Photo courtesy of Norm Nelson Inc.)

Norm Nelson

Growing conditions also have been favorable so far for Burlington, Wash.-based Norm Nelson Inc., says Ryan Schols, chief financial officer.

“It was pretty ideal for planting,” he says. “We’re looking for good weather through the growing season.”

Weather has been a bit cooler than normal, which is good for potatoes, he adds. Volume should be typical for the grower this season.

The family-owned company, which was established in the early 1940s and is now operated by members of the second and third generation, markets Double-N brand potatoes.

Norm Nelson grows red, white, yellow and a few purple potatoes. Yellows have replaced red potato as the bestsellers, Schols says.

The company will begin its harvest in early-to-mid-September and finish in early November. Potatoes will be shipped from storage through May.

Up to 80% of the firm’s tubers are sold in bulk boxes. Of the consumer packs, 3-pounders have been gaining popularity every year, Schols says.

Three-pound kraft paper bags bearing the Ladybug brand are a packaging option for organic potatoes from Portland, Ore.-based Organically Grown Co., says Jess Hardin, who leads the company’s potato program.

(Photo courtesy of Organically Grown Co.)

Organically Grown Co.

In Oregon, Portland-based Organically Grown Co., which sources and packs organic red, russet and yellow potatoes for retail customers year round, will begin its harvest in late July, says buyer Jess Hardin, who leads the company’s potato program. Yellows are its top sellers.

Potatoes are sold in bulk, in poly bags and in a 3-pound kraft paper bag under the Ladybug brand. About half the company’s potatoes are sold in bulk and half are in consumer packs.

The potato program also includes specialty varieties of red, yellow, purple, fingerling and russet potatoes, most of which are available in 20-pound bulk cases.

“We are optimistic for a great year for quality and sizing based on good growing conditions so far,” Hardin says.

Besides potatoes, Organically Grown Co. markets a full line of fresh organic produce year round that encompasses more than 350 commodities, Hardin adds.

Adjustments Made

Potato acreage will be down slightly for Eagle Eye Produce this year because of challenging market conditions, according to Oswald.

“The last two seasons were not favorable to the farmer,” he says. “There’s been a slowdown or a reduction in processing potatoes, so we’ve had processing acreage creeping into the fresh market.”

As a result, farmers were selling below the cost of production, so they cut back their potato acreage a bit.

“We’ve been in an oversupply situation as an industry,” Oswald says. “Markets have been quite suppressed.”

Although Norm Nelson Inc. usually ships potatoes through May, this year was an exception, Schols says, because the region received a lot of rain in the fall and lost some acreage. Sales were finished in March.

Schols describes prices as so-so.

“No records are being broken for great prices,” he says.

Washington and Oregon Potato Facts

Washington is second only to Idaho when it comes to potato production, says Chris Voigt, executive director of the Moses Lake-based Washington Potato Commission.

The state’s growers harvested 159,500 acres of potatoes in 2024, according to USDA, and produced 101.2 million cwt for a value of $1.1 billion.

Acreage likely will drop to 145,000 to 150,000 acres this year as a result of softening demand, mostly for french fries and frozen potato products,
according to Voigt.

“We’re not really seeing any drops in fresh potato plantings,” he says.

About 10% of the potatoes grown in Washington go to fresh market sales. The Columbia Basin in eastern Washington and the Skagit Valley are the state’s main potato-growing regions.

Oregon, the fourth-largest U.S. potato provider, produced 26,875,000 cwt of potatoes in 2024 for a value of $1.1 billion, according to the USDA.

About 5% to 10% of the state’s 43,000 harvested acres were devoted to fresh market product, says Gary Roth, executive director of the Portland-based Oregon Potato Commission.

The state typically grows about 27 million cwt, but volume has been down the past couple of years because of a reduction in processed potato acreage. That shortfall is expected to continue for the 2025 season, he says.

Potatoes are Oregon’s state vegetable, and they’re grown on 376 farms, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Consumer packs gain traction for onions

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 17:03:15 GMT

Bulk onions marketed by grower-shippers in Washington and Oregon typically outsell packaged product, but they say consumer packs have been steadily gaining traction.

“Consumers love the convenience of prepackaged onions,” said Joe Ange, director of onion sales for Eagle Eye Produce, Idaho Falls, Idaho.

“It saves them the hassle of selecting and measuring quantities, making shopping quicker and easier,” he said. “They also appreciate the familiarity and trust that comes with seeing a consistent, branded label in stores.”

Retailers find packaged onions easier to merchandise than bulk onions, Ange said.

“The uniform packaging makes for attractive, organized displays that are easy to restock,” he said.

Consistent labeling also speeds up the checkout process, helps maintain brand recognition and simplifies inventory management, he added.

Eagle Eye Produce offers a range of packaging options for its onions, from 1-pound bags for individual consumers to 50-pound sacks designed for bulk buyers and foodservice providers.

“Our 3- and 5-pound midsized bags are particularly popular for their convenience and consistent quality,” Ange said.

Some supermarkets have found that they can use the “charisma of having a bunch of colossals or jumbos” in a bulk display to spur purchases of consumer packs, said Bill Bloxom, an owner of Seattle-based F.C. Bloxom.

Larger onions attract shoppers’ attention in a merchandising bin, he said.

“As people get closer, and they’re in a hurry, they just grab a bag,” he said.

The company offers 40-pound cartons, master bags of 16 3-pound consumer packs, 10 5-pound consumer packs and reusable plastic containers. About 70% of its onions are sold in bulk cartons, and 30% go into consumer packs.

Demand for onion consumer packs actually began to increase prior to the pandemic, but it has continued during the post-pandemic period, said Molly Connors, vice president of sales and marketing for Basin Gold Cooperative, Pasco, Wash.

Basin Gold offers 50- and 25-pound units as well as 2-, 3-, 5 and 10-pound consumer packs, RPCs and Euro cartons.

“There’s not much we can’t do,” Connors said.

The co-op uses high-graphic packaging as a marketing tool on some of its smaller, high-end bags, she said.

All of the onions sold by Castoldi Family Farm, Walla Walla, Wash., are sold in bags, said Nathan Castoldi, an owner and operator. Sizes include 5-, 10-, 25 and 50-pounds.

Some sellers break up the 50-pound bags and merchandise the contents as bulk onions, he said. But many also are purchased by consumers who might share them with friends and neighbors or sometimes keep them all for themselves.

“If you can keep onions in a cool, dry place and out of the sun and get them out of the bag, you can make them last for a decent amount of time,” Castoldi said.

Sustainability focus

Sustainability is of growing concern when it comes to packaging.

Eagle Eye Produce has felt an increase in pressure from consumers and retailers for sustainable packaging solutions, Ange said.

“The pandemic highlighted the importance of packaged produce, and now there is a strong push toward making those options more environmentally friendly,” he said. “We are actively exploring more sustainable packaging materials to meet those demands.”

F.C. Bloxom’s packaging material is PET 1 recyclable, Bloxom said.

“But it’s a question of what people do with it,” he said.

Recycling must be convenient for consumers if it’s going to be effective, he said.

Bloxom estimated that less than 10% of the company’s recyclable “bowling ball bags” are recycled by consumers.

Recyclable packages aren’t as strong as conventional packaging, so they’re subject to more damage as they’re moved around, said Steve Brennan, salesman at F.C. Bloxom.

