Spotlight

Happy Thanksgiving! Broccoli and Cabbage – Are still going locally and quality and pricing has been really nice. Celery – Rises every year in anticipation of the increased demand of the holidays. People who don’t buy celery any other time of the year have to have it for their Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes. So, just like clockwork it goes up in price every year in November and then falls off in January. 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 and keep pricing very favorable. Lettuces- Of all varieties remain extremely tight as the first fields in the Yuma growing region have been slow to develop, impacted by hotter weather in the early growth stages. This transition between growing areas happens every year, but some are smoother than others. Melons – Mexican farmers are well into their season now and quality and volumes are very good. Pricing is down due to the lower freight costs on shorter delivery routes. They have plenty of cantaloupe, honeydews and watermelons, though the cooler months see a lot less demand than summertime. Tomatoes – We continue to see the reeling effects of Hurricane Helene and Milton. Supplies remain drastically short on all varieties and are reaching their most critical level currently. Peppers – Volume in Georgia continues to be down due to the hurricane damage, though Florida is trying to get harvests going. Mexico should be harvesting good volumes now but they’ve been plagued with disease and cool temperatures slowing their volume. Potatoes – Especially sweet potatoes are a big part of menus for the holidays and fortunately there’s plenty of all varieties for your menus. Q: Which side of a turkey has the most feathers? A: The outside.
Good morning! Asparagus – Mexico continues to experience tight volumes, though production is gradually increasing as the weather cools down to temperatures more suitable for asparagus. We anticipate improvement around the last week of October, with peak production expected in November, just in time for the Thanksgiving pull. Peru is seeing strong production, and we don’t anticipate any issues in meeting demand as we prepare for the holidays. Broccoli and Cabbage – are beginning locally and will continue until frost. Lettuces- Of all varieties are higher this week. Iceberg lettuce, romaine, red and green leaf supplies are limited this week as supplies in the northern growing regions are finishing up. The southern growing region is expected to start over the next two weeks, but until then expect lettuces of all types as well as salad mixes to be higher than normal levels. Melons – Mexican farmers are well into their season now and quality and volumes are very good. Pricing is down due to the lower freight costs on shorter delivery routes. They have plenty of cantaloupe, honeydews and watermelons, though the cooler months see a lot less demand than summertime. Oranges – Quality has improved dramatically with the start of California’s Navel season. This fruit is one of the best on the market and we look forward to a great season. Tomatoes – Were drastically effected by Hurricane Helene and Milton. The path of both went right through the growing areas of Florida and Georgia and simply wiped out a large portion of the crop as well as future plantings. Also, Helene went through the Tennessee and NC mountains and wiped out their tomato crop. Prices continue to rise and we’re all waiting on Mexican farms to start harvesting to help ease the markets. Peppers – Volume in Georgia continues to be down. Yields are lower due to the bloom drop that they had during the storms. Farmers continue to harvest but please be aware that overall volume is lower. Markets are trending higher. Expect colored peppers to increase also, as the farmers will pick the peppers green to get the high prices, not letting the pepper ripen to red, yellow or orange. Potatoes – Especially sweet potatoes are a big part of menus for the holidays and fortunately there’s plenty of all varieties for your menus. Q: Where does a rainbow go when it breaks the law? A: Prism. It’s a light sentence but gives it time to reflect.
