Spotlight

• Good Morning! An interesting note… While the cost of virtually everything you can think of has risen in price over the past few years, Produce has actually DEFLATED. Fresh fruits and vegetables fell -1.0 percent from January to February, and it dropped -0.3 percent year- over-year. Fresh fruit rose 1.9 percent year-over-year but dropped -0.4 percent for the month. Fresh vegetables fell – 2.5 percent year-over-year and -1.7 percent from January to February. Avocados – Remain tight with farmers holding back product to keep pricing strong. The market is expected to remain strong and supply tight on some sizes. Quality remains good. Broccoli – Is coming from multiple areas now and pricing is very favorable and reflecting the strong supplies. Cabbage – After a successful St Patrick’s Day, cabbage continues to be in good quality and supply and harvesting in several areas. Deals continue to be available. Eggs – Fewer Avian flu outbreaks and lighter demand at the recent higher pricing have brought egg prices down for this coming week. We’ll see if this trend continues. Grapes – Continue at glut levels, with the overlap in seasons bringing more grapes than shippers can sell. Pricing is about as low as it gets right now. Lettuce – A heat wave in the Arizona growing region has farmer’s warning of a rocky transition from there to the Salinas valley for lettuces, broccoli, and other west coast vegetables. They expect lettuce items to become difficult to attain as the desert season winds down. This week, temperatures will climb into the mid-80°s through the weekend and may reach triple digits by Wednesday, March 26. Growers will adjust harvesting schedules to not harvest during the hottest part of the day, but this will limit how many they can ship in a day’s time. Expect to see some shortages and higher pricing until Salinas gets going. Onions – Mexico has begun their new crop and supplies and are very heavy and quality is excellent. The overlap in seasons between old crop and new crop onions are keeping pricing very low. Tomatoes – Pricing started to climb this week, because as low as they were, they can only go in one direction. There are still strong supplies, we’re just seeing pricing get back to normal levels. Why do they call them paring knives when you can only use one at a time?
• Good Morning! Asparagus – Mexican fields are reaching their peak production and quality and volumes are both very good. Springtime is asparagus time! Broccoli – Is coming from multiple areas now and pricing is very favorable and reflecting the strong supplies. Cabbage – Plentiful harvests in our southern states have markets at great values. Stock up for your St. Patrick’s Day specials. Eggs – No news here. They’re still in a mess. We’re hearing expected increases of up to 40% over the next year. The department of agriculture is working to alleviate the situation, but we haven’t heard their plans yet. We’ll keep you posted as we know more or things begin to change. Grapes – Are at glut levels. There are still a lot of high quality South American grapes left to be sold, and Mexican growers are starting their season, creating a large overlap. Volumes are very high on reds, whites, and blacks and prices are very good right now. Feature them everywhere you can. Greens – Supplies on all eastern greens are better as we’re past the worst of the cold weather. Greens like it cold, but not too cold, as that discolors the leaves. Pineapples- Much stronger supplies are coming to market as growing areas dry out and get back to harvesting. Onions – Mexico has begun and quality are much improved. Prices are currently about as low as we ever see them an they’re beautiful. Squash- Florida has wrapped up some older fields and moved to new younger areas and quality has improved, but pricing is stronger on the more limited supplies. Tomatoes – Are plentiful and cheap. There were a lot of fears that the Mexican tariffs would effect the market, but they haven’t changed things one nickel on the tomato market. Supplies are heavy and the fruit is gorgeous. Q: Why do people wear shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day. A: Because regular rocks are too heavy.
• Good Morning! Asparagus – Mexican fields are reaching their peak production and quality and volumes are both very good. Springtime is asparagus time! Broccoli – Is coming from multiple areas now and pricing is very favorable and reflecting the strong supplies. Cabbage – Plentiful harvests in our southern states have markets at great values. Stock up for your St. Patrick’s Day specials. Eggs – No news here. They’re still in a mess. We’re hearing expected increases of up to 40% over the next year. The department of agriculture is working to alleviate the situation, but we haven’t heard their plans yet. We’ll keep you posted as we know more or things begin to change. Grapes – Are at glut levels. There are still a lot of high quality South American grapes left to be sold, and Mexican growers are starting their season, creating a large overlap. Volumes are very high on reds, whites, and blacks and prices are very good right now. Feature them everywhere you can. Greens – Supplies on all eastern greens are better as we’re past the worst of the cold weather. Greens like it cold, but not too cold, as that discolors the leaves. Pineapples- Much stronger supplies are coming to market as growing areas dry out and get back to harvesting. Onions – Mexico has begun their new crop and supplies and quality are much improved. Prices are currently about as low as we ever see them an they’re beautiful. Strawberries- Florida is still going strong and California is back in business after their recent rains. Our local growers should begin very soon and we’re excited to get our local season going. Strawberries always kick off the local harvest. Tomatoes – Are plentiful and cheap. There were a lot of fears that the Mexican tariffs would effect the market, but they haven’t changed things one nickel on the tomato market. Supplies are heavy and the fruit is gorgeous. My wife thinks I don’t give her enough privacy. At least that’s what she wrote in her diary.