Food safety and traceability often are more important to retailers than recyclability, he added.

“Traceability is big,” he said. “They want to make sure everything is traceable to its origin in case there’s a food safety issue.”

Basin Gold Cooperative has done some investigating into recyclable packaging, but there is a higher cost associated with it, which consumers and retailers are often reluctant to pay, Connors said.

“It’s a matter of getting the marketer, packer and consumer on the same page,” she said.

Castoldi Family Farm doesn’t receive many inquiries about the sustainability of its packaging, Castoldi said. But he added that sometimes consumers return the 50-pound bags for reuse.

Washington, Oregon growers benefit from heavy onion demand

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 12:21:40 GMT

Growers in Washington and Oregon are hoping for continued heavy demand as the 2024 onion harvest gets underway.

In 2023, onion utilized production in the Pacific Northwest was up 6% from the previous year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. However, the value of utilized production in Oregon was down 24% from the previous year to $171 million. Washington’s value also was down 24% from 2022 to $384 million.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho accounted for 58% of the national utilized onion production.

Washington and Oregon grower-shippers offer a wide selection of onions starting in summer and often continuing until spring or beyond.

Seattle-based F.C. Bloxom Co. will offer Walla Walla sweet onions until Aug. 15 or Aug. 20, said Bryon Magnaghi, who manages the firm’s Walla Walla, Wash., office.

In September, the company will transition to its new crop of yellow, red, white and Washington sweet onions.

“Walla Walla sweets will end, and Washington sweets will begin,” said sales representative Steve Brannan.

Early varieties will be shipped out of the field, but most will go into storage and ship as late as mid-June.

In the past, storage onions would barely last until April, said Bill Bloxom, an owner of the company. New technology and improved seed types have boosted the storage period by about six weeks.

Shown from left, Joseph Stilnovich, Humphrey Egwuenu, Filogonio Jimenez Cruz and Jack Irwin, team members at Seattle-based F.C. Bloxom Co., are in the midst of a busy Walla Walla sweet onion season, which will be followed in August by a new crop of yellow, red, white and Washington sweet onions, says Bryon Magnaghi, who manages the firm’s Walla Walla, Wash., office.

(Photo courtesy of F.C. Bloxom Co.)

Volume of Walla Walla sweet onions, which are not shipped from storage, likely will be a bit higher this year compared to last year, Bloxom said.

“We’ve got a good-looking crop,” he said.

Prices have been good, too.

“The Walla Walla sweet onion is sort of a limited specialty crop, so overall, we’re able to hold a better price than general sweet onion prices,” he said.

Walla Walla-based Castoldi Family Farm, which will mark its 100th anniversary next year, offers Walla Walla sweet onions, limited volume of red onions and, starting Aug. 15, Candy Winter Sweets, said Nathan Castoldi, a fourth-generation owner and operator of the company.

Candy Winter Sweets are a hybrid Washington sweet onion that comes on when Walla Walla sweet onions end, he said.

The Walla Walla sweets harvest began the first week of June this year, a couple of weeks sooner than usual because of a number of warm days that pushed the onions to get them done a bit earlier, he said.

“Quality has been really good this year,” he added.

Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Eagle Eye Produce has undergone some significant changes to help the firm to better serve its customers, said Joe Ange, director of onion sales.

“We have hired more industry veterans onto our sales team,” he said, including Dillon Duncan, most recently with Owyhee Produce, Parma, Idaho.

Eagle Eye Produce has invested in a state-of-the-art storage facility in Nyssa, Ore., which improves its ability to maintain the quality of its onions for longer periods, he said.

“We have also expanded our production capabilities by partnering with more warehouses,” Ange said. “These strategic partnerships ensure a consistent, year-round supply of onions, enabling us to the meet the increasing demand from our customers.”

The company offers yellow, red and white onions year-round in all pack sizes under its Harvest Select brand.

“We recently started offering shallots, sourced direct from family farms in Eastern Oregon,” he said.

The company will ship its onions out of storage in the Northwest until the beginning of May.

“For the remainder of the season, we rotate through Southern states to ensure a continuous year-round supply for our customers,” Ange said.

Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Eagle Eye Produce has expanded its production capabilities and made other improvements to help the firm better serve its customers this season, says Joe Ange, director of onion sales. Eagle Eye offers yellow onions, shown here, as well as red and white onions under the Harvest Select brand and recently added shallots, Ange says.

(Photo courtesy of Eagle Eye Produce)

Pasco, Wash.-based Basin Gold Cooperative’s harvest of red and yellow onions will start in late July, said Molly Connors, vice president sales and marketing. White onions will start later.

Growing conditions this summer have been similar to last year, she said — a two-to-three-week hot spell hit with temperatures over 100 degrees. Hot weather can affect onion size, yields and harvest date, she said.

Basin Gold will ship onions from early August until mid-to-late May.

“We will ship onions direct from the field as well as send some to storage,” Connors said. “Volume looks to be average, but that could change depending on the duration of the heatwave.”

Onion prices are up from last year, but onion growers still face financial challenges.

Even if growers can charge more for their onions than last year, Castoldi said, “We could always use more with all the price increases.”

Inflation raised prices on a number of inputs as well as the cost of labor, he said. Grower-shippers must pass along those increases, and that’s had an impact on consumers.

“People are still buying onions,” Castoldi said. “They’re just not buying as many at a time.”

Eagle Eye Produce also is dealing with rising labor costs and other price increases, Ange said.

“Inflation continues to pose a challenge, leading to higher production costs,” he said. “We are adapting by looking for efficiencies wherever possible.”

Fuel prices are down this year at F.C. Bloxom, Magnaghi said, but prices of fertilizer, seed and other inputs have increased,

“The cost of labor goes up every year,” he said.

Washington, Oregon potato growers anticipating strong harvest

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 12:45:39 GMT

Conditions are looking good for another season of quality red, white and yellow potatoes from growers in Washington and Oregon.

The 2024 harvest is expected to get underway sometime between late July and early September, with start dates varying slightly by grower.

Burlington, Wash.-based Double-N Potatoes, ships red, yellow and white potatoes and a few purple ones, said Ryan Schols, chief financial officer.

Harvest will start the first or second week of September, he said. This year’s volume should be similar to last year’s.

The company was still planting in late June because of wetter-than-usual weather. There were no extended sunny periods during which the tubers could be planted, he said. Schols was hopeful that planting would be finished soon.

Double-N Potatoes ships from September until the end of April.

Burlington, Wash.-based Double-N Potatoes, ships red, yellow and white potatoes and a few purple ones, says Ryan Schols, chief financial officer. Harvest will start the first or second week of September, he says. This year’s volume should be similar to last year’s.

(Photo courtesy of Double-N Potatoes)

Burlington-based Valley Pride Sales LLC also will kick off its 2024 harvest in early September, said salesman David Clark.

The company, which ships potatoes year-round, offers white, red and yellow potatoes and some small potatoes for consumer packs.

Although the growing area had some cool, wet weather, Clark did not expect the less-than-ideal conditions to impact the quality of the company’s potatoes. But he did say volume could be a bit lighter than usual.

Although based in Iona, Idaho, Eagle Eye Produce has a year-round potato program out of Mattawa, Wash., said Coleman Oswald, director of sales.

“We never gap at all,” he said.

The 2024 harvest should start the first week of August.

Weather has been “sporadic,” he said, with periods of cold, wet, windy days mixed with a few hot days.

