Posts Tagged “cranberries”
According to a research published by Concordia University’s Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology in the Physical Activity and Nutrition journal, consuming cranberry can improve running speed and aerobic performance in trained runners thanks to faster muscle reoxygenation rates.
The trials monitored the performance of 14 trained distance runners that ingested a cranberry supplement for 28 days.
The research found that constant supplementation led to noticeable improvements in their performance, running speed improvement, and muscle recuperation, thanks to faster reoxygenation rates.
Athletes ran two times trials over three separate visits, one 1,500-meter and the other a 400-meter, in the second test they were given a cranberry supplement and then told to continue ingesting it for 28 days.
This is due to the fruit being rich in polyphenols, an antioxidant which protects the body from free radical effects caused by strenuous exercise.
According to Concordia university’s paper, the fruit is also easily accessible for others who might want to try for themselves since “they’re indigenous to and a major industrial crop for Quebec.” According to Statistics Canada, the province produces roughly 60% of Canada’s cranberry yield.
By INDUSTRY PRESS RELEASE July 23, 2021
Bridges Produce has built their business on long term partnerships and their relationship with Fruit d’Or is no exception. The Bridges team has worked with Fruit d’Or, for over 24 years and has acted as their exclusive organic fresh cranberry sales representative in the United States for the last 7 years. During this time, they have seen the program grow and diversify across many markets and distribution channels. This Fall, Bridges will be adding Massachusetts based Decas Farms conventional fresh cranberries to their available offerings.
In March 2021, family-owned Fruit d’Or based in Quebec, Canada acquired Decas Cranberry Products Inc. The Patience Fruit & Co organic brand is well-developed in Canada and is a strong organic player in the US cranberry market. Decas Farms has an 80 year history of producing high quality fresh cranberries and cranberry products.
There continues to be opportunities for significant growth across the fresh cranberry category which grew over 4.1% in 2020. Bridges will be able to offer both 8oz. and 12 oz. Patience Fruit & Co. brand organic cranberries and 12 oz. Decas Farms brand conventional cranberries from October through December shipping from three locations – Carver MA, Los Angeles, CA, and Vineland, NJ.
With Decas Farms now under the Patience Fruit & Co’s umbrella, they plan to pack and ship the majority of the organic and conventional fresh fruit at the Decas’ Massachusetts facility. “Bridges is excited to add a Massachusetts based packing house and the additional SKU’s in the Decas Farms label. The combination of Patience and Decas has greatly increased our capacity and efficiency of logistics. We can now cover the full cranberry category with both organic and conventional options with three loading locations in the US,” said Ben Johnson, Bridges Produce’s President. With these increased efficiencies, and hundreds of years of combined experience Bridges expects to provide even higher levels of customer service paired with the superior quality fruit that all three companies are known for.
Huge amounts of cranberries could be dumped this season or diverted to other places such as a charity institutions as production has soared in recent years. Light loadings of fresh cranberries are underway.
At the same time cranberry growers are pushing the USDA to bail them by having the feds slash the amount of fruit that can be sold for the 2018-19 shipping season by about 25 percent.
The USDA published a proposed rule last Apple upon the recommendation of the Cranberry Marketing Committee, which would limit the quantity of cranberries from the 2018-19 crop a handler may purchase from growers. The bottom line is hope the recommendation will artificially prop up prices for growers.
Because of the USDA’s perceived inability to act upon the recommendation, frustration is running high in the cranberry trade. Most of issues actually involve cranberries destined for markets other than fresh. Fresh cranberry shipments, which represent only a small percentage of total production, should remain relatively stable this season.
The Cranberry Marketing Committee’s proposal divert fruit from the U.S. commercial market could be sold to foreign markets (except Canada), be given to charitable institutions, provide nonhuman food use or simply be used as compost in the field.
Soaring inventories of processed cranberries led to the recommendation.
In 2011, existing cranberry inventories were around 4.6 million barrels, but that increased to 9.9 million barrels at the end of the 2016-17 season.
By the end of the 2017-18 season, inventories are projected to be approximately 10.9 million barrels, the proposal said. Inventories as a percentage of total sales have also been increasing from approximately 50 percent in 2010 to approximately 103 percent in 2016, and could reach an anticipated 115 percent after the 2017-18 season. These inventories have had a depressing effect on grower prices, which for many growers have fallen below their cost of production.
Fresh cranberry shipments won’t be compromised.
The proposal, put forward by the Cranberry Marketing Committee in a February vote, would establish a marketable quantity of 7.275 million barrels and a grower allotment percentage of 75 percent based on their historical production. The proposal exempts organic cranberries.
