Fords Produce Company | Fresh Produce Distributor | Raleigh NC
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apples

Good morning! Apples – Harvesting of the first apple variety from Washington’s new crop has begun, with Gala apples currently being picked in limited quantities. The full harvest is expected to continue through November, and early forecasts indicate a strong crop across all growing regions. Gala apples are the first to be harvested, followed by Honeycrisp. Asparagus – All sizes of asparagus will be extremely limited throughout August. Prices are higher on the limited supply. Broccoli – High temps in California fields continue to cause quality issues in broccoli and caused shortages nationwide. Prices are staying strong. Corn – Our local growers are having one of the best seasons in memory. All of the rain has really kept the corn fields cranking. Supplies and quality have been excellent all season long. Nationally, corn is in a short supply but our local guys have been clutch in keeping us well supplied. Lettuce – Iceberg lettuce supplies remain consistent. Romaine, red and green leaf supplies are all steady with reports showing great overall quality and good weights. Peppers – Michigan is getting into good volume with bell pepper now, and the markets are sliding with the increased supplies. Potatoes – Many farmers finished packing old crop russets in Idaho this week, and begin packing new crop Russets this coming week. Following their last round of test digs in the fields, it appears that the 2025-26 potato crop is showing a slightly larger size profile early on, and quality is excellent. Idaho and most of the major potato-producing areas have had favorable growing conditions this summer, which will bode well for size-profile, quality, and yield, both early packing out of the field, and into storage. Squash – Is getting started again locally this week with zucchini and yellow squash both available again. Tomatoes – We still have plenty of local tomatoes, and they’ve been beautiful. The heirloom varieties had suffered from all of the rain, but the fields have dried up now and the farmers are off to the races again. Summertime is tomato time, so feature them everywhere you can while they’re available. I enjoy eating menudo, foie gras, and lengua. But my wife thinks all that stuff is just offal.

Good morning! Apples – Harvesting of the first apple variety from Washington’s new crop has begun, with Gala apples currently being picked in limited quantities. The full harvest is expected to continue through November, and early forecasts indicate a strong [...]

August 8, 2025 featured, Produce Supply Update
Potatoes

Good morning! Local Produce – We still have tomatoes, corn, squash, peaches, eggplant, peppers, and melons. Broccoli – High temps in California fields continue to cause quality issues in broccoli and caused shortages nationwide. Prices are staying strong. Corn – Our local growers are having one of the best seasons in memory. All of the rain has really kept the corn fields cranking. Supplies and quality have been excellent all season long. Cucumbers – Have been hit or miss locally due to all of the rain, creating shortages. Northern growing areas are hitting their stride now and they’re plentiful again. Lemons – Always rise in price during the summer months due to the increased demand for lemonade and iced tea garnishes. Suppliers are struggling to keep up with demand. Lettuce – Iceberg lettuce supplies remain consistent. Romaine, red and green leaf supplies are all steady with reports showing great overall quality and good weights. Melons – We have beautiful local watermelons, cantaloupes and honeydews. The quality and flavor have been excellent. Peppers – Michigan is getting into good volume with bell pepper now, and the markets are sliding with the increased supplies. Potatoes – Idaho potato farmers are starting their harvest this coming week. Then, they’ll get them in the sheds and begin the curing process so that they’ll last through the winter. This year has been an exceptionally smooth one for them, with supplies timed out just right to last until the new harvest. Squash – Is getting started again locally this week with zucchini and yellow squash both available again. Tomatoes – We still have plenty of local tomatoes, and they’ve been beautiful. The heirloom varieties had suffered from all of the rain, but the fields have dried up now and the farmers are off to the races again. Summertime is tomato time, so feature them everywhere you can while they’re available. The dentist looked at my teeth and asked “Do you smoke or drink coffee?” I said “I drink it.”

Good morning! Local Produce – We still have tomatoes, corn, squash, peaches, eggplant, peppers, and melons. Broccoli – High temps in California fields continue to cause quality issues in broccoli and caused shortages nationwide. Prices are staying strong. Corn – [...]

