Posts Tagged “Backyard Farms”
Canadian greenhouse growing operation Mastronardi Produce and purchased another greenhouse growing facility in the state of Maine.
Family owned and operated fourth generation business Mastronardi Produce of Kingsville, ON has acquired New England year-round greenhouse tomato grower Backyard Farms of Madison, ME. Mastronardi The leading grower and shipper of specialty and commodity greenhouse produce in North America, Backyard was launched 10 years ago and ships primarily throughout the Northeastern United States.
Together, Mastronardi Produce and Backyard Farms will grow and ship non-GMO verified tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers to the top food retailers in North America. Backyard Farms operates two greenhouses totaling 42-acres
About Mastronardi Produce
Ours span over 60 years to the pioneering of the North American greenhouse industry. Before Grandpa Umberto Mastronardi came along, there were no commercial greenhouses in North America. His vision was to provide consumers with fresh greenhouse grown vegetables all year long. After four generations, the Mastronardi family still owns and manages what is now the leading greenhouse vegetable company on the continent, growing and selling world-class tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
Port of Oakland Cargo Handling Update
California’s Port of Oakland saw import cargo increase 19 percent in March compared with a year ago.
Total loaded container volume for both imports and exports, were up 9.3 percent. The increase contrasted with a 9.2 percent decline in February, according to a news release.
“This is a nice rebound,” maritime director John Driscoll, said in the release. “We’re watching now to find out if it signals stronger trade growth for the rest of the year.”
Port figures indicated 402 ships called in Oakland during the first three months of 2017, down about 5.6 percent from a year ago. At the same time, those ships carried an average of 8.4 percent more containers in and out of Oakland. The conflicting trends point to greater volume on fewer ships, according to the release.
That trend will result in several positive trends, according to the release, including reduced vessel operating expenses for shipping lines, less demand for berthing space at marine terminals and a reduction in diesel emissions at port because of fewer vessel calls.
Here’s a look a several East Coast produce shipping areas that have already started, or will be getting under way soon, ranging from Michigan to North Carolina, New Jersey, New York and Maine.
Michigan
Michigan is the nation’s number one shipper of blueberries and should ship over 100 million pounds of fresh and frozen “blues” this season. Peak loadings will begin heading into August.
North Carolina
Shipments of the old crop (2012-13) of sweet potatoes in North Carolina is winding down. For the new season, it appears there will be a significant reduction in North Carolina sweet potato shipments. It’s looking like the new harvest may extend into October instead of instead of a month or more. Initial projections see truck loadings will be down 10 percent this coming season.
North Carolina is the nation’s top shipper of sweet potatoes and production this season is expected to fall from about 62,000 to 57,000 acres.
North Carolina watermelon shipments are underway and are paying truckers as much as 25 percent on freight than sweet potatoes, which the latter is historically are one of the cheaper produce items to haul.
New York
Excessive rains and recent triple digit heat may cut Orange County, New York’s onion shipments by 10 percent this coming season. Limited harvest is underway. These storage onions are typically shipped to East Coast markets through April.
New Jersey
New Jersey has bee shipping peaches for about two weeks and loadings are now in good volume, with peak shipments hitting any time now. New Jersey peach shipments will run through the end of September.
Maine
Greenhouse tomato shipper Backyard Farms of Madison, WI, which grows 27 million pounds of tomatoes a year is ripping outits entire crop of half a million tomato plants in an effort to eradicate an infestation of white flies.
The decision to replant its entire crop means the firm’s tomatoes, marketed as Backyard Beauties at supermarkets such as Hannaford and Shaw’s, will not be available for hauling until late October.