“It’s been a little bit all over the place,” he said. “But there’s nothing that concerns us in a major way.”

“We haven’t had any wild weather — no hail damage on fields and no drought conditions or anything like that.”

The company’s acreage will be down this year because of crop rotations and an industrywide oversupply.

“There’s been an oversupply situation, so grower returns are below the cost of production,” Oswald said. “We’re hopeful, with this upcoming season, that will get corrected, and we’ll get supply more in line with demand, and we’ll be able to get prices back up to sustainable levels.”

Potandon Produce, Pasco, Wash., expects to have a higher-quality crop of russet potatoes this year than last year, said Sean Davenport, marketing manager.

“Last year had its ups and downs,” he said.

This year’s crop should be more consistent.

The 2024 harvest should get underway at the end of July with no gaps, he said.

“It should be a smooth transition from the old crop to the new crop.”

But Davenport said there could be some relatively minor price changes at the end of the crop year, depending on factors like yields and quality of the existing crop.

There were no frosts or hot spells this year in Potandon’s Washington growing area, so good quality is expected, he said. Yields should be similar to last year.

If growing conditions remain “normal,” there should an even distribution of sizes, he added.

The company ships out of Washington year-round.

Washington and Oregon potato growers are coping with the same inflationary pressures as growers everywhere, though some say the rate of inflation is slowly dropping.

“Costs to grow are definitely leveling out a little bit compared to the major increases we saw the last few years,” Oswald said. “It’s still costing us more than it ever has, but at least the increases in the cost to grow are smaller this year.”

Davenport said the inflation rate seems to have slowed, but it’s still rising. And costs remain higher than past years.

The cost of labor is up at Potandon, Davenport said, but freight rates have remained relatively steady.

Costs for fertilizer, pesticides and water have gone up this past year, which creates a challenge for growers when there’s an oversupply of product and low market prices.

But consumers aren’t leaving potatoes off their grocery lists.

Potatoes are one of the lowest-priced items in the produce department, they go with every meal and they’re very nutritious, Davenport said.

“Cost per serving, it’s still one of the best values out there,” Oswald said.

Washington, Oregon potato stats

USDA estimates that Washington produced 99.7 million hundredweight of potatoes in 2023, about 10% of which was destined for fresh market.

Total potato production this year will be down due to a reduction in acres planted, said Chris Voigt, executive director of the Moses Lake-based Washington Potato Commission.

“We planted about 16,000 fewer acres this year,” Voigt said. “So far, the growing season has had perfect weather for potato production, so we expect our yields per acre to be up.”

Voigt predicted an overall drop of about 8% in Washington’s potato production compared to last year.

Total potato acreage in Washington is projected to be down 10% to 12%.

Growers in the state have planted an estimated 144,000 acres of potatoes, of which about 16,000 acres are for fresh market.

Oregon’s growers produced about 27.4 million hundredweight of potatoes in 2023, according to USDA.

About 10% of that volume is for fresh market, estimated Gary Roth, executive director of the Portland-based Oregon Potato Commission.

Oregon grows about 43,000 acres of potatoes, he said.

Consumer bags are packaging favorites for potatoes

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 12:34:23 GMT

Consumer packs typically account for about half the fresh-market potatoes shipped by suppliers in Washington and Oregon, grower-shippers say.

Although Double-N Potatoes based in Burlington, Wash., offers potatoes in a mix of bulk cartons and consumer packs, the 5-pound yellow and 5-pound red consumer packs are the most popular packaging option, said Ryan Shols, chief financial officer.

“[Packaging] definitely picked up during the pandemic,” he said, when many consumers turned to bags or clamshells rather than bulk product because of perceived hygiene issues.

Sales of packaged potatoes have held steady since that time, Schols said.

Pack styles often vary by region, said Sean Davenport, marketing manager for Pasco, Wash.-based Potandon Produce.

Although Potandon sells a lot of 50-pound cartons to retailers, foodservice operators and wholesalers, 60% of the potatoes the company ships are in consumer packs.

Pack sizes range from 1- and 1.5-pound bags of mini potatoes up to 15- or 20-pound poly bags. Five- and 10-pounders are the most popular sizes.

Packing bags is more expensive than putting potatoes into cardboard cartons, Davenport said.

Different machines are used and more labor is required to produce 5- or 10-pound bags and pack them into cartons, he said.

Consumer bags now account for 40% to 50% of potato packaging from Iona, Idaho-based Eagle Eye Produce, which grows potatoes in Mattawa, Wash., said Coleman Oswald, director of sales.

But during the pandemic, they made up about 90% of the company’s potato packout. That’s because indoor dining was shut down as well as ballparks, stadiums and other public venues, and the vast majority of Eagle Eye’s potatoes went to retail customers.

“Almost everything we were packing had to go into a poly bag for consumers for a while,” Oswald said. “It slowly drifted back to a more normal 50-50 blend.”

Although corrugated material used for 50-pound cartons is expensive, it’s more expensive to pack poly bags, he said.

“It is a slower process to pack for retail into consumer bags versus when you can just put everything into a 50-pound box,” Oswald said. “Even though your packaging costs are higher, you make up for all of that with your efficiencies when packing bulk versus small packs.”

There’s also the overage factor. A 3-pound poly bag of potatoes, for example, must contain at least 3 pounds of product. To ensure the proper weight, packers routinely pack over the minimum requirement.

“You have to have a little extra in each of those packs,” he said. “With 16 3-pound bags, all 16 have to have to have a little overage, so you end up giving away more potatoes.”

The same thing goes for a 50-pound box, Oswald said.

“But if we put 51 pounds in, we’re good to go,” he said.

Although sustainability seems to be on everyone’s minds these days, potato grower-shippers say not many of their customers ask about sustainable packaging. But that doesn’t mean packers have not adopted sustainable practices.

“To keep working for 60 or 70 years like we have, you have to be sustainable,” Schols said. “You want to use that land over and over again.”

Only “a couple of retailers here and there” ask about Potandon’s sustainable packaging, Davenport said. Potandon reviews packaging every year, and sustainability is something the company keeps in mind when discussing packaging upgrades, he said.

Higher assessment rate proposed for Idaho and eastern Oregon potato growers

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 20:42:00 GMT

The USDA has issued a proposed rule that would raise the assessment rate for growers under the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Potato Committee for the first time since 2017.

The proposal would increase the assessment from $0.002 to $0.003 per hundredweight of potatoes handled under the marketing order, according to a notice. Comments on the proposed rule are due Oct. 28.

This proposed rule is issued under Marketing Agreement No. 98 and Marketing Order No. 945, both as amended, regulating the handling of potatoes grown in certain counties in Idaho, and Malheur County, Ore.

At a June 5 meeting, the committee unanimously recommended 2024-25 fiscal period expenditures of $99,522 and an assessment rate of $0.003 per hundredweight of Idaho-Eastern Oregon potatoes handled under the order for the 2024-25 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods. In comparison, the budgeted expenditures for fiscal period 2023-24 were $99,703.

The committee recommended increasing the assessment rate to better align the assessment revenue with budgeted expenses and to replenish reserves that were depleted between August 2017 and June 2024, according to the notice.

The committee estimates shipments for the 2024-25 season to be approximately 34 million hundredweight, an increase from the 28.16 million hundredweight handled for the 2023-24 fiscal period.