July 31, 2025 featured, Produce Supply Update
Bell Peppers

Good morning! Local Produce – We still have tomatoes, corn, squash, peaches, eggplant, peppers, and melons. Asparagus – Both supplies and pricing have improved this week. The domestic has finished so everyone is shifting to Peru for their ‘grass. Broccoli – High temps in California fields have created quality issues in broccoli and caused shortages nationwide. Prices are staying strong. Corn – Our local growers are having one of the best seasons in memory. All of the rain has really kept the corn fields cranking. Supplies and quality have been excellent all season long. Cucumbers – Have been hit or miss locally due to all of the rain, creating shortages. Northern growing areas are hitting their stride now and they’re plentiful again. Lettuce – High temps throughout California’s Salinas Valley growing region are causing heat-related issues, primarily on lettuce and tender leaf items. Supplies on good quality green items remain limited, but weak demand following 4 th of July has prices falling off. Melons – We have beautiful local cantaloupes and honeydews. Enjoy them while they’re here. Peppers – All of the rain that we’ve had is causing big problems for our local farmers. NC should be the major supplier for pepper right now, but wet weather has really hurt supplies. Pricing has risen a lot this week due to the shortages. Potatoes – Sweet potato Thank you for your business! Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Copyright Ford’s Produce 2016 farmers have been running out of stock this spring and summer and they’ve gotten extremely tight. They will begin harvesting again in September and October and we should see pricing ease downward at that time. Idaho continues to see shortages in all sizes, especially their larger sizes. They expect to begin harvesting new crop russets in the next week or two. Tomatoes – We still have plenty of local tomatoes, and they’ve been beautiful. The heirloom varieties have suffered from all of the rain and the farmers are having a difficult time picking them before the fruit starts cracking. It’s supposed to be dry this week, so hopefully they’ll be available again soon. I asked my waiter if the soup was vegetarian. He said “Sir, it hasn’t eaten anything its whole life.”

Good morning! Local Produce – We still have tomatoes, corn, squash, peaches, eggplant, peppers, and melons. Asparagus – Both supplies and pricing have improved this week. The domestic has finished so everyone is shifting to Peru for their ‘grass. Broccoli [...]

July 25, 2025 featured, Produce Supply Update
Summer Tomatoes

Good morning! Local Produce – We have tomatoes, corn, squash, peaches, eggplant, peppers, and melons. Asparagus – Both supplies and pricing have improved this week. The domestic has finished so everyone is shifting to Peru for their ‘grass. Broccoli – High temps in California fields have created quality issues in broccoli and caused shortages nationwide. Prices are staying strong. Corn – Our local growers are having one of the best seasons in memory. All of the rain has really kept the corn fields cranking. Supplies and quality have been excellent all season long. Cucumbers – Finished early locally due to all of the rain, creating shortages. Northern growing areas are hitting their stride now and they’re plentiful again. Grapes – Are in good supplies from Mexico and California vineyards. Quality is great and pricing is very favorable. Lettuce – High temps throughout California’s Salinas Valley growing region are causing heat-related issues, primarily on lettuce and tender leaf items. Supplies on good quality green items remain limited, but weak demand following 4 th of July has prices falling off. Melons – We have beautiful local cantaloupes and honeydews. Enjoy them while they’re here. Peppers – All of the rain that we’ve had is causing big problems for our local farmers. NC should be the major supplier for pepper right now, but wet weather has really hurt supplies. Pricing has risen a lot this week due to the shortages. Potatoes – Idaho is starting to see some shortages in their larger sizes as we reach the end of their storage season. Pricing has been fantastic all year but we’ve seen it begin to rise as the storage supplies run out. Tomatoes – Summertime means it’s tomato season! They are widely available locally and just about every variety you could ask for. It’s been beautiful fruit and several variety of heirlooms are available locally too. I passed out once on a carousel. But then I came around.

Good morning! Local Produce – We have tomatoes, corn, squash, peaches, eggplant, peppers, and melons. Asparagus – Both supplies and pricing have improved this week. The domestic has finished so everyone is shifting to Peru for their ‘grass. Broccoli – [...]