Good morning! Asparagus – Mexico continues to experience tight volumes, though production is gradually increasing as the weather cools down to temperatures more suitable for asparagus. We anticipate improvement around the last week of October, with peak production expected in November, just in time for the Thanksgiving pull. Peru is seeing strong production, and we don’t anticipate any issues in meeting demand as we prepare for the holidays. Blueberries – Have finally become widely available again as Argentine and Chilean fruit makes it to our shores. Prices are way down on beautiful berries. Broccoli and Cabbage – are beginning locally and will continue until frost. Corn – Georgia is just starting up but they’re finding a lot of stalks blown over from Hurricane Helene, fortunately Milton quickly skipped across Florida and didn’t affect Georgia. Product remains extremely limited, though they expected the crop to rebound in a couple of weeks. The cold weather this week has further slowed growth making corn even more tight right now. Melons – Mexican farmers are well into their season now and quality and volumes are very good. Pricing is down due to the lower freight costs on shorter delivery routes. They have plenty of cantaloupe, honeydews and watermelons, though the cooler months see a lot less demand than summertime. Oranges – Quality has improved dramatically with the start of California’s Navel season. This fruit is one of the best on the market and we look forward to a great season. Peppers – Volume in Georgia continues to be down. Yields are lower due to the bloom drop that they had during the storms. Farmers continue to harvest but please be aware that overall volume is lower. Markets are trending higher. Expect colored peppers to increase also, as the farmers will pick the peppers green to get the high prices, not letting the pepper ripen to red, yellow or orange. Potatoes – Harvest continues on russets with Idaho leading the way. Overall quality and sizing are good. Pricing is very good across the board and we believe it will stay that way until the Thanksgiving demand increases. They’re finally making a documentary about the most famous clocks. It’s about time.
How can it be November already?!! Asparagus – Mexico continues to experience tight volumes, though production is gradually increasing as the weather cools down to temperatures more suitable for asparagus. We anticipate improvement around the last week of October, with peak production expected in November, just in time for the Thanksgiving pull. Peru is seeing strong production, and we don’t anticipate any issues in meeting demand as we prepare for the holidays. Blueberries – Have finally become widely available again as Argentine and Chilean fruit makes it to our shores. Prices are way down on beautiful berries. Broccoli and Cabbage – are beginning locally and will continue until frost. Corn – Georgia is just starting up but they’re finding a lot of stalks blown over from Hurricane Helene, fortunately Milton quickly skipped across Florida and didn’t effect Georgia. Product remains extremely limited, though they expected the crop to rebound in a couple of weeks. The cold weather this week has further slowed growth making corn even more tight right now. Oranges – California has begun their navel orange season, suddenly meeting demand after a long, hard summer of shortages. Georgia has begun their Satsuma season. Though it’s a relatively short season, these are a fantastic tangerine you don’t want to miss out on. Peppers – Are starting in Georgia, but farmers are facing the same troubles that corn growers are going through. There was a a lot of damage from the two hurricanes and shippers are invoking Act of God clauses and prices are soaring. Expect colored peppers to increase also, as the farmers will pick the peppers green to get the high prices, not letting the pepper ripen to red, yellow or orange. Potatoes – Harvest continues on russets with Idaho leading the way. Overall quality and sizing are good. Pricing is very good across the board and we believe it will stay that way until the Thanksgiving demand increases. Q: What’s the difference between a hippo and a Zippo? A: One is a big heavy mammal the other is a little lighter.
Good Morning! Asparagus – Mexico continues to experience tight volumes, though production is gradually increasing as the weather cools down to temperatures more suitable for asparagus. We anticipate improvement around the last week of October, with peak production expected in November, just in time for the Thanksgiving pull. Peru is seeing strong production, and we don’t anticipate any issues in meeting demand as we prepare for the holidays. Blueberries – Have been very short this fall, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Argentina and Peru are finally getting some significant shipments to our shores and pricing is falling quickly. Corn – Georgia is just starting up but they’re finding a lot of stalks blown over from Hurricane Helene, fortunately Milton quickly skipped across Florida and didn’t affect Georgia. Product remains extremely limited, though they expected the crop to rebound in a couple of weeks. The cold weather this week has further slowed growth making corn even more tight right now. Cucumbers – Cooler weather has put an end to the season in the Carolinas. Georgia does not have the ability to meet demand as yields continue to struggle because of Hurrican Helene. Florida’s season will be late and is being pushed until November 8. Normally, Florida’s season gets going around October 20. We do not expect any consistent volume from Florida until December 10. Oranges – Domestic navels are anticipated to begin very soon out of California. Supplies remain extremely limited, relying on imports until then. Peppers – Are starting in Georgia, but farmers are facing the same troubles that corn growers are going through. There was a a lot of damage from Helene and it may be after the end of the month before volumes get better. Potatoes – Harvest continues on russets with Idaho leading the way. Overall quality and sizing are good. Steady supplies on reds and yellows out of multiple regions, including Idaho, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Not much change to report from the last update. Look for things to remain steady until the holidays approach. Squash – Yellow squash and zucchini will primarily be coming from Mexico this fall as Georgia was wiped out and Florida will struggle recovering form Hurricane Milton. We have plenty of hard squash for your fall menus. Q: What has ears but can not hear? A: A corn field.