Superfresh Growers kicks off blueberry season

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:24:56 GMT

Yakima, Wash.-based Superfresh Growers expects to deliver both a strong season of Northwest blueberries , starting with fruit from Norris Farms in southwestern Oregon.

Norris Farms harvests around 1,000 acres of blueberries and kiwi berries, according to Superfresh Growers.

Superfresh Growers will have strong volume of both conventional and organic blueberries in 2024, company officials said in a news release.

“We take great pride in our partnership with the Norris family,” Ryan Cleary, director of blueberry sales at Superfresh Growers, said in the release. “The Oregon fresh crop forecast is up 145% this year. Quality is off the charts at Norris Farms, and we’ll be able to hit the ground running right out of the gate on both conventional and organic. Our production in Washington will kick in shortly after Oregon, ensuring we have a promotable crop all summer long.”

“The fruit set looks great this year,” Norris Farms’ Ellie Norris said in the release. “There’s been a great combination of intermittent warm and cool days with periodic rains. Pollination was more successful than in previous years as well. We’re very excited about how early some of our fields have ripened and plan to start harvesting earlier than usual. We’re set to have a very successful season.”

The climate and fertile soil of the Umpqua Valley contribute to the production of exceptional blueberries, and its packing facility helps the fruit maintain peak freshness, the release said.

Superfresh Growers says it is a one-stop for summer fruits, including cherries, blueberries, apples, pears and kiwi berries.

Oppy celebrates 100 years at Orchard View Cherries

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 17:30:30 GMT

Oppy ’s California cherry season is expected to end around June 20, just in time to overlap with the start of the Pacific Northwest cherry season.

Jon Bailey, lead for Oppy’s cherry category, said the marketer’s 2023 volume of Northwest cherries is expected to be up.

“While last year was our shortest crop in a decade, we’re looking forward to a big crop this season, potentially Orchard View’s largest crop ever,” Bailey said. “We’re expecting 1.4 million boxes of excellent quality and size.”

The Dalles, Ore.-based Orchard View Cherries is celebrating 100 years, with four generations of the Bailey family contributing to that legacy, he said.

Oppy’s marketing program is focusing the 100-year anniversary at Orchard View Cherries, which includes refreshed POS materials, shipper bins, social media content and more.

“It’s been a labor of love for four generations in The Dalles, Ore. — working, learning and growing together to bring forth an abundance of perfect cherries eagerly awaited around the world,” Bailey said. “In 1923, my grandparents Walter and Mabel Bailey established Orchard View Farms, while my mom and dad, Don and Edwina, planted additional acreage and built cold storage and packaging facilities between the 1970s and 1980s. I’m honored to be a part of the family business, alongside our president, Brenda Thomas, growing our beautiful cherry orchards with commitment and care.”

Crop timing

Bailey said peak supply for Orchard View Cherries is anticipated around July 4 through the end of July, with the crop finishing up about Aug. 10.

“We’re always experimenting, looking for that bigger, juicier, more-flavorful cherry. While we grow tried-and-true varieties — from chelan, bing, kordia, rainier, lapins, regina, skeena and sweetheart — matching each variety to its ideal microclimate and elevation on the banks of the Columbia River, we also have some new varieties coming from black pearl, burgundy pearl and ebony pearl, along with royal helen and royal hazel.”

Retailers can boost cherry sales with end-aisle displays, Bailey said, since those displays have the best visibility for shoppers.

“In-store promotion is key as cherries are not typically on everyone’s shopping list and continue to be an impulse purchase — we hope that consumers continue see cherries as that truly seasonal item to treat themselves to when they see them at retail,” Bailey said.

Export interest is strong, he said.

“We expect a better export season, as we’ve faced challenges between the expense and availability of air freight and currency exchange in recent years,” he said. “With aerial transport and freight rates down, along with the larger crop, good fob pricing will spur demand, which will be better for our export customers.”

Aside from unforeseen economic variables, Bailey said the table is set for a successful cherry season.

No changes in cherry packaging are anticipated, he said, with the marketer offering 2-pound top-seal packs and high-graphic pouch bags.

Columbia Basin onion crop catching up from cold spring

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 18:52:29 GMT

After erratic spring weather, onion crop prospects in the Columbia Basin shared by Washington and Oregon have improved to strong levels, according to extension educators in the region.

“Onion [maturity] may be a little slower than in a normal year, but not by much,” said Tim Waters, extension educator for Washington State University.

The onion season began with cold and wet weather in the spring, said Stuart Reitz, extension educator for Oregon State University in Ontario, Ore.

Reitz said that cold and wet weather delayed plantings for some onion growers. Still, he said “Goldilocks” weather (when conditions are just right) since then has allowed onion plants to catch up.

Onion acreage is likely about the same in the Columbia Basin and Treasure Valley, Reitz said.

Yellow onions account for about 80% of total onion acreage, he said. Red onions have been growing in importance and now account for 15% of total Columbia Basin onion acreage, with white onions accounting for about 5%.

Columbia Basin’s early onion harvest will likely start in early August, with storage onions beginning at the end of August or early September. Onions will be harvested and put in storage through September and into October.

Most of Washington’s storage onions are grown in the Columbia Basin, with the majority planted in Grant, Franklin and Adams counties, Waters said.

Onion acreage in the Columbia Basin shared by Oregon and Washington totals about 25,000 acres, Waters said. Onion harvest begins in the region begins in the late summer and can extend into the fall. Storage onions can be marketed from storage for up to eight months.

Waters said the onion crop was facing some weed pressure in the early summer, which will result in higher weed control costs. Some growers are using robotic weed control machines, he said.

Storage onion acreage in the eastern part of Oregon and southwest Idaho, called the Treasure Valley region, accounts for about 20,000 to 25,000 acres, he said.

Many onions in the Treasure Valley will be shipped to the East, Waters said, while many of the Columbia Basin onions will move north and south, in addition to offshore export destinations.

The leading county for nonstorage bulb onion production is Walla Walla in Washington, which began harvest in late June. Growers in Walla Walla harvest both overwintered onions and spring-planted sweet onions. Walla Walla onions are typically available from late spring to early fall, with the peak season from June to August.

Trends and challenges

For growers in the Columbia Basin, Waters said one trend over the past decade is larger, and fewer, farms.

In addition, onion acreage planted under for dehydrated processors has increased, as better water availability in the Columbia Basin from the Canadian Rockies-fed Columbia River, compared with California, has shifted acreage from the Golden State to the Northwest.

That, Waters said, has increased acreage of dehydrated onions and garlic in the Columbia Basin.

“The Columbia Basin has gotten to be kind of a hot spot for a lot of crops,” Reitz said.

Reitz said that labor is a huge challenge for growers.

“There is interest in trying to mechanize things as much as possible to get around those constraints,” he said. For example, some growers are using robotic weeders.

The H-2A guest worker program has become more important to growers, he said.

2022 season saw reduced acreage, higher prices for Washington and Oregon potatoes

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:26:03 GMT

Both Washington and Oregon potato output was down for the 2022 season, and prices have been elevated through mid-2023.

In Oregon, the USDA reported potatoes harvested totaled 43,000 acres in 2022, down 2% from 2021. Oregon potato production in 2022 totaled 24.9 million cwt, down 5% from 2021.

Meanwhile, potatoes harvested in Washington totaled 154,500 acres in 2022, unchanged from 2021. Washington potato production totaled 90.4 million cwt in 2022, down 2% from 2021, the USDA said.