July 18, 2025 featured, Produce Supply Update
Local Produce – Many items were just getting cranked up last week until the rains shut down production.

Good Morning! Local Produce – It’s been really hot and really wet here and farmers are struggling to get into their fields and seeing a lot of damage when they get there. Farmers will always tell you that they can add more water, but can’t take it out of a field. Hopefully things will dry out for them this coming week. Broccoli – High temps in California fields have created quality issues in broccoli and caused shortages nationwide. Prices jumped as a result. Corn – Is still going strong locally and we have plenty of beautiful Bi-Color and white local corn. Cucumbers – Got started locally but the rain is causing big troubles for them. We’re seeing limited quantities of them available. Grapes – Are trying to get going in Mexico to start the new season, but weather has caused a slow beginning to the year and some growers expect trouble later in the season because of it. Pricing should improve this coming week as volumes get stronger. Lettuce – High temps throughout California’s Salinas Valley growing region are causing heat-related issues, primarily on lettuce and tender leaf items. Supplies on good quality green items are very limited and prices are way up this week. Watch your lettuces closely and expect shorter than normal shelf life. Melons – We have beautiful local cantaloupes available this week, and expect honeydews in the next couple of days. We also have Tuscan melons in stock this week. They’re a sweeter, better version of cantaloupes. Peppers – All of the rain that we’ve had is causing big problems for our local farmers. NC should be the major supplier for pepper right now, but wet weather has really hurt supplies. Pricing has risen a lot this week due to the shortages. Potatoes – Idaho is starting to see some shortages in their larger sizes as we reach the end of their storage season. Pricing has been fantastic all year but we’ve seen it begin to rise as the storage supplies run out. Q: What’s a chicken’s favorite vegetable? A: Boc Boc Boc Choy

Good Morning! Local Produce – It’s been really hot and really wet here and farmers are struggling to get into their fields and seeing a lot of damage when they get there. Farmers will always tell you that they can [...]

July 11, 2025 featured, Produce Supply Update
Watermelons are very plentiful locally and seem to be everywhere at once.

Happy Birthday America! Local Produce – We’re still seeing plentiful numbers of blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, pepper, squash, all kinds of tomatoes, zucchini and greens. The season is really rolling along and there’s plenty of local product to choose from. Blueberries – Are feeling the heat locally and showing some stress. Hopefully it will cool off a bit and they can keep the season going. Could continue for quite a while. Corn – Is going strong locally and we’ll have plenty of Bi- Color and white local corn. There are not many local farmers that grow yellow, so we won’t have much of that, but the Bi-color and white have been beautiful. Cucumbers – Have started locally and we’re proud to be selling them. Pricing is great and there are plenty to go around. Grapes – Are trying to get going in Mexico to start the new season, but weather has caused a slow beginning to the year and some growers expect trouble later in the season because of it. Pricing should improve this coming week as volumes get stronger. Lettuce – High temps throughout California’s Salinas Valley growing region are causing heat-related issues, primarily on lettuce and tender leaf items. Supplies on good quality green items are very limited and prices are way up this week. Watch your lettuces closely and expect shorter than normal shelf life. Melons – We’re seeing plenty of east coast cantaloupes and watermelons. Our local guys should begin this coming week or next on both. Honeydews will be a little bit later. Quality has been excellent so far and should continue with that trend. Potatoes – Idaho is starting to see some shortages in their larger sizes as we reach the end of their storage season. Pricing has been fantastic all year but we may be seeing some changes soon. Tomatoes – Our local farmers are up and running and the fruit has been beautiful so far. You can always bank on our tomatoes starting around the 4th of July and they were about a week early this year. Local heirloom varieties started last week. “America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination” ~ Harry S Truman

Happy Birthday America! Local Produce – We’re still seeing plentiful numbers of blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, pepper, squash, all kinds of tomatoes, zucchini and greens. The season is really rolling along and there’s plenty of local product to [...]