• Good Morning! Asparagus – Mexican fields started slower than expected this season due to low temperatures and cloudy weather, keeping volumes below projections—until now. The good news? Better weather is on the way this week, which should stimulate the fields and lead to stronger volume next week! Broccoli – Is coming from multiple areas now and pricing is very favorable and reflecting the strong supplies. Citrus – California is having a solid season, and quality and volumes have been very good. Prices remain very favorable. Eggs – Extremely limited production due to Avian Flu and the flock kills that were required to combat it are keeping egg prices at their highest levels in memory. Over 41,000,000 birds have been killed in December and January alone, not to mention the months before those. Expectations are for eggs to remain extremely limited for the foreseeable future. Grapes – After months of tight supplies, the dam has been busted. Importers are looking to sell fruit and it’s backing up on them at the ports. Quality is great and prices reflect the oversupply. Greens – Supplies on all eastern greens are better as we’re past the worst of the cold weather. Greens like it cold, but not too cold, as that discolors the leaves. Melons and Pineapples- Supplies are catching up to demand on melons, and pricing is much more favorable. Availability is much stronger than we saw in January. Onions – Mexico has begun their new crop and supplies and quality are much improved. Prices are currently about as low as we ever see them and they’re beautiful. Strawberries- Florida is growing plenty of berries and the weather has cooperated very well with them. California fields had some rains last week, slowing production, but nothing that Florida couldn’t overcome. Supplies are good overall. Q: Where do evil rainbows go? A: To prism. It’s a light sentence, but gives them time to reflect.
• Good Morning! Apples – As we wrap up the first month of the year, we are fortunate to have a good crop of apples in storage for many varieties in Washington State. Most varieties are widely available, though, there are a few varieties and packs that continue to be a little tight and are showing some price increases with the Honeycrisp apples the tightest item in the apple category. All Honeycrisp packs, sizes, and grades are tight and rising in price and we expect this trend to continue until the new crop arrives in mid-August. Broccoli – Is coming from multiple areas now and pricing is very favorable and reflecting the strong supplies. Eggs – Extremely limited production due to Avian Flu and the flock kills that were required to combat it are keeping egg prices at their highest levels in memory. Over 41,000,000 birds have been killed in December and January alone, not to mention the months before those. Expectations are for eggs to remain extremely limited for the foreseeable future. Melons and Pineapples- Supplies are catching up to demand on melons, and pricing is starting to slide. Potatoes – Idaho has a great crop and the surge in demand for the holiday season is now passed. Pricing has settled in at very favorable levels for a while. Squash – Yellow squash continues to face issues with scuffing and scarring. While we are not out of the woods yet with yellow squash, zucchini is beginning to show improvement. Both Florida and Mexico are starting to return to normal volumes. Hard squashes are still widely available and great quality. Strawberries- Going into Valentine’s Day, pricing and demand were very strong, but we should see markets easing off this coming week with lower demand. Florida has cranked up their strawberry machine, and supplies are increasing and quality is excellent. My wife asked why I didn’t buy her flowers on Valentine’s Day. But, to be fair, I didn’t know she sold flowers.
• Good Morning! Tariffs – We’ve received a lot of questions from customers, friends, and even the news station asking about our opinion on the proposed tariffs on Mexico and Canadian produce. Our opinion is that it will have very little, if any, effect on produce prices. They are dictated more by demand of customers and end users and the available supply. If tariffs raise prices on fresh fruits and vegetables to a point that they are not attractive to the buyer, they simply won’t sell. So, the farmer, importer, or shipper selling the items will be forced to drop the price to a level that they sell again. This balancing of supply and demand already happens every week in the produce world and keeps everything moving. Avocados – We’re in the run up to Super Bowl Sunday (GO CHIEFS) and avocados are generally the star of the show that weekend. This will be the highest demand period of the season. Fortunately, the growers have caught up with demand this week and pricing is down considerably, so enjoy your Game Day Guac! Broccoli – Is coming from multiple areas now and pricing is very favorable and reflecting the strong supplies. Eggs – Extremely limited production due to Avian Flu and the flock kills that were required to combat it are keeping egg prices at their highest levels in memory. Our farmers have had a great run, but they’re running short and pro-rating orders now. We have limited availability on eggs now, much like everyone else in the country. The humble egg is getting a lot of attention now. Melons and Pineapples- Supplies are catching up to demand on melons, and pricing is starting to slide. Squash – Zucchini is widely available from Florida and Mexico, but yellow squash faces troubles from scarring which is limiting the product available to ship. Potatoes – Idaho has a great crop and the surge in demand for the holiday season is now passed. Pricing has settled in at very favorable levels for a while. Strawberries- Going into Valentine’s Day, pricing and demand are usually both very strong. Florida has cranked up their strawberry machine, though, and supplies remain plentiful this week. We should see a good supply going into Lover’s Week. Also, we’ll have Long Stem Berriesyou’re your dessert specials this week. Three conspiracy theorists walk into a bar… You can’t tell me that’s a coincidence!
