Good Morning! Apples – As we work our way through the beginning of a new year, we have a few less apples in storage than we expected a couple of months ago. The latest storage report is showing that inventories are lower on many varieties for this time of year than the same time last year. As a result, we are seeing a rising market on many varieties, sizes, and packs, and this trend is expected to continue for at least the next couple of months. Asparagus – Good volume and excellent quality heading into Valentine’s Day. Broccoli and Cabbage– Georgia is seasonally winding their broccoli season down and Florida will wrap up early with the chilly weather this week. We’ll be moving back to the west coast soon. Cabbage has just about wrapped up in Georgia. New crop from Florida is up and running. Supply is abundant with good quality. Celery – Supplies of celery remain extremely limited but are improving each week. The market is very active with strong demand through the holidays. Quality is good overall and expected to progress into January. I haven’t seen a market like this before now. Corn – Sweet corn in Florida is very limited and pricing remains high. As we move into more wintery weather, pricing will likely remain high, and volumes will be limited. Lettuce – Production is experiencing disruption due to recent cold and rainy weather. Harvest crews out west are working diligently to procure solid quality in each carton, but their work has been cut out for them. Spinach and all other leaf items have been a struggle for the past couple of weeks. Melons – Have gotten tighter since the end of Mexico’s season, and the transition from Guatemala to Honduras is currently going on, making for shortages and higher pricing. Potatoes – There are excellent supplies of high-quality potatoes coming out of storage in multiple regions. This is true of reds, yellows, and russets. Demand typically drops off as we get into the new year, as many consumers are looking for low-carb options. The low demand and large volumes make for an excellent buying opportunity and promotional period. Strawberries – The cold weather we’re expecting this coming week will slow down strawberry production, and pricing is climbing in anticipation. Hopefully they’ll rebound before Valentine’s. People often say that “icy” is the easiest word to spell. Looking at it now, I see why.