July 3, 2025 featured, Produce Supply Update
North Carolina Tomatoes are in full swing

Good morning! Local Produce – We’re seeing plentiful numbers of blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, pepper, squash, tomatoes, zucchini and greens. The season is off to a great start on most items. Blueberries – Are feeling the heat locally and showing some stress. Hopefully it will cool off a bit and they can keep the season going. Should continue for quite a while. Corn – Is going strong locally and we’ll have plenty of Bi- Color and white local corn. There are not many local farmers that grow yellow, so we won’t have much of that, but the Bi-color and white have been beautiful. Cucumbers – Have started locally and we’re proud to be selling them. Pricing is great and there are plenty to go around. Grapes – Are trying to get going in Mexico to start the new season, but weather has caused a slow beginning to the year and some growers expect trouble later in the season because of it. Pricing should improve this coming week as volumes get stronger. Lettuce – High temps throughout California’s Salinas Valley growing region are causing heat-related issues, primarily on lettuce and tender leaf items. Supplies on good quality green items are very limited and prices are way up this week. Work you lettuces closely and expect shorter than normal shelf life. Melons – We’re seeing plenty of east coast cantaloupes and watermelons. Our local guys should begin this coming week or next on both. Honeydews will be a little bit later. Quality has been excellent so far and should continue with that trend. Potatoes – Idaho is starting to see some shortages in their larger sizes as we reach the end of their storage season. Pricing has been fantastic all year but we may be seeing some changes soon. Tomatoes – Our local farmers are up and running and the fruit has been beautiful so far. You can always bank on our tomatoes starting around the 4 th of July and they were about a week early this year. Local heirloom varieties started this week. If you watch the movie “Jaws” backwards, it’s a heartwarming story of a shark that gives amputees back their arms and legs.

Good morning! Local Produce – We’re seeing plentiful numbers of blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, pepper, squash, tomatoes, zucchini and greens. The season is off to a great start on most items. Blueberries – Are feeling the heat locally [...]

June 26, 2025 featured, Produce Supply Update
Cucumbers

Good morning! Local Produce – We’re seeing plentiful numbers of blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, pepper, squash, zucchini and greens. The season is off to a great start on most items. Blueberries – Are at peak season locally and should continue for quite a while. Quality has been beautiful. Corn – Is going strong locally and we’ll have plenty of Bi- Color and white local corn. There are not many local farmers that grow yellow, so we won’t have much of that, but the Bi-color and white have been beautiful. Cucumbers – Have started locally and we’re proud to be selling them. Pricing is great and there are plenty to go around. Grapes – Are trying to get going in Mexico to start the new season, but weather has caused a slow beginning to the year and some growers expect trouble later in the season because of it. Pricing should improve this coming week as volumes get stronger. Lettuce – After a heat wave throughout California’s Salinas Valley growing region, some fields and varieties are still showing heat-related challenges, primarily on lettuce and tender leaf items. Farmers are warning of Dehydration and wilting, Growth cracks, Increased insect damage, Internal burn/tip burn, Discoloration/yellowing leaves, and shortened shelf-life. Watch your lettuces closely and expect shorter than normal shelf life. Melons – We’re seeing plenty of east coast cantaloupes and watermelons. Our local guys should begin this coming week or next on both. Honeydews will be a little bit later. Quality has been excellent so far and should continue with that trend. Oranges – California is wrapping up their navel season and we’re starting to see the first Valencias. This is a seasonal changeover that happens every summer. Strawberries – Are plentiful in California, so much so that many growers are having to send them to canners and freezers to move the volume. Quality is great and pricing is very good. Tomatoes – Are in very good volume from many growing areas. Pricing is great on the heavy volumes. Our local farmers are expecting to deliver this coming week. All disagreements have two sides, unless you’re fighting over a triangle.

Good morning! Local Produce – We’re seeing plentiful numbers of blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, pepper, squash, zucchini and greens. The season is off to a great start on most items. Blueberries – Are at peak season locally and should [...]

June 20, 2025 featured, Produce Supply Update
Blueberries – Should continue locally well into July and then we’ll make the transition to more Northern states like New Jersey and Michigan.