• Good Morning! Avocados – We’re in the run up to Super Bowl Sunday (GO CHIEFS) and avocados are generally the star of the show that weekend. This will be the highest demand period of the season. Fortunately, the growers have caught up with demand this week and pricing is down considerably, so enjoy your Game Day Guac! Eggs – Extremely limited production due to Avian Flu and the flock kills that were required to combat it are keeping egg prices at their highest levels in memory. Fortunately we’re blessed to be on a contract price with our cage free eggs, keeping them very reasonable with a bonus of using premium eggs. Melons and Pineapples- The current offshore pineapple, cantaloupes and honeydews are in a demand-exceeds- supply position. Guatemala was one of the most affected regions by Hurricane Sara and experienced up to 40-50% yield losses. This region is wrapping up harvest and Honduran imports have started in a light way. Expect supply to remain tight until mid- to late-February when the next region of Guatemala kicks into harvest. Squash – Chilly weather on the east coast has zucchini and yellow squash slowing production, but hard winter squashes are still plentiful! Tomatoes – Are again much lower this week with better weather pushing the volume up in Mexico and Florida. All varieties are available and at bargain pricing. Potatoes – Idaho has a great crop and the surge in demand for the holiday season is now passed. Pricing has settled in at very favorable levels for a while. Strawberries- Going into Valentine’s Day, pricing and demand are usually both very strong. Florida has cranked up their strawberry machine, though, and supplies are much higher this week. We should see a good supply going into Lover’s Week. Also, we’ll have Long Stem Berries for your dessert specials this week. Q: Why should you never fall in love with a pastry chef? A: They’ll dessert you.
• Good Morning! Avocados – We’re in the run up to Super Bowl Sunday, and avocados are generally the star of the show that weekend. This will be the highest demand period of the season. Unfortunately it’s occurring at a time when Mexican avocado production numbers are down 26% and supplies are very tight, causing higher pricing. Eggs – Extremely limited production due to Avian Flu and the flock kills that were required to combat it are keeping egg prices at their highest levels in memory. Fortunately we’re blessed to be on a contract price with our cage free eggs, keeping them very reasonable with a bonus of using premium eggs. Melons – The current offshore cantaloupes and honeydews are in a demand-exceeds-supply position. Guatemala was one of the most affected regions by Hurricane Sara and experienced up to 40-50% yield losses. This region is wrapping up harvest and Honduran imports have started in a light way. Expect supply to remain tight until mid- to late-February when the next region of Guatemala kicks into harvest. Tomatoes – Markets are way down as harvests finally catch up with demand. Prices are much more favorable and getting back to normal. Potatoes – Idaho has a great crop and the surge in demand for the holiday season is now passed. Pricing should settle in at very favorable levels for a while. Strawberries- Have been extremely tight for the past month, but Florida growers have shown up in a big way and are contributing a lot of product to the market. Pricing is getting better all of the time. We have a new online ordering app that we’re really excited about. It has a lot of new features that our old app didn’t have. It’s amazing how technology has changed since our first app launched! Please ask us about it, we think you’ll enjoy using it! Q: What is the coolest vegetable? A: A rad-ish.
• Happy New Year! We are thankful for the friendship and business that you shared with us in 2024. We hope that you and your families have a healthy and prosperous 2025!
• Happy New Year! Apples – Though North Carolina’s crop was devastated by Hurricane Helene, Washington State has now completed their harvest. They had exceptionally good weather for most of the harvest and managed to avoid any significant damage to the crop. The new crop looks good with estimates of around 128 million cases this year. Although this is smaller than last year’s crop of approximately 136 million, it’s still shaping up to be a good season. Due to the good growing conditions this season, the report from the growers is that fruit quality will be very good again this year. Grapes – Are arriving at our ports from South America already, but California is still packing red seedless varieties. The overlap of growing areas should make the transition a smooth one this year. We’ll be making the move to South American grapes this week. Greens – Cabbage, Collards, Kale, Turnip and Mustard are all in their prime right now. They like the cooler weather and harvests are good locally. Southern holidays are not complete without greens on the table! Tomatoes – We continue to see the reeling effects of Hurricane Helene and Milton. Supplies remain drastically short on all varieties and are at critical level currently. All eyes are on Mexico for them to begin their season and take the pressure off the Southeast. Peppers – Product continues to be in a demand that exceeds the supply situation, but it looks like Florida is slowly getting into the game. We are noticing a few more growers starting to harvest. Mexico is slowly getting more product, but limited labor due to the holidays is having an impact on harvesting. Pricing is easing downwards. Potatoes – Idaho has a great crop and the surge in demand for the holiday season has now passed. Pricing should settle in at very favorable levels for a while. Strawberries – California is past their peak season and struggling to fill orders. Quality is not as nice as we’d all like to see and supplies are short. Florida will begin their season in the next week or so, adding some volume to the market and bringing pricing down for everyone. I have the uncanny ability to predict what is in a wrapped present. It’s a gift.