Pricing up

Pricing of Washington potatoes has increased throughout the 2022-23 season.

USDA shipping point average prices for Washington potatoes rose from $21.02 per carton in July to $22.05 per carton in January and $25.19 per carton in May.

The USDA reports season-to-date truck shipments of Oregon fresh potatoes through June 25 totaled 556 (50,000 pounds) truckloads, down 8% from the same time a year ago.

Season-to-date Oregon fresh potato exports were pegged at 198 truckloads, unchanged from the same time a year ago.

Season-to-date Washington fresh potato truck shipments are up from last season, with the USDA reporting 3,714 (50,000 pounds) truckloads as of June 25, up 8% from 3,418 truckloads at the same time a year ago. Season-to-date Washington fresh potato exports as of June 25 were 956 truckloads, down from 1,083 truckloads at the same time a year ago, down 12% from the same time a year ago.

Potato stocks

In Washington, June 1 potato stocks totaled 13 million cwt, while disappearance to date totaled 77.4 million cwt. June 1 potato stocks in Oregon totaled 2.8 million cwt, according to the USDA. Disappearance to date was 22.1 million cwt.

Nationally, the USDA said potatoes held in storage by the major potato states on June 1 this year totaled 54.5 million cwt, down 3% from June 1, 2022. Potatoes in storage accounted for 14% of the 2023 production, virtually unchanged from a year earlier.

The indicated season-to-date disappearance in the U.S., at 338 million cwt, was down 4% from the same period last year. Season-to-date shrink and loss, at 21.6 million cwt, was down 1% from the same time last year. Processors in the eight states used 187 million cwt of potatoes for the season, down 4% from June 2022.

Production going up?

Overall U.S. potato output could be higher in 2023, some analysts think.

A recent Rabobank report on the 2023-24 potato outlook noted that U.S. potato production may rise in 2023 after four consecutive years of production declines.

“Competitive open market and higher contract potato prices, an improved water outlook, and crop rotation pressures are expected to increase potato planted area by 2% year-over-year and lead to a 7% drop in price in the 2023-24 marketing year,” Rabobank analysts said in a May report. “Although consumers will pay higher prices for fresh potatoes, french fries, and other frozen potato products, they are not expected to reduce their potato consumption. The potato is extra precious during a period of inflation when consumer purchasing power is eroded.”

Committee shares promotion plans for Idaho-Eastern Oregon onions

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 15:22:18 GMT

The Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee is promoting the region’s onions in various high-profile ways, says Candi Fitch, executive director.

“Along with the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee’s 2024-25 advertising campaign, the committee will be exhibiting in September at the Americas Food and Beverage Show in Miami and the [International Fresh Produce Association’s] Global Produce and Floral Show in October in Atlanta.” Fitch said.

In addition, the committee will be hosting buyers to visit the Idaho and Eastern Oregon onion-growing region with its Annual VIP Onion Buyers Tour that will take place from Oct. 3-5, Fitch said.

Fitch said the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee has been successful for several years in obtaining specialty crop block grants that the committee uses for export promotions. The committee has a yellow onion promotion in Mexico that it has offered for several years.

Why Idaho and Oregon are onion superstars

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 12:10:08 GMT

Idaho and Oregon are unrivaled onion powerhouses among U.S. onion-producing regions.

In 2023, Idaho domestic truck shipments totaled 575.2 million pounds, with export truck shipments from the state accounting for 24.4 million pounds. Oregon wasn’t far behind, with the state accounting for 385.8 million pounds of domestic truck shipments and 44.3 million pounds of export truck shipments.

Idaho’s combined domestic and export truck shipments of onions totaled more than 599 million pounds in 2023, up 16% from 515.9 million pounds in 2022. Oregon’s combined domestic and export shipments topped 429 million pounds in 2023, up 8% from 398 million pounds in 2022.

Idaho and Oregon shippers moved onions every month of 2023, with peak supply from September through April.

In 2023, Idaho accounted for 14% of the U.S. domestic shipments and Oregon accounted for 10%.

Together the states accounted for about 1 in 4 domestic onions shipped in 2023.

The USDA reported the average per carton price for Idaho-Malheur County for onions in 2023-24:

Sept. 2, 2023 — $11.25.
Oct. 7, 2023 — $10.88.
Nov. 4, 2023 — $10.
Dec. 2, 2023 — $12.16.
Jan. 6, 2024 — $20.19.
Feb. 3, 2024 — $18.42.
March 2, 2024 — $19.17.
April 6, 2024 — $19.75.

Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee offers tools to retail and foodservice buyers

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 20:33:23 GMT

The Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee aims to increase the consumption of the two states’ onions through promotional programs, education, advertising and other communications.

The group represents more than 200 growers and 30 shippers in Southwestern Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon, according to its website. The Idaho-Eastern Oregon growing region is located along the Snake River on the southwest portion of Idaho and Malheur County.

Each year the committee offers:

Foodservice and retail materials — Printed information is available that covers, prep tips, yields, sizing, storage, recipes and more.
Full-color POS merchandise material.
Recipe cards for consumers and foodservice — An online cookbook on the group’s website and a printed cookbook are free of charge upon request with no shipping added.
Educational material — Coloring sheets for kids and printed information for the classroom are available by request.

Growers in the Snake River Valley plant approximately 21,000 acres every year, with the combination of the valley’s climate and soil creating favorable growing conditions for third and fourth-generation farmers to harvest more than 24,000 (40-pound) car lots annually, according to the committee.

Growers in the region plant yellow, red and white varieties of sweet Spanish seed. The crop is planted in March and April, and harvest begins in August and continues into October. Yellow onions account for approximately 90% of the acreage, according to the group.

Premium-quality Idaho-Eastern Oregon onions are available from August to March/April from storage facilities in the region.

The USDA estimated total harvested onion acreage in Idaho in 2023 was 10,900, up from 10,600 in 2022 and about the same area harvested as 2021. Oregon harvested onion acreage for the whole state, including but not limited to Malheur County, was 20,900 acres in 2023, down from 22,700 acres in 2022 and off from 21,800 acres in 2021.

Eagle Eye Produce shipping new crop onions

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:35 GMT

Eagle Eye Produce , Idaho Falls, is shipping new crop yellow and red onions , with white onions to follow soon.

Harvest is in the Snake River Valley in Idaho and Eastern Oregon, and will continue until early September, according to a news release.

“This season has been ideal for growing onions,” Jason Pearson, director of onion sales, said in the release. “We have had the perfect amount of moisture, sun and heat. We are expecting excellent size and quality this year and are looking forward to a great season.”

The yellow onion harvest in Washington has begun, to be followed by red and white onions.

“Our Washington onion supply and quality looks terrific, and we’re looking forward to an overall increase in our capabilities and output for the new season,” Joe Ange, director of business development, said in the release.

The company markets under the Eagle Eye Produce label, and offers private-label packing. Packaging is available for sizes ranging from 2-pound mesh bags up to bulk cartons and bins.

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Pear Bureau NW promotes Neil Ferguson

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:10 GMT

The Pear Bureau Northwest , Milwaukie, Ore., has promoted Neil Ferguson to creative marketing manager.

He joined the pear bureau in 2017 as communications specialist and had taken on extra responsibilities, including social media, digital advertising, media communications and website development, according to a news release. Before that, he was a marketer, social media manager and journalist.

