Fords Produce Company | Fresh Produce Distributor | Raleigh NC
Spotlight

Produce Supply Update May 22nd, 2026 Happy Memorial Day! Apples – We are now in the heart of the storage crop season and the beginning of the import season. The storage crop is smaller than last year and therefore many varieties and packs are tighter than last year. Blueberries – Are cranking up in NC and the quality has been beautiful. We’re looking forward to a great season. Broccoli and Cabbage – Both are going strong locally and quality has been gorgeous. Pricing has been very favorable too with the lower freight rates of close by farms. Corn– Is widely available now and quality and pricing are excellent! It’s been a tough spring but they’re finally past the hard part and the summer should be smooth sailing from here on. Feature corn for your Memorial Day menus. Grapes – It seems like the west coast grape season has just begun and they’re already looking to push volumes as they’re having a strong harvest and sluggish demand. Prices are lower this week. Melons – Honeydews, cantaloupes are finishing the offshore season and are starting domestically out west. Watermelons are coming on strong in Florida and prices are lower. Warmer weather makes it a great time to feature these. Oranges – Navel oranges will be soon finishing up for the season and we’ll start to see the transition to Valencia variety. Though a great orange, valencias are seeded. Stone Fruit – Season has begun! We have cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots available. Strawberries – California had some hot days and then a lot of rain, which are the 2 worst things for a strawberry field. Supplies got extremely short seemingly overnight. Prices are up as a result. Squash and Zucchini – The local season has begun and we’re expecting a great year. Lots of farmers are harvesting all at once so I think we’re going to rapidly see some falling prices. Tomatoes – Markets continue to fall as supplies catch back up with demand. Quality, volume, and pricing are all getting better every day. Our local crops are still a few weeks out. I can always tell someone is lying just by looking at them. I can tell when they’re standing too. Thank you for your business! Have a Great Week! Copyright Ford’s Produce 2026

Corn, White

Produce Supply Update

May 22nd, 2026

Happy Memorial Day!

Apples – We are now in the heart of the storage crop season and the beginning of the import season. The storage crop is smaller than last year and therefore many varieties and packs are tighter than last year.

Blueberries – Are cranking up in NC and the quality has been beautiful. We’re looking forward to a great season.

Broccoli and Cabbage – Both are going strong locally and quality has been gorgeous. Pricing has been very favorable too with the lower freight rates of close by farms.

Corn– Is widely available now and quality and pricing are excellent! It’s been a tough spring but they’re finally past the hard part and the summer should be smooth sailing from here on. Feature corn for your Memorial Day menus.

Grapes – It seems like the west coast grape season has just begun and they’re already looking to push volumes as they’re having a strong harvest and sluggish demand. Prices are lower this week.

Melons – Honeydews, cantaloupes are finishing the offshore season and are starting domestically out west. Watermelons are coming on strong in Florida and prices are lower. Warmer weather makes it a great time to feature these.

Oranges – Navel oranges will be soon finishing up for the season and we’ll start to see the transition to Valencia variety. Though a great orange, valencias are seeded.

Stone Fruit – Season has begun! We have cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots available.

Strawberries – California had some hot days and then a lot of rain, which are the 2 worst things for a strawberry field. Supplies got extremely short seemingly overnight. Prices are up as a result.

Squash and Zucchini – The local season has begun and we’re expecting a great year. Lots of farmers are harvesting all at once so I think we’re going to rapidly see some falling prices.

Tomatoes – Markets continue to fall as supplies catch back up with demand. Quality, volume, and pricing are all getting better every day. Our local crops are still a few weeks out.

I can always tell someone is lying
just by looking at them. I can tell
when they’re standing too.

 