Good Morning! Apples – Farmers are now harvesting many new varieties out of Washington, including Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Red Delicious, as well as a few others. The new crop looks to be good with estimates of around 124 million cases this year. Although this is smaller than last year’s crop of around 136 million, it’s still shaping up to be a good crop! The quality of the new-crop fruit is reported to be very good, but the fruit size will run smaller than average this season which means less large apples. Asparagus- is getting rolling in Peru and Mexico now and supplies are quickly improving. Quality is also improving with the increased supplies. Corn – Georgia is just starting up but they’re finding a lot of stalks blown over from Hurricane Helene, fortunately Milton quickly skipped across Florida and didn’t effect Georgia. Product is limited, but they expect the crop to rebound in a couple of weeks. Oranges – Domestic navels are anticipated to begin this month out of California. Overall crop volume is projected to be up slightly from last season. Early-season sizing profile will be heavy on small fruit. High temperatures in the growing regions make fruit susceptible to color issues, but the heat wave should break soon. Quality is anticipated to be great as growing conditions were good throughout the off- season. Peppers – Are starting in Georgia, but farmers are facing the same troubles that corn growers are going through. There was a a lot of damage from Helene and it may be after the end of the month before volumes get better. Potatoes – Harvest continues on russets with Idaho leading the way. Overall quality and sizing are good. Steady supplies on reds and yellows out of multiple regions, including Idaho, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Not much change to report from the last update. Look for things to remain steady until the holidays approach. Squash – Let’s talk about winter squashes! We have acorn, butternut, spaghetti, hubbard, kabocha, delicata and pie pumpkins. Fall is here, embrace the pumpkin spice! Keep us in mind for your disposables and to-go needs! We carry a full line. Q: Why do witches wear black? A: So you can’t tell which is which.
Good Morning! Hurricane Milton – Caused a lot of damage across central Florida. We’ll see those lost crops cause issues around Christmas time when those fields should have been harvested. The main shipping areas are from NC to Georgia currently and they were spared from Milton’s wrath. Apples – Farmers are now harvesting many new varieties out of Washington, including Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Red Delicious, as well as a few others. The new crop looks to be good with estimates of around 124 million cases this year. Although this is smaller than last year’s crop of around 136 million, it’s still shaping up to be a good crop! The quality of the new-crop fruit is reported to be very good, but the fruit size will run smaller than average this season which means less large apples. Asparagus – Mexico continues to face tight volumes, with production gradually increasing but still falling short of the high putting additional pressure on the Peruvian market, which is also experiencing low volumes due to field transitions. We anticipate an improvement starting in mid-October as new fields reach peak production. Corn – Georgia is just starting up but they’re finding a lot of stalks blown over from Hurricane Helene, fortunately Milton quickly skipped across Florida and didn’t effect Georgia. Product is limited, but they expect the crop to rebound in a couple of weeks. Oranges – Remain crazy tight, both domestically and imports. California’s season was a total mess with poor quality and very low volume creating tight markets and high pricing. They’re expecting the new crop of Navels to begin in late October and hopefully supplies will settle out then. Potatoes – Idaho potato growers are starting off on the right foot. Quality is excellent on the new crop spuds and pricing is very good. Once they get them all in the warehouses and see what the total yields are for the year, we’ll know what the rest of the season will look like. Squash – Let’s talk about winter squashes! We have acorn, butternut, spaghetti, hubbard, kabocha, delicata and pie pumpkins. Fall is here, embrace the pumpkin spice! Keep us in mind for your disposables and to-go needs! We carry a full line. Q: What do you call the soft tissue between a shark’s teeth? A: A slow swimmer.