The Pear Bureau Northwest in recent months has shifted to digital promotions with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put in-store activities on hold. Ferguson has played a large role in developing creative ways to reach consumers via omnichannel efforts.

“With shoppers’ growing dependence on mobile, digital platforms, his expertise creating compelling content and placing it effectively in front of shoppers helps us keep pears top of mind,” Kathy Stephenson, marketing communications director, said in the release. “Neil brings a true passion for our grower community, leading to an honest desire to finds new ways to share the pear story every day.”

Ferguson is based in Portland, Ore.

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Homegrown Organic blueberries receive Bee Better certification

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:57 GMT

Homegrown Organic Farms has received Bee Better certification for Oregon blueberries.

“This certification recognizes the cultural practices these farms have adopted to protect bees and other pollinators and demonstrates the conversation-mindedness of the company and the farmers the company represents,” according to a news release.

The Bee Better Certification was developed by the Xerces Society to promote pollinator conservation.

“Being in the organic fruit business, we are very aware of how much our crops rely on bees,” Scott Mabs, Homegrown Organic Farms CEO, said in the release. “Going through this certification was just one of the ways we are working to care for our land and environment and ultimately ensure the sustainability of our farms long-term.”

Homegrown’s organic blueberries are available through September, and the Bee Better Certified blueberries will be packaged with the Bee Better seal.

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Variety mix largely unchanged in Idaho-Eastern Oregon onion business

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:36:14 GMT

Onion grower-shippers say choice is a major part of their program, including a range of sizes and varieties and, to some extent, organics.

“There is such a variety of quality sweet Spanish onion varieties that is is difficult to state what’s ‘hot’ or on-trend,” said Herb Haun, owner of Weister, Idaho-based Haun Packing and promotion committee chairman of the Parma, Idaho-based Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee .

“Buyers are always looking for single-centered onions, and many varieties grown in the area yield large volumes of single centers.”

Some shippers promote certain varieties; others emphasize quality, size or other attributes, including — to a limited extent — organics, Haun said.

Some shippers ensure they have plenty of the most popular varieties on hand.

“The trusted storage varieties continue to be customer favorites — legends, delgado and redwing,” said Mackenzie Mills, account manager with Bancroft, Wis.-based RPE Inc .

Some are always looking for new varieties to add to their mix.

“We are always screening new varieties for what fits our program and agronomic conditions,” said Cameron Skeen, partner at Ontario, Ore.-based Baker & Murakami Produce Co.

Growers in the network of Parma, Idaho-based Snake River Produce Co. LLC provide a mix of varieties of yellow, red, white and sweet onions, said Tiffany Cruickshank, sales and marketing representative at Snake River Produce.

“Our Snake River Sweet 40-pound stickered box containing a more mild, but still globe-shaped onion, has been gaining popularity, and I see that continuing with the higher retail demand,” Cruickshank said.

“We also plan to offer sweet onions in smaller consumer packages this season.”

Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Eagle Eye Produce plans this year to largely stick with the same varieties as it has in previous years, said Dallin Klingler, marketing/communications manager.

“However, we are always running trials on new varieties, and we have seen some promising results this year with those trials on a larger scale,” he said.

Eagle Eye’s varieties produce consistent onions, use fewer inputs, and offer higher yields per-acre than ever before, Klingler said.

“We’re excited to have a good supply of yellows, reds, whites, and shallots if needed once harvest begins in early August,” he said.

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Awe Sum Organics prepares for blueberries

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:08:20 GMT

Awe Sum Organics , Santa Cruz, Calif., expects to have Pacific Northwest blueberries starting June 22.

Early varieties start in late June and the company’s late varieties will finish in early September, according to a news release.

“Since the coronavirus pandemic, organic produce sales have increased,” David Posner, president, CEO and founder, said in a news release. “I think that’s because people are more health conscious than ever. Organic blueberries in particular are experiencing a major boost in sales likely because blueberries are known to have so many health benefits.”

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Idaho-Eastern Oregon growers anticipate normal crop quality, yields

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:36:18 GMT

Though “normal” likely would be the last way one might describe 2020 across the produce industry, thanks to the new coronavirus, onion suppliers across the Idaho-Eastern Oregon region say they can at least expect some normality in their crops this year.

“The Idaho-Eastern Oregon 2021 crop is expected to have exceptional quality this season,” said Herb Haun, owner of Weiser, Idaho-based Haun Packing and promotion committee chairman of the Parma, Idaho-based Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee .

“Most all acres were planted within normal timeframes and the weather this summer has been nearly ideal.”

Hot weather arrived in July, which served to help the onions “finish well,” Haun said.

He added that some of the region’s growers started harvesting in late July, and the area as a whole likely would be “full steam” by mid- to late August.

That’s a normal timeframe, he said.

The region generally starts shipping early varieties and, in September, the storage varieties shipments will start, Haun said.

Yields should be in the normal range, as well, Haun said.

Idaho-Eastern Oregon typically ships between August and April, with some shippers going into May, Haun said.

“The crops in Idaho-Eastern Oregon are on track for harvest, with early onions currently being harvested and storage crop onions to follow in August,” said Mackenzie Mills, account manager with Bancroft, Wis.-based RPE Inc ., which supplies onions out of the region.

“Over-winter yellow and red onions are presently available from a couple growers in the basin.”

As of July 30, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 50-pound sacks of yellow hybrid onions out of the Columbia Basin in Washington and the Umatilla Basin in Oregon were $9-10 for colossal; $8-9, jumbo; and $10-11, medium. A year earlier, the same product was $15-17 for colossal; $13-16, jumbo; and $10-12, medium.

What that means, as Idaho-Eastern Oregon’s season kicks in, is anyone’s guess, particularly this year, said Cameron Skeen, partner with Ontario, Ore.-based grower-shipper Baker & Murakami Produce Co .

“With the amount of uncertainty we are living with economically each and every day, it creates all sorts of feelings in regards to what may happen this marketing season,” Skeen said.

“I don’t know if anyone can accurately predict what the next eight to 10 months will bring.”

And, he said, that follows a “rough go” for the 2019 crop.

“Mother Nature dealt us some heavy blows both at planting and harvest,” he said. “On top of that, we had the pandemic outbreak in the spring, which really hampered our ability to move product timely.”

At Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Wada Farms , plants were “about the same” as in previous years, said John Vlahandreas, onion program director.

“Weather has been ideal so far, so (we) are seeing some early onions being available in the Treasure Valley,” he said.

Most shippers will be in about Aug. 10, which is normal, Vlahandreas said.

“If the weather holds, we should have a bumper crop coming, but that is really too early to tell,” he said.

“So far, it looks like we will be in good shape for a late run through April.”

He did add a caveat.

“Last year the weather turned cold literally overnight and damaged some of the onions that were destined for the latter part of the season,” he said.

Baker & Murakami’s Skeen said 2020 provided a “fairly traditional” growing season through late July.

“Onions were planted in their normal window and, other than some higher-than-normal rainfall in May and June, things have been fairly normal based on historical growing degree days.”

Last year, volume was down due to the harsh harvesting conditions caused by numerous hard freezes, Skeen said.

Things seemed a bit more optimistic this year, Skeen said July 27.

“As of today’s date, we are anticipating normal volume — just like we were last year at this time,” he said. “We still have quite a bit of race to run, and anything can still happen.”