Nationally, cranberry shipments will be down this season. Meanwhile, favorable weather helps boost New Jersey to second place nationally in peach shipments.
Cranberry growers in Wisconsin are expected to have another big harvest this fall, although it will be less than last year when average yields reached an all-time high.
The USDA has released its latest forecast for the 2017 cranberry crop showing Badger State producers are projected to rake in 5.6 million barrels of the tart fruit, down nine percent from the 2016 crop.
The Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association says producers will begin harvesting their crop in late September and continue through much of October. Approximately five percent of the state’s cranberries will be sold as fresh fruit, with the remainder being frozen and stored for dried cranberries, juices, sauces and more.
Nationally, about 9.05 million barrels are forecast to be harvested, down six percent from 2016. In Massachusetts, growers will harvest less than half of Wisconsin’s total production at 2.2 million barrels. Washington producers expect 2017 to be a good year due to favorable weather conditions.
NJ Peach Shipments
by New Jersey Department of Agriculture
TRENTON) –The USDA’s August Crop Production Forecast for 2017 sees New Jersey peach shipments rising to second in the U.S. The forecast, which is based on phone calls, mail, internet, and personal interviews with farmers in New Jersey and around the country, predicts state peach farmers will produce 48 million pounds of peaches this year.
“Conditions in New Jersey have been perfect for growing peaches this season, allowing farmers to have an extremely high yield of the juicy, sweet tree fruit,” New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher said. “We want people to know Jersey Fresh peaches are plentiful and available at supermarkets, farmers markets, and roadside stands. We appreciate the work the USDA does to keep produce buyers and consumers up to date on the current trends in the industry.”
New Jersey is on track to harvest approximately eight million more pounds of peaches in 2017 than it did last year, and is behind only California in peach production. The Jersey peach season should continue through mid-September.
The USDA surveyed approximately 21,700 producers for the crop production report. The producers were asked questions about probable yield. These growers will continue to be surveyed throughout the growing season to provide indications of average yields.
The August Crop Production report also forecasted a crop of 44 million pounds of apples for the Garden State, also up from last year. New Jersey cranberry producers expect to harvest 590,000 barrels, which would rank New Jersey third in the U.S. in cranberry production.
(Editor’s Note: Both South Carolina and Georgia suffered severe crop losses this year due to a spring freeze, allowing New Jersey to come in second in peach volume. Also, virtually all of New Jersey cranberry production is for the processed market, not fresh.)
By Oppy
LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass. – The stage is set to expand the 87-year-old Ocean Spray® brand — with many sweet things to come.
In a natural extension of the relationship formed in 2003 to market Ocean Spray fresh cranberries, Oppy and its partner berry growers are now shipping fresh strawberries and blueberries from California under an Ocean Spray® brand.
Ultimately, a range of berries, including blackberries and raspberries, will join strawberries and blueberries as part of the Family Farmer Owned™ brand of fresh produce. The program expands and elevates Oppy’s berry offerings, delivering fruit of high quality and great flavor in a familiar and trusted label. This expansion also establishes a year-round fresh berry presence for the Ocean Spray® brand.
“Ocean Spray was founded by three cranberry growers looking to expand the market for their fruit,” said Clark Reinhard, vice president of innovation for Ocean Spray. “The brand is well known across multiple grocery aisles but our presence in produce has been limited to just a few months of the year. The perimeter of the grocery store is growing fast and by collaborating with Oppy our brand will be on fresh, high quality produce from family farms year round.”
The Ocean Spray® brand bolsters Oppy’s strategic push in the berry category, according to James Milne, vice president of marketing. “We conducted extensive research throughout North America over the past year and discovered a genuine enthusiasm for berries. There is a clear opportunity for a strong brand like Ocean Spray® to enter the market and capture people’s imaginations. This new innovation will disrupt an established category and offer a surprising new berry experience to the trade and consumers alike.”
Following California strawberries and blueberries, the Ocean Spray® Family Farmer Owned™ brand will feature fruit produced by Oppy domestic berry growers in the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and its international network of family farmers.
“Consumers should ultimately understand that when they see the Ocean Spray logo anywhere in the world they are supporting family farms- the same way they do buying at their local farmer’s market,” said Reinhard. “While cranberries remain at the heart of what we do, bringing other berries to market under the same brand will be a huge benefit to growers, retailers and ultimately the consumer.”
“Partnering with Ocean Spray enables us to simultaneously deliver new value to our grower partners and our retail customers,” said David Smith, Oppy president and chief marketing officer. “Berry growers everywhere understand the stature of the Ocean Spray® brand and are engaging with the opportunity. Meanwhile we’re providing our retail partners the exciting option of high quality strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries packed in a label of high consumer awareness and appeal.”