Thank you for your business!
Have a Great Week!
Copyright Ford’s Produce 2026

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Weekly News Archive

Corn, White

Produce Supply Update May 22nd, 2026 Happy Memorial Day! Apples – We are now in the heart of the storage crop season and the beginning of the import season. The storage crop is smaller than last year and therefore many varieties and packs are tighter than last year. Blueberries – Are cranking up in NC and the quality has been beautiful. We’re looking forward to a great season. Broccoli and Cabbage – Both are going strong locally and quality has been gorgeous. Pricing has been very favorable too with the lower freight rates of close by farms. Corn– Is widely available now and quality and pricing are excellent! It’s been a tough spring but they’re finally past the hard part and the summer should be smooth sailing from here on. Feature corn for your Memorial Day menus. Grapes – It seems like the west coast grape season has just begun and they’re already looking to push volumes as they’re having a strong harvest and sluggish demand. Prices are lower this week. Melons – Honeydews, cantaloupes are finishing the offshore season and are starting domestically out west. Watermelons are coming on strong in Florida and prices are lower. Warmer weather makes it a great time to feature these. Oranges – Navel oranges will be soon finishing up for the season and we’ll start to see the transition to Valencia variety. Though a great orange, valencias are seeded. Stone Fruit – Season has begun! We have cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots available. Strawberries – California had some hot days and then a lot of rain, which are the 2 worst things for a strawberry field. Supplies got extremely short seemingly overnight. Prices are up as a result. Squash and Zucchini – The local season has begun and we’re expecting a great year. Lots of farmers are harvesting all at once so I think we’re going to rapidly see some falling prices. Tomatoes – Markets continue to fall as supplies catch back up with demand. Quality, volume, and pricing are all getting better every day. Our local crops are still a few weeks out. I can always tell someone is lying just by looking at them. I can tell when they’re standing too. Thank you for your business! Have a Great Week! Copyright Ford’s Produce 2026

Stone Fruit - Bing Cherries in a collander

Produce Supply Update May 15th, 2026 Good Morning! Apples – We are now in the heart of the storage crop season and the beginning of the import season. The storage crop is smaller than last year and therefore many varieties and packs are tighter than 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 the next couple of months. The most significant item that is down this year is the Gala apples. The latest storage report shows that inventory is down over 20% from last year. Blueberries – Started locally this week and they’re absolutely beautiful. Pricing is great and the berries are plump and delicious. Broccoli and Cabbage – both are going strong locally and quality has been gorgeous. Pricing has been very favorable too with the lower freight rates of close by farms. Corn– Is widely available now and quality and pricing are excellent! It’s been a tough spring but they’re finally past the hard part and the summer should be smooth sailing from here on. Melons – Honeydews, cantaloupes and watermelons are all lower. Warmer weather makes it a great time to feature these on your menus. Oranges – The crop is heavily trending toward the larger sizes of fruit, making smaller oranges very hard to source. Pricing is flipped upside from what it normally is, with the larger sizes typically fetching top dollar. Stonefruit – Season has begun! We have cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots available. Strawberries – Are all but finished locally though it was a great season. We’ll be moving to California growers Squash and Zucchini – Our local farmers are starting this week and we’re excited for the season to begin. We’re expecting a great year. Tomatoes – Markets continue to fall as supplies catch back up with demand. Quality, volume, and pricing are all getting better every day. Q: What’s a cucumber’s favorite sport? A: Pickle ball

Blueberries – Should continue locally well into July and then we’ll make the transition to more Northern states like New Jersey and Michigan.

Good Morning! Produce Supply Update May 4th, 2026 Apples – We are now in the heart of the storage crop season and the beginning of the import season. The storage crop is smaller than last year and therefore many varieties and packs are tighter than 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 the next couple of months. The most significant item that is down this year is the Gala apples. The latest storage report shows that inventory is down over 20% from last year. Asparagus – Remains extremely short. With Mother’s Day this coming weekend things could get interesting. Prices are strong and large asparagus is really hard to find. Domestic production is set to crank up, but it’s not quite there yet. Blueberries – Are rolling in Georgia and they’re packed in pints vs. 6oz packs. Much better value on the pints and it should steadily improve as the weather warms. Our local guys are set to get started in just a few weeks. Broccoli and Cabbage – Cabbage is going strong locally, broccoli has just begun. Supplies and pricing are getting much better on both. Corn– Is widely available now and quality and pricing are excellent! It’s been a tough spring but they’re finally past the hard part and the summer should be smooth sailing from here on. Strawberries – Are really cranking up locally now. Our local farmers have moved out of the greenhouses and moved to fruit from the field and supplies are much stronger and the quality is gorgeous. You can see it at all the road side stands popping up everywhere. Feature them everywhere you can. Squash and Zucchini – Florida has wrapped up their season, but Georgia is cranking up and should move the market back down. Our local guys are still a few weeks out, but spring is on the way and we’re looking forward to a great season. Tomatoes – Supplies are getting more and more critical every week. Sighting big tomatoes is like seeing Sasquatch, nobody believes you if you say you did. Prices remain very strong this week but are expected to change rapidly over the two upcoming weeks. Next time you get a call from an unknown number, answer it by whispering “It’s done, but there’s blood everywhere.”