Baker & Murakami started packing around Aug. 3, which would be within its normal timeframe, and expected to finish in late April, Skeen said.

The crop was looking “very nice” at Parma, Idaho-based Snake River Produce Co. LLC , said Tiffany Cruickshank, transportation manager, who also fills a sales and marketing role.

“Weather has been near ideal with very healthy fields and we anticipate beginning harvest in approximately three weeks, which is fairly normal,” she said in late July.

Snake River Produce traditionally ships from August to April, but this year’s pandemic affected the end of the company’s 2019-20 season, with a “sudden drop-off of demand,” Cruickshank said.

“I do anticipate our 2020 crop to be on time and continue through the traditional season,” she said.

The growing season in eastern Oregon has been “ideal” for Idaho Falls-based Eagle Eye Produce , said Dallin Klingler, marketing/communications manager.

“We have had mild temperatures and a lot of sun,” he said.

Eagle Eye started planting in early March and began harvesting in the first week of August, which is on schedule, Klingler said.

“Our volume and acreage have remained stable, and we’re expecting a great yield, quality, and size from this year’s crops,” he said.

Corey Griswold, CEO at Hailey, Idaho-based ProSource Inc ., said its crop was looking “exceptional” and that the company anticipates “a consistent size profile across the board.”

Timing appeared to be normal, “and our fields and varieties are staged for harvest according to our marketing and storage needs,” he said.

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Potato growers ponder COVID-19 pandemic’s fallout

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:16:47 GMT

Northwest potato suppliers say they are eager to rev up a major sales engine in their industry — foodservice — as the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic passes.

The pandemic shuttered restaurants across North America through the spring months, and many were just beginning to reopen — with social-distancing and occupancy restrictions in place — by the end of June.

Potato suppliers said they were hopeful that the bleakest depths of the crisis had passed, so they could point potato sales in the direction of normality.

“About 50% of our fresh potato sales and 95% of our processed potato sales occur within the foodservice sector,” said Chris Voigt, executive director of the Moses Lake-based Washington State Potato Commission .

Some eateries hobbled along during the pandemic with the help of curbside, delivery or drive-through service, but it was less than ideal for potato suppliers, Voigt said.

“When restaurants were closed or limited to take out and drive through, it was a devastating hit to our potato community,” he said. “One billion pounds of potatoes in storage no longer had a home.”

Processors cut 20% of the acres for the 2020 crop, and individual cuts for each grower ranged from 10% to 100%, Voigt noted.

Suppliers hoped the U.S. Department of Agriculture would step in to provide relief, but the agency’s programs “fell far short,” Voigt said.

Foodservice sales were down, but retail went up, said Tony Wisdom, founder/CEO of Burlington, Wash.-based Valley Pride Sales LLC .

“The COVID-19 impact in the food business is very scary, and crazy at the same time,” he said. “Since we are primarily a fresh market retail shipper, we’ve been in a bright spot of the produce market.

Demand is high and pricing has been strong, but we don’t really know how this plays out.”

Reopening foodservice outlets are helping, but it will be a slow climb back to normal, Voigt said.

“We will be feeling the COVID impacts for at least two years, if not longer, as the supply chain disruptions even affected our seed potato supply,” he said.

“Even if the market were to fully rebound tomorrow, we likely wouldn’t have enough seed potatoes for the next crop of spuds.

Many growers have taken “devastating” financial hits in the pandemic, Voigt said.

“I worry about our younger or newer farmers and whether they will be able to survive this storm,” he said. “They might not have enough equity in their farms to allow them to continue.”

Still, some improvements were perceptible in late June, said Gary Roth, executive director of the Portland-based Oregon Potato Commission .

“The international market for frozen potato products is starting to improve; I think the domestic market is beginning to pick up commensurate with states opening up and allowing restaurants to have people in their establishments, and I’ve heard that the overall reduction for 2020 was pretty close to what was predicted,” Roth said.

Automation at many potato operations has been a bright spot in an otherwise-gloomy situation, Voigt said.

Everyone has been very diligent in keeping our work force safe so that we can continue to provide food to others,” he said.

As for packaging, fresh potato sales in 5- or 10-pound bags at retail “have been good,” but carton prices sank as foodservice business disappeared, Voigt said.

“Most of those premium carton potatoes were put in bags and sold at a much lower price,” he said. “We’re starting to see some recovery in the foodservice business, but we still have a long way to go.”

Grower-shippers say they have been diligent in implementing tighter social-distancing and other safety rules.

“We’ve stepped up our sanitizing, and all our sheds are locked,” said Larry Sieg, Washington manager with Idaho Falls, Idaho-based grower-shipper Potandon Produce . “Nobody comes in -- no UPS, no FedEx, no salespeople, even our truck drivers, we don’t allow into the checkout area.”

All workers wear masks, plus get their temperatures checked daily, Sieg said.

Potandon’s foodservice business was back to, perhaps, “75% of normal” by the end of June after an earlier dip to “probably 20%,” Sieg said.

What happens as the Northwest potato season unfolds over the summer and into the fall is anybody’s guess, said Paul Kern, salesman with Clackamas, Ore.-based Botsford & Goodfellow Inc .

“I don’t know of anybody that knows what will happen over the course of the upcoming fresh crop russet harvest,” he said. “Up until the middle of March, the industry was facing a supply shortage, and it seemed un-probable that we could collectively bridge the gap to July.” Then, COVID-19 hit.

“There is no blanket answer as to how things will unfold in the next few months, or what sectors will see increases or decreases in production and consumption,” Kern said.

B&G was retooling its facility to accommodate the present COVID safety guidelines, Kern said.

“This includes reducing the number of employees at some stages in the packing line to allow for the greater distancing,” he said.

The COVID-19 virus left a lighter touch on Oregon’s potato-producing Klamath Basin, although all of the standard precautions were put in place, said Terry Guthrie, owner of Riverside Potato in Klamath Falls, Ore.

“We’ve had very few cases in Klamath County; I would think you’d get the same answer every place east of the Cascades,” he said. “They were treated like everybody. The restaurants were shut down.

The bars were shut down. It’s crazy. They went about this all wrong.”

Retail potato sales continued apace, said Dan Strebin, co-owner of Gresham, Ore.-based South Basin Packing and Strebin Farms .

“I guess same-store sales volume off the top of my head and just knowing what the flow is, I’d say it’s very normal,” he said.

Foodservice sales remained sluggish, although they should pick up, Strebin said.

“At foodservice, I think it will be a slow go, but people want to be out, and that will build and will continue to grow,” he said.

Kirkland, Wash.-based Pacific Pro absorbed a big blow early in the pandemic, but the company bounced back, said Marcus Hartmann, partner.

“It was a challenge for those first few weeks,” he said. “Once various school district and municipalities figured out how they were going to do programs, all that contributed to a considerable uptick.”

The pandemic struck near the end of the season for Klamath Falls-based Wong Potatoes Inc ., said Ron Settlemire, sales manager.

“We did our last shipment June 3; we’ll see how startup goes in September,” he said. “Keep ‘em masked, gloved, washing and doing everything they’re supposed to be doing.”

With many food-safety rules already in place, a layer or two of additional precautions didn’t seem like much of a challenge, but there were a few difficulties, Wisdom said.

“The implementation of some of the protocols for our field crews, tractor drivers, mechanics etc. on the production side was much more challenging to think through and implement without it creating a production drag,” he said.