Happy Friday the 13th ! Local Produce – We’re seeing plentiful numbers of blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, pepper, squash, zucchini and greens. The season is off to a great start on most items. Blueberries – Are at peak season locally and should continue for quite a while. Quality has been beautiful. Corn – Is starting locally and we’ll have plenty of Bi-Color and white local corn. There are not many local farmers that grow yellow, so we won’t have much of that, but the Bi-color and white have been beautiful. Cucumbers – Have started locally and we’re proud to be selling them. Pricing is great and there are plenty to go around. Grapes – Are trying to get going in Mexico to start the new season, but weather has caused a slow beginning to the year and some growers expect trouble later in the season because of it. Prices have climbed on the limited supplies. Lettuce – After a brief heat wave throughout California’s Salinas Valley growing region, some fields and varieties are developing heat-related challenges, primarily on lettuce and tender leaf items. Farmers are warning of Dehydration/wilting, Growth cracks, Increased insect damage, Internal burn/tip burn, Discoloration/yellowing leaves, and shortened shelf-life. Watch your lettuces closely and expect shorter than normal shelf life. Melons – We’re seeing plenty of east coast cantaloupes and watermelons. Our local guys should begin this coming week or next on both. Honeydews will be a little bit later. Quality has been excellent so far and should continue with that trend. Oranges – California is wrapping up their navel season and we’re starting to see the first Valencias. This is a seasonal changeover that happens every summer. Strawberries – Are plentiful in California, so much so that many growers are having to send them to canners and freezers to move the volume. Quality is great and pricing is very good. Tomatoes – Are in very good volume from many growing areas. Our local tomato deal usually starts around the 4 th of July holiday week. My wife and I have made the decision that we don’t want children. We’re telling them after dinner.

Happy Friday the 13th ! Local Produce – We’re seeing plentiful numbers of blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, pepper, squash, zucchini and greens. The season is off to a great start on most items. Blueberries – Are at peak season [...]

June 12, 2025 featured, Produce Supply Update
lettuces

Produce Supply Update June 5th, 2025 Good Morning! Local Produce – We have a whole week of wet weather starting today. That will give many local farmers as well as others on the east coast big troubles and shut down production this week. Locally, they are just getting going good coming and this will be a minor speed bump. We’re still getting plenty of blueberries, cabbage, squash, zucchini and greens. Corn is getting started this week also. Welcome to summertime bounty! Broccoli – Has finished locally, so we’ll be moving away from NC going forward. With the warm weather, they start getting leggy and it’s time to move to cooler regions. Blueberries – Are at peak season locally and should continue for quite a while. Quality has been beautiful. Corn – Is starting locally and we’ll have plenty of Bi-Color and white local corn. There are not many local farmers that grow yellow, so we won’t have much of that, but the Bi-color and white should be awesome. Cucumbers – Have started locally and we’re proud to be selling them. Pricing is great and there are plenty to go around. Grapes – Are trying to get going in Mexico to start the new season, but supplies have been limited, causing a slow beginning to the year. Prices have climbed on the limited supplies. Lettuce – After a brief heat wave throughout California’s Salinas Valley growing region, some fields and varieties are developing heat-related challenges, primarily on lettuce and tender leaf items. Farmers are warning of Dehydration/wilting, Growth cracks, Increased insect damage, Internal burn/tip burn, Discoloration/yellowing leaves, and shortened shelf-life. Work you lettuces closely and expect shorter than normal shelf life. Strawberries – Are finished locally at the wholesale level. There will be some roadside stands still offering a few berries to retail customers, but the season is over. It was one of the best years in memory for them this spring. We’ll be moving back to Driscoll going forward. Tomatoes – A week of rainy weather hasn’t helped the tomato crop, and this coming week is projected to be wet again, but markets are down a bit on many varieties. I asked my dog “What is two minus two?” He said nothing.

Good Morning! Local Produce – We have a whole week of wet weather starting today. That will give many local farmers as well as others on the east coast big troubles and shut down production this week. Locally, they are [...]

June 6, 2025 featured, Produce Supply Update
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