Strawberry

Produce Supply Update April 17rd, 2026 Good Morning! Global Market Note – The issues going on in the Straight of Hormuz have caused worldwide shortages of petroleum. So… of course freight rates are through the roof, but also effected are harvesting costs, fertilizers and packaging supplies including all plastics. Shippers and farmers are having to pass along these increases and causing many items to climb in price. Many freight companies are implementing fuel surcharges, increasing the cost of everything. Asparagus – Is still extremely short, but the local season is set to start in many areas, which should help bring the market down, hopefully. We should start seeing local product any day here. Cabbage – Is going strong locally, and right behind that, in a couple of weeks, should be broccoli. It’s been a long, cold winter, but supplies are improving. Corn, Peppers and Tomatoes – This market continues in a demand exceeds supply situation. As farmers wait for new plants to come on line, supplies on tomatoes and corn have kept the market cranked up for an extended time. Peppers seem to be easing downward just as anticipated during the 2 nd week of the month. Looks like supply is finally increasing on those. Lettuce – Has fully transitioneed to northern areas that will supply the country for the summer months. It was a smooth one this time, so we should have a great summer. Onions and Potatoes– Potatoes are at very good pricing now and and heavy on supply, but transportation has been a real struggle and diesel costs have caused the final price to be higher, quality is still beautiful. Onions tightened up last week , so feature these staples on your menus for profitable side items the everyone loves. Strawberries – Are rolling locally now. Our local farmers have moved out of the greenhouses and moved to fruit from the field and supplies are much stronger. Squash and Zucchini – Florida is about to wrap up their season, but Georgia is cranking up and should move the market back down. Our local guys are still a couple of weeks out, but spring is on the way and we’re looking forward to a great season. Q: If Farmer A sells apples and Farmer B sells bananas, what does Farmer C sell? A: Medicine.

Squash, Yellow

Produce Supply Update April 13rd, 2026 Good Morning! Global Market Note – The issues going on in the Straight of Hormuz have caused worldwide shortages of petroleum. So… of course freight rates are through the roof, but also effected are harvesting costs, fertilizers and packaging supplies including all plastics. Shippers and farmers are having to pass along these increases and causing many items to climb in price. Many freight companies are implementing fuel surcharges, increasing the cost of everything. Asparagus – Are at yearly highs, with shortages keeping the market strong. California and Washington State are starting their seasons, so that will add some much needed volume to the market. Cabbage – Is going strong locally, and right behind that, in a couple of weeks, should be broccoli. It’s been a long, cold winter, but spring is finally here! Corn, Peppers and Tomatoes – I’ve never seen a corn market like this one. February’s freeze killed many plants, creating a gap in production that’s going to take a while to work out. Crops had to be replanted and you’re looking at 60-90 days from putting them in the ground if the weather cooperates. Limited supplies are fueling sky-high pricing. Many tomato shippers are simply out of product. Warmer weather and increasing supplies once they’re past the areas affected will be the only thing to help the market. Lettuce – Has fully transitioneed to northern areas that will supply the country for the summer months. It was a smooth one this time, so we should have a great summer. Quality and pricing are great across the board for salad entrée’s and specials. Onions and Potatoes– Are both at very good pricing now and and heavy on supply. Quality has been beautiful, so feature these staples on your menus for profitable side items the everyone loves. Squash and Zucchini – Are plentiful from Florida, and Georgia should begin their harvest very soon. Supplies and quality are excellent, and so is pricing. We’re just a month or so away from our first harvests in NC. Spring is here! Alcohol can damage your short term memory. And so can alcohol.

Onion, Cipollini, Unpeeled

Produce Supply Update March 27th, 2026 Good Morning! Global Market Note – The issues going on in the Straight of Hormuz have caused worldwide shortages of petroleum. So… of course freight rates are through the roof, but also effected are harvesting costs, fertilizers and packaging supplies including all plastics. Shippers and farmers are in a real pinch right now and passing along what costs they’re able to and causing many items to climb in price. Apples – As we approach spring, the crop continues to get smaller. The latest storage report is showing that storage inventories are lower 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 the next couple of months. The most significant item that is down this year is the Gala apples. Cabbage – Is starting locally, and right behind that should be broccoli. It’s been a long, cold winter, but spring is finally here! Corn – I’ve never seen a corn market like this one. Limited supplies are fueling sky-high pricing. Sizing is smaller than normal as anything that is corn is being harvested and put in the box. They expect to have better volume by the middle of April. Onions – Mexico is starting their new season, and the overlap of storage and new crop onions is making for a very smooth transition. Pricing is staying level and quality has been great. Peppers – Conditions remain extremely short, and we do not anticipate any improvement in the short term. Based on current field performance and weather impacts, expect these challenging conditions to persist through mid-April. Georgia typically begins its season around May 20–25th, which means that normalcy is unlikely until late May, when new acreage comes online and supply begins to stabilize. Strawberries – Florida still has great volume, California has started their new season and our local farmer has had some beautiful weather so strawberries are plentiful and gorgeous. Going into Easter, strawberries are always a popular item. Tomatoes – Became extremely short all of the sudden last week. The hard freeze in Florida a couple of weeks ago has set back the crop by a lot. Prices are high and continue to rise. Did you hear about the new restaurant named KARMA? There’s no menu, you just get what you deserve.