Good Morning! Local Produce – Most of the local products wrapped up due to the rains from Helene last week. We still have local vine ripe tomatoes, but their heirlooms are finished for the year. The forecasted chilly weather for this coming week will slow growth further. Apples – We are now harvesting many new varieties out of Washington, including Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Red Delicious, as well as a few others. The new crop looks to be good with estimates of around 124 million cases this year. Although this is smaller than last year’s crop of around 136 million, it’s still shaping up to be a good crop! The quality of the new-crop fruit is reported to be very good, but the fruit size will run smaller than average this season which means less large apples. Asparagus-Mexico continues to face tight volumes; with production gradually increasing but still falling short of the high, putting additional pressure on the Peruvian market, which is also experiencing low volumes due to field transitions. We anticipate an improvement starting in mid-October as new fields reach peak production. Corn – Georgia is just starting up but they’re finding a lot of stalks blown over from the Hurricane winds. Product is limited, but they expect the crop to rebound in a couple of weeks. Oranges – Remain crazy tight, both domestically and imports. California’s season was a total mess with poor quality and very low volume creating tight markets and high pricing. They’re expecting the new crop of Navels to begin in late October and hopefully supplies will settle out then. Potatoes – Idaho potato growers are starting off on the right foot. Quality is excelletnt on the new crop spuds and pricing is very good. Once they get them all in the warehouses and see what the total yields are for the year, we’ll know what the rest of the season will look like. Squash – Let’s talk about winter squashes! We have acorn, butternut, spaghetti, hubbard, kabocha, delicata and pie pumpkins. Fall is here, embrace the pumpkin spice! We also have loads of decorative gourds, indian corn and other items for your fall décor. What is a word that has 4 letters but can be written with 3, and if you count, it actually has 2?
Good Morning! Local Produce – Squash, Zucchini, Peppers and Cucumbers are available in good numbers. The cool nights are slowing production from the vines, but they’re going strong now. We’re also seeing some muscadine grapes coming to market. Apples – They are now harvesting new crop Gala apples and Honeycrisp apples out of Washington. The new crop looks to be another good one with estimates of around 125 million cases this year. Although this is smaller than last year’s crop of around 136 million, it’s still shaping up to be an excellent crop! Avocados- Supplies from Mexico have normalized again and pricing is much improved. Blueberries – Remain extremely tight and prices are through the roof. Domestically everyone is done, but South America (Peru and Argentina) is late getting started and cold, wet weather has slowed berry maturity even more. Of what little is coming to market, most is going to Europe and even Israel because of higher import prices in those countries are willing pay. We expect them to stay very high until supplies increase at the end of October. Its a great time to look at other berries in the meanwhile. Citrus – California citrus groves continue to struggle with lesser quality than we’d all like to see. We’ve moved to imported oranges to find nicer fruit until California’s season improves. Corn – Fresh sweet corn is winding down in the north and Georgia is getting cranked up. They’ll be the major source into fall. Dry Goods – Keep us in mind for your go trays, bags, disposable cups and utensils. We offer a wide range of your kitchen essentials. Eggs – Markets remain high with summer heat and Avian flu taking a toll. Our cage free eggs are at a locked price, thus we get a better egg for our customers at a lower price than typical white eggs. Limes – Mexican farmers are struggling to fill orders. Pricing is very high suddenly. This decrease in volume is expected to persist for a few weeks, but by the end of September, we hope to see improved yields and pricing. Light rains and temperatures have been a key factor in getting the fruit to arrive with good quality and consistency. Tomatoes – Local Tomatoes are still available, though the cooler weather has slowed their production down a bit. Local heirlooms are available again. Dogs can bark up to 500 times per day. But that’s a ruff estimate.