“It adds cost to have folks available to monitor the adherence, refill and replace the products and track the program. Some of the supplies needed took a while to gather up, as well.”

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Washington and Oregon potato acreage down, but plenty expected

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:16:51 GMT

Potato production in the Northwest was strong in 2019, and the outlook for 2020 looks similar, said Chris Voigt, executive director of the Moses Lake-based Washington State Potato Commission .

“We had a good harvest of the 2019 crop, great quality, strong yields, and strong pricing for our growers and shippers,” he said.

Washington and Oregon rank second and third, respectively, among the 50 states in potato production, with processing accounting for as much as 90% of production.
Demand has been strong, for both processed and fresh product, Voigt said.

“The export market to the Pacific Rim has been strong, and it has been a struggle for us to keep up with demand, both for fresh and processed potato products,” Voigt said.

“We’ve seen other countries and regions sweep in to take market share away from us as demand for our potatoes was outstripping our supply.”

Growing conditions for the 2020 crop have been “outstanding — not too hot, not too cold,” Voigt said.

“We do have a higher-than-normal presence of beet leaf hoppers, which is an insect that can transmit a disease called purple top, which can affect yield,” Voigt said.

However, he said the commission can track insect populations and movement throughout the Columbia Basin.

“This is valuable information for our IPM programs,” he said.

The ongoing pandemic of the new coronavirus COVID-19 remained perhaps the top concern across the industry, said Gary Roth, executive director of the Portland-based Oregon Potato Commission .

COVID problems

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“We have more acres going into production, particularly in the Columbia Basin; it was predicted to moderately increase last year, and then COVID-19 hit and that disrupted domestic markets and international markets.”

Foodservice demand plummeted, Roth said.

“I’d say 80-85% of what Oregon grows goes to processing, and the pullback in the foodservice market has affected all potato growers in the Northwest and the nation,” he said.

“Going into the spring of 2020, we saw processors reducing contracts for 2020, anywhere on average from 15-20% — sometimes less and sometimes more.

“That has been the focus on the industry — how to a) manage the 2019 supply that was in stock, and b) for growers to manage their individual enterprises so their farms hopefully can remain solvent.

That’s impacted Oregon more or less statewide, because if you’re not a process grower, you’re a seed grower.”

Drought woes

In southern Oregon, drought has been perhaps a more dominant concern, Roth said.

“They have some pretty serious water issues,” he said.

So serious that growers have had to shift production to land parcels that qualify for larger water allocations, said Terry Guthrie, owner of Klamath Falls-based Riverside Potato .

“There’s no snowpack, and we’re not getting any rain,” he said, noting that normal irrigation of 300,000 to 330,000 acre feet of water has been cut to 140,000.

“That figure is not out yet, but our assumption is we’ll probably be down 30-35% in potato acreage in the valley,” Guthrie said.

“We’re just finishing up planting. It’s definitely going to be down.”

Guthrie said he will pack product from 200-250 acres this year, compared to 550-580 a year ago.

“Water has been a problem every year, but we got by because everybody diligently watched everything they were doing, but this year, we’re short, and it’s bad. Usually, we have snowpack and there is none this year.”

There’s not much to do but cut back, Guthrie said.

“Everybody buckles down and moves on and prays for snow next winter; that’s all you can do,” he said.

“You plant potatoes where you can. There’s a lot more well water used in a year like this. Without that, we’d be in severe trouble.”

Drought conditions were worse than any since 2006, said Ron Settlemire, sales manager with Klamath Falls, Ore.-based Wong Potatoes Inc .

“Thank goodness the water board agreed to our initial water allocation; we didn’t plant as much this year in anticipation of having as much,” he said. “It’s been probably close to a month since we had any good rain.”

Wells and acreage cutbacks are the best ways to fight back, he said.

“This past season, we planted over 900 acres; this year, we have a little over 600 acres,” he said. “That’s all you can safely do.”

Acreage down

Further north, in the Columbia Basin, along the Washington-Oregon border, rainfall wasn’t a problem, but acreage likely will be down, said Larry Sieg, Washington manager with Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Potandon Produce .

“The fresh deal, basically, is going to be down — it might be up slightly in August, but in September and October, the storage crop definitely will not be up,” he said.

In Northwest Washington, growers have dealt with too much rain, said Tony Wisom, founder/CEO of Burlington, Wash.-based Valley Pride Sales LLC .

“This year, the spring has been a bit challenging for us here in Northwest Washington,” he said.

“It’s been quite wet. We got our entire crop in on schedule thanks to excellent farm management and a fantastically dedicated team. It’s been tricky to cultivate and hill our potatoes on time, but overall the growing conditions are awesome. The plants are growing nicely and the tubers under the ground look as exceptional as always. Skin color and quality is great at this point.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington production in 2019 totaled 11.6 million pounds, compared to 11.3 million in 2018. Potatoes in storage accounted for 17% of 2019 production, compared to 18% a year earlier.

Oregon production in 2019 totaled 2.82 million pounds, compared to 3.02 million in 2019. Potatoes in storage accounted for 14%, unchanged from the previous year.

Northwest region potato stocks on June 1, 2020, totaled 5.3 billion pounds.

June 1 potato stocks in Oregon totaled 403 million pounds. Disappearance to date was 2.41 billion pounds. In Washington, June 1 potato stocks totaled 1.97 billion pounds. Disappearance to date totaled 85.6 million cwt., or 9.6 billion pounds, the USDA reported.

Nationally, the 13 major potato states held 7.5 billion pounds on June 1, 2020, down 4% from last year.

Potatoes in storage accounted for 16% of the states’ 2019 production, compared with 17% for a year earlier.

“It was a great marketing year for our growers and shippers due to an overall reduction in U.S. potato production, mostly from poor harvesting conditions in other parts of the country,” Voigt said.

“Then, COVID hit and it rocked our world, but not in a good way.”

Normal start

Growing conditions have been good, Potandon’s Sieg said.

“There’s been some wind damage and some scattered hail, but overall pretty nice growing conditions, very medium temperatures,” he said.

Digging likely would begin in the last week of July, which would be normal timing, Sieg said.

“We go out of the field from the last week of July and August,” he said.

“After Labor Day, they start putting some in storage and still pack out of the field. We’ll pack out of the field until Oct. 10. We’ll finish on a Friday, packing old crop, and start a new crop Monday or Tuesday and continue on with the crop out of the field. Then, we switch into storage and continue to the next July.”

Dan Strebin, co-owner of Gresham, Ore.-based South Basin Packing and Strebin Farms , said the crop was progressing well.

“Things are moving along kind of normal, or what is the new normal,” he said.

“Retail, I’d say it’s as normal as it was a year ago. And foodservice is certainly down. I think people are consuming what they hoarded.”

Foodservice sales still lagged due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Strebin said.

“It seems to be coming back, but not necessarily on the potato side — I do recognize it’s starting to change in the onion world, but it’s only in the infancy of the areas of the country opening up.”

Acreage in the Skagit Valley, whose season will start around Sept. 1, appeared to be about normal, said Myron Ayers, sales manager with Mount Vernon, Wash.-based Norm Nelson Inc ., also known as Double-N Potatoes.

“We think acreage are going to be about the same,” he said.

“We’ve found white demand is softening, so maybe there’s a hair less demand for whites. Others are steady. We think it’s going to be a bumper crop with great market — farmer’s optimism talking.”

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