Cabbage, Green

Produce Supply Update March 13th, 2026 Good Morning! Cabbage – Plentiful supplies right now for your St. Patrick’s Day promotions. Quality and pricing are great to put alongside your corned beef specials! Celery – After months of record pricing, the dam has finally burst and celery is flowing again. We’re seeing normalized markets and pricing is coming back to ground level. Corn – I’ve never seen a corn market like this one. Limited supplies are fueling sky-high pricing. Work them close, because once the weather stays warm, they’ll get a lot cheaper quickly. Onions – Mexico is starting their new season, and the overlap of storage and new crop onions is making for a very smooth transition. Pricing is staying level and Strawberries – Florida’s strawberry machine cranked back up last week after the weather warmed up for them. Plentiful supplies and great pricing. Our local growers are getting their seasons started and bringing sporatic amounts to market. We’re looking forward to a great spring. Tomatoes – We’re seeing a rapid turnaround on tomato markets. The sharp rise last week is falling off quickly as supply catches up with demand at the higher pricing. Prices are down substantially this week. Romas are way down. Florida / Mexican products: During our winter, we rely heavily on Mexican imports for a lot of vegetables. Their production usually offsets the shortages from Florida this time of year with cold weather limiting Florida’s harvests. The cold temps in Florida last week shut down their harvesting and threw a lot of demand on Mexican farmers all of the sudden. However, Mexico has had their own weather conditions and limited harvesting. As a result, most things that come from those areas are Extremely limited this week and it may be April before we see long term improvements. The most effected items are peppers, cucumbers, squash and tomatoes. Bear with us for a little while and we should see some improvements as the weather continues to warm. Q: A Vietnamese restaurant and an Indian restaurant opened across the street from each other. One was Pho profit, the other was Naan profit. Thank you for your business! Have a Great Week! Copyright Ford’s Produce 2026

Celery Stalks and Cut Celery Sticks - Celery Was super-tight and spendy through the spring and early summer,

Produce Supply Update March 9th, 2026 Good Morning! Broccoli – Is settling back down after a couple of rough weeks. Supplies are still low, but demand fell off at the higher pricing and that drove markets down. Cabbage – Is in great supply from Florida fields. We’ll see increased demand going into St. Patrick’s Day which may cause pricing to ease upward. We have savoy cabbage on hand if you’d like to change things up a bit. Celery – I’ve never seen a market like this that stayed this high for this long. The farmers out west planted a lot less acreage, creating a shortage that has lasted since October. Prices are still strong and will remain that way until more fields are changed over to celery. Corn – Last week’s freezing temperatures in the Southeast really set back the crop. Supplies are very limited and pricing is VERY high. Lettuce – California pricing came way off this week as demand slowed at last week’s higher pricing levels. Onions – Mexico is trying to start their new crop. There are still plenty of storage onions on hand, so the transition should be a smooth one except for the actions of the cartels down there. Strawberries – Florida’s thermometer turned cold and the strawberry machines turned off. Fortunately, our local grower is pumping them out with the pretty days we’ve been having and he’s expecting a great season. Tomatoes – The nationwide cold that we had last week has changed the plentiful tomato market seemingly overnight. Prices are much higher with the shorter supplies. Roma tomatoes which primarily grow in Mexico are particularly tight. Florida / Mexican products: During our winter, we rely heavily on Mexican imports for a lot of vegetables. Their production usually offsets the shortages from Florida this time of year with cold weather limiting Florida’s harvests. The cold temps in Florida last week shut down their harvesting and threw a lot of demand on Mexican farmers all of the sudden. However, Mexico has had the cartel issues for the past couple of weeks, coupled with their own weather conditions and limited harvesting. As a result, most things that come from those areas are Extremely limited this week and it may be April before we see long term improvements. The most effected items are peppers, cucumbers, squash and tomatoes. Bear with us for a little while and we should see some improvements as the weather continues to warm. I went to Starbucks and the barista was wearing a face mask. I asked “Why are you wearing a surgical mask?” She said “I’m not. It’s a coughy filter.”