Good Morning! Local Produce – Squash, Zucchini, Peppers and Cucumbers are available again. The cool nights are slowing production from the vines, but they’re going strong now. We’re also seeing some muscadine grapes coming to market. Apples – They are now harvesting new crop Gala apples and Honeycrisp apples out of Washington. The new crop looks to be another good one with estimates of around 125 million cases this year. Although this is smaller than last year’s crop of around 136 million, it’s still shaping up to be an excellent crop! The quality of the new crop fruit is reported to be very good, but the fruit size will run smaller than average this season which means less large tray apples this year. Blueberries – Got extremely tight last week as everyone domestically seemed to finish at the same time. We’ll be looking to Chilean and Peruvian shippers to suppy the market until January or so. Unfortunately, European buyers will pay more for the fruit, so our fruit is being diverted to Europe for the higher markets. Expect them to stay very high until supplies increase at the end of October. Citrus – California citrus groves continue to struggle with lesser quality than we’d all like to see. We’ve moved to imported oranges to find nicer fruit until California’s season improves. Corn – Fresh sweet corn is winding down in the north and Georgia is getting cranked up. They’ll be the major source into fall. Dry Goods – Keep us in mind for your go trays, bags, disposable cups and utensils. We offer a wide range of your kitchen essentials. Eggs – Markets remain high with summer heat and Avian flu taking a toll. Our cage free eggs are at a locked price, thus we get a better egg for our customers at a lower price than typical white eggs. Limes – Mexican farmers are struggling to fill orders. Pricing is very high suddenly. This decrease in volume is expected to persist for a few weeks, but by the end of September, we hope to see improved yields and pricing. Light rains and temperatures have been a key factor in getting the fruit to arrive with good quality and consistency. Tomatoes – Local Tomatoes are still available, though the cooler weather has slowed their production down a bit. Local heirlooms are in a bit of a gap right now though. Q: Where do squirrels go during a tornado? A: Everywhere.
Good Morning! Local Produce – Squash, Zucchini, Peppers and Cucumbers are available again. The cool nights are slowing production from the vines, but they’re going strong now. We’re also seeing some muscadine grapes coming to market. Apples – They are now harvesting new crop Gala apples and Honeycrisp apples out of Washington. The new crop looks to be another good one with estimates of around 125 million cases this year. Although this is smaller than last year’s crop of around 136 million, it’s still shaping up to be an excellent crop! The quality of the new crop fruit is reported to be very good, but the fruit size will run smaller than average this season which means less large tray apples this year. Blueberries – Got extremely tight this week as everyone domestically seems to be done at the same time. We’ll be looking to Chilean and Peruvian shippers to suppy the market until January or so. Expect them to stay very high until supplies increase at the end of October. Citrus – California citrus groves continue to struggle with lesser quality than we’d all like to see. We’ve moved to imported oranges to find nicer fruit until California’s season improves. Corn – Fresh sweet corn is still in good volume in the north and quality is excellent! There was a bit of a price jump with the increasing demand for the holiday weekend. Dry Goods – Keep us in mind for your go trays, bags, disposable cups and utensils. We offer a wide range of your kitchen essentials. Eggs – Markets remain high with summer heat and Avian flu taking a toll. Our cage free eggs are at a locked price, thus we get a better egg for our customers at a lower price than typical white eggs. Potatoes – Idaho shippers are packing and shipping new crop potatoes in good volumes and excellent quality. Prices are starting out very reasonable and it’s looking like a strong season. Tomatoes – Tomatoes are still going strong with many varieties available. Local heirlooms are in a bit of a gap right now though. Q: What’s a forklift? A: Food mostly.
Happy Labor Day Weekend! Local Produce – Squash, Zucchini, and Cucumbers are starting again. The cool nights last week slowed production from the vines, but they’re going strong now. Tomatoes are still going strong with many varieties available. Local heirlooms are in a bit of a gap right now though. Apples – We continue to have good supplies of apples for this time of year out of Washington and on imports from Chile as well. Some new crop pears are available now and we should begin seeing early maturing varieties like galas and golden delicious very soon. Blueberries – Are rapidly coming to an end domestically. The heat got too much for the bushes and suddenly the farms just didn’t have any product to ship. Chilean growers are getting started and we’ll begin seeing imports very soon and that should add some necessary volume to the markets. Citrus – Valencia orange and lemon markets continue to be elevated due to limited availability and a reduction in crop size. Excessive heat in California has limited harvesting windows. Subsequently, there is a surcharge on labor wages. The heat has taken a toll on quality, so expect mostly choice grades available. Corn – Fresh sweet corn is in still in good volume in the north and quality is excellent! There was a bit of a price jump with the increasing demand for the holiday weekend. Eggs – Markets always climb in the heat of summer, with many egg farms losing chickens in the hot weather. This year as well farmers are dealing with the avian flu causing the destruction of millions of laying hens. The shorter supplies are keeping pricing strong. Surprisingly, the higher prices are only effecting white eggs. Our cage free eggs are at a locked price, thus we get a better egg for our customers at a lower price than typical white eggs. Potatoes – We received our first shipment of new crop Idaho baking potatoes this week and just Wow! They are beautiful. We’re looking at a great season if they continue like this. My daughter asked if the mango was ready. I said no it’s yellowey?
Good Morning! Local Produce – Squash, Zucchini, and Cucumbers are starting again. The cool nights this week are slowing production from the vines, but they’re producing. Tomatoes are still going strong and melons are still widely available. Apples – We continue to have good supplies of apples for this time of year out of Washington and on imports from Chile as well. Most varieties and packs have good availability, and quality is holding up very nicely this season. Supplies out of storage in Washington are still above average for this time of year on many varieties. There are a few varieties and packs that have tightened a little and are resulting in some higher pricing. Citrus – Valencia orange and lemon markets continue to be elevated due to limited availability and a reduction in crop size. Excessive heat in California has limited harvesting windows. Subsequently, there is a surcharge on labor wages. The heat has taken a toll on quality, so expect mostly choice grades available. Crops were originally projected to have larger yields this season, but use caution as supply is going to get tighter as we move through August. Corn – Fresh sweet corn is in huge volumes in the north and quality and pricing are excellent! Eggs – Markets always climb in the heat of summer, with many egg farms losing chickens in the hot weather. This year as well farmers are dealing with the avian flu causing the destruction of millions of laying hens. The shorter supplies are keeping pricing strong. Surprisingly, the higher prices are only effecting white eggs. Our cage free eggs are at a locked price, thus we get a better egg for our customers at a lower price than typical white eggs. Potatoes – Some growing areas are beginning harvest now for their fall crop of reds, whites, yukons and even russets. We have our first shipment of new crop Idaho baking potatoes on the road headed this way and we’re looking forward to fresh new potatoes and improved quality. Q: Why do fish swim in salt water? A: Because pepper water makes them sneeze.
Good Morning! Avocados – Have had a tough summer. It started out with USDA inspectors getting kidnapped in Michoacan, Mexico. So… the USDA refused to allow imports of Mexican avocados for about 2 weeks until they could sort out the security of the inspectors over there. This caused a gap in supply, raising prices for a few weeks. Now availability from orchards in Mexico has become very limited and we can expect a much lower amount of fruit coming into the U.S. California. Peru will soon be at the tail end of their respective seasons, so pricing volatility will be present for the rest of August. Citrus – Valencia orange and lemon markets continue to be elevated due to limited availability and a reduction in crop size. Excessive heat in California has limited harvesting windows. Subsequently, there is a surcharge on labor wages. The heat has taken a toll on quality, so expect mostly choice grades available. Crops were originally projected to have larger yields this season, but use caution as supply is going to get tighter as we move through August. Eggs – Markets always climb in the heat of summer, with many egg farms losing chickens in the hot weather. This year as well farmers are dealing with the avian flu causing the destruction of millions of laying hens. The shorter supplies are keeping pricing strong. Surprisingly, the higher prices are only affecting white eggs. Our cage free eggs are at a locked price, thus we get a better egg for our customers at a lower price than typical white eggs. Grapes – Temperatures in the Central Valley growing regions have finally cooled down to the mid-90s this week. The cooler weather will help increase inventory levels due to the return of full picking days. Melons – Local melons of all types are still making it to market, though quality has suffered due to the heavy rains last week. Melons of all types are growing seemingly everywhere now (it is summertime afterall) keeping pricing low and making it a great time to feature them. Potatoes – Some growing areas are beginning harvest now for their fall crop of reds, whites, yukons, and even russets. We’ll happily be into new crop baking potatoes soon and enjoying the better quality. I was riding by a dairy farm near my house and saw a cow playing the harmonica. Astonished, I drove up to the barn and asked the farmer about his cow. He replied, “Yeah, she’s a moosician.”