Cabbages

Good Morning! Broccoli – Is settling back down after a couple of rough weeks. Supplies are still low, but demand fell off at the higher pricing and that drove markets down. Cabbage – Is in great supply from Florida fields. We’ll see increased demand going into St. Patrick’s Day which may cause pricing to ease upward. We have savoy cabbage on hand if you’d like to change things up a bit. Celery – I’ve never seen a market like this that stayed this high for this long. The farmers out west planted a lot less acreage, creating a shortage that has lasted since October. Prices are still strong and will remain that way until more fields are changed over to celery. Corn – Last week’s freezing temperatures in the Southeast really set back the crop. Supplies are very limited and pricing is very high. Lettuce – California pricing came way off this week as demand slowed at last week’s higher pricing levels. Onions – Mexico is trying to start their new crop. There are still plenty of storage onions on hand, so the transition should be a smooth one except for the actions of the cartels down there. Peppers – The freeze from 2 weeks ago in Florida caused some havoc in the pepper world. It ruined the fruit on the vine, so farmers had to wait for the plants to regrow their peppers, creating a shortage. Red, yellow, and orange peppers start out as green peppers, so until the green pepper deal gets sorted out, colored peppers remain in short supply. Strawberries – Florida has plenty of high quality, low cost berries and our local farmers are starting to ease into their season. Tomatoes – The nationwide cold that we had last week has changed the plentiful tomato market seemingly overnight. Prices are much higher with the shorter supplies. Roma tomatoes which primarily grow in Mexico are particularly tight. Special Note on Mexico: During our winter, we rely heavily on Mexican imports for a lot of vegetables. With the upheaval in Mexico by the cartels following the death of their leader, many aspects of their agriculture industry have been impacted. Harvesters can’t get to work, packing houses can’t get enough employees to come in, and the freight industry has been hit by the impromptu roadblocks. Commodities hit hardest are berries, tomatoes, limes, mangos, and the onion season that they’re trying to get started. Hopefully we’ll be past this soon and back to normal. Q: What kind of medical condition causes wrinkled clothes? A: An iron deficiency.

Green Peppers; with the higher pricing of green peppers, farmers will elect to pick them green rather than waiting for them to ripen to yellow or red

Good Morning! Beans – The 3 day freeze in Florida wiped out the bean crop and prices went through the roof. Work them closely and we should be out of this market soon. Broccoli – Is settling back down after a couple of rough weeks. Supplies are still low, but demand fell off at the higher pricing and that drove markets down. Cabbage – Is in great supply from Florida fields. We’ll see increased demand going into St. Patrick’s Day which may cause pricing to ease upward. We have savoy cabbage on hand if you’d like to change things up a bit. Celery – I’ve never seen a market like this that stayed this high for this long. The farmers out west planted a lot less acreage, creating a shortage that has lasted since October. Prices are still strong and will remain that way until more fields are changed over to celery. Corn – Last week’s freezing temperatures in the Southeast really set back the crop. Supplies are very limited and pricing is very high. Lettuce – Markets quickly climbed last week, just as we warned about. This shortage should last another month. Expect prices to yo-yo as the forces of supply and demand do battle. Prices will rise, people will take it off the menu, they’ll go back down, people will put it back on the menu and they’ll go back up. Peppers – Last week’s freeze in Florida caused some havoc in the pepper world. It ruined the fruit on the vine, so farmers had to wait for the plants to regrow their peppers, creating a shortage. Red, yellow, and orange peppers start out as green peppers, so until the green pepper deal gets sorted out, colored peppers will also be in short supply. Potato – Markets remain unchanged as there are lots of high-quality potatoes coming out of storage from all regions. But, February is Potato Lover’s Month. Feature these bargains wherever you can. Strawberries – Post holiday demand is sluggish for strawberries and prices fell hard. This is a great time to feature them on your menus. Great quality at a great price. Tomatoes – The nationwide cold that we had last week has changed the plentiful tomato market seemingly overnight. Prices are much higher with the shorter supplies. Smaller grape and mixed colored baby tomatoes are particularly tight. My wife saw me on the bathroom scale sucking in my stomach. She said “That’s not going to work.” I said “That’s the only way I can see the numbers.”

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