Good Morning! Avocados – Have had a tough summer. It started out with USDA inspectors getting kidnapped in Michoacan, Mexico. So… the USDA refused to allow imports of Mexican avocados for about 2 weeks until they could sort out the security of the inspectors over there. This caused a gap in supply, raising prices for a few weeks. Now availability from orchards in Mexico has become very limited and we can expect a much lower amount of fruit coming into the U.S. California and Peru will soon be at the tail end of their respective seasons so pricing volatility will be present for the rest of August. Citrus – Valencia orange and lemon markets continue to be elevated due to limited availability and a reduction in crop size. Excessive heat in California has limited harvesting windows. Subsequently, there is a surcharge on labor wages. The heat has taken a toll on quality, so expect mostly choice grades available. Crops were originally projected to have larger yields this season, but use caution as supply is going to get tighter as we move through August. Eggs – Markets always climb in the heat of summer, with many egg farms losing chickens in the hot weather. This year as well farmers are dealing with the avian flu causing the destruction of millions of laying hens. The shorter shorter supplies are keeping pricing strong. Surprisingly, the higher prices are only effecting white eggs. Our cage free eggs are at a locked price, thus we get a better egg for our customers at a lower price than typical white eggs. Grapes – Table grape growers continue to navigate through the extreme heat, and we are now starting to see the impact to the industry. Certain varieties are taking the heat better than others and growers are optimistic that the back end of the season will not be nearly as impacted. Melons – West coast melon growers have plenty of honeydews and cantaloupes available, and quality has been excellent. Our locally grown melons will wrap up due to the wet weather. Pineapples – Are extremely tight right now. The main growing areas of Mexico and Costa Rica are having quality issues, resulting in very little fruit making US standards for import. Expect pricing to stay strong for the upcoming weeks. When you die, people cry and yell for you to come back. But when you do, they freak out.

November 2nd, 2020 Supply Update: The new apple crop is now in the last stages of harvest.

Apple

The new apple crop is now in the last stages of harvest. The crop is coming in smaller than projected and is now projected to be in the 110-million bushel area versus projections in early August of 135 million. This crop will be around 25 million bushels short of the crop from last season. They had an early freeze during harvest that will cause a lot of losses but we won’t know the extent of the damage for another few weeks.

Strawberries remain extremely limited, with shippers cutting back or not accepting orders right now. Heat in the fields caused a lot of damage, which was then followed by chilly weather slowing down growth. The fall season is beginning in a small way, but they expect demand to exceed supply for the next few weeks.

Tomato markets remain very high with limited harvests coming from Georgia. Mexico is trying to get started to capitalize on the higher prices but it’s about a month away from their planned harvest date. Florida is approximately 3-4 weeks from any significant volume that will change the markets for the better. Expect high prices for the coming weeks.

Cooler weather is wrapping up many of the local products for the season. Cucumbers, squash, zucchini and other vegetables are winding down. We do still have plenty of freshly harvested local sweet potatoes, even white and purple ones from Johnston County!

Also, the cooler weather is great for greens like kale, collards, turnip and mustard greens. Quality has improved with the warmer weather passing. Leaves are much darker green than we see during summer.

Lettuce farmers in California are still struggling to fill orders. Romaine, Green Leaf and Iceberg are staying in very short supply with good quality very difficult to come by. Pricing remains higher on the very limited supplies.

Mexican Avocados are reaching their peak and shippers are lowering prices to move product. Now is a great time to feature them with prices very attractive.

Q: How does a train eat?
A: Chew Chew.

Q: What is brown and sticky?
A: A stick.