Smith notes that the timing is advantageous for all, with berry category sales at retail elevating 15 percent in the last two years, while also realizing average-price-per-pound gains. IRI data shows that berry sales volume has increased throughout the U.S., while branded produce is earning greater dollar share throughout the category.
by Bridges Produce
This Fall, Bridges Produce is debuting a new label in the U.S. for the fresh organic cranberries from Patience Fruit & Co. This new label, “Patience,” was chosen to reflect the belief that doing things the right way is better than rushing through them. Growing cranberries organically takes more effort, more thoughtfulness, more respect for nature, but the results are worth it.
The relationship between Patience, formerly known as Fruit d’Or, and Bridges Produce began over 16 years ago and has evolved as the companies and the organic market has grown. During the 2014 season Bridges became the exclusive fresh sales representative for Fruit d’Or in the U.S., selling 8 oz. bags and 7.5 oz clamshells. The following season they debuted a 12 oz. poly bag, a size that is in high demand for use in many recipes. For the 2016 fresh cranberry season, all pack styles and sizes will be branded as Patience Fruit & Co.
The group of Quebec growers practice organic farming to minimize their ecological footprint. They believe in working with nature and following its rhythms rather than trying to work against it. For example, they use a “closed circuit” water system where rainwater and melted snow are collected in a drainage basin and used to irrigate the fields and flood them for harvesting. They also rely on 6 million bees to help pollinate the cranberry plants. Growing organically is not the easiest way but yields the best results.
Their superior quality fruit as well as their sustainable growing practices make Bridges so pleased to continue their partnership with Patience Fruit & Co. This year the pack styles Bridges will offer include 12 oz. and 8 oz. poly bags, 7.5 oz. clams, and a 22 lb bulk box. They are available for shipping from Los Angeles and New Jersey October through December. Patience Fruit & Co. also has a line organic dried cranberries, dried mixed berries and artisan blends available as well.
For more information regarding fresh organic cranberries contact Bridges Produce at: info@bridgesproduce.com 503-235-7333
Cranberries are the largest agricultural food product in the state, with an annual crop value of $99.8 million. The industry provides 6,900 jobs and total economic benefit of more than $1.4 billion, according to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association’s 2015 report.With the climate expected to warm in the decades to come, farmers can expect more insects and more fungal and other plant diseases. The cranberry grows best in temperate climes, DeMoranville said, and long, hot sunny days produce smaller berries that don’t get top prices.
Studies have shown that Cape Cod cranberry growers can expect conditions similar to those now experienced in New Jersey, at the southernmost range of the plant. That area has the highest level of rotted berries, Wick said. The winters also have to be cold enough for ice to form over the flooded bogs so farmers can apply sand that seeps down in the spring and forms a new bed for the plants.
“Eventually, if it got hot enough, you would come to a time when you couldn’t grow cranberries, what may happen is that the entire industry just shifts north,” DeMoranville said.
In essence, that has already happened, as newcomer Quebec overtook Massachusetts in 2013 as the No. 2 cranberry growing region.
Christmas is only three weeks away and produce holiday shipments have already started with some items.
The last of fresh cranberry loads are now moving to USA markets, but primarily from Central Wisconsin. While Massachusetts often promises Christmas shipments, it has a checkered history of actually delivering, primarily due to quality issues and the demand from the processing marketing.
Probably the most reliable is The Cranberry Network LLC, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., which markets fruit grown by Tomah, WI-based Habelman Bros. Co., the nation’s largest fresh cranberry grower. It plans on packing and shipping fresh-market cranberries through mid-December.
In Texas, the Winter Garden District located just south of San Antonio is gearing up with cabbage, broccoli and onion shipments. Further south in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, there are grapefruit and orange loads available, as well as a variety of vegetables, not only from the valley, but crossing the border from Mexico.
California
California has a big clementine crop this season coming out of the San Joaquin Valley. The valley continues to ship a record setting table grape crop, which will be winding down in coming weeks.
In the desert areas of California (Imperial Valley) and Arizona (Yuma), volume is increasing on vegetables. Last winter was very mild and unlike many past winters, picks and loads were not significantly disrupted by weather factors. Odds are this won’t happen in two consecutive years, but we’ll find out in the weeks and months ahead.
Imports
Imported Spanish clementines arriving on the East Coast are expected to be 25-30 percent lower than last season.
Importers of Peruvian and Chilean onions expect good movement and good quality with winter approaching. Arrivals are taking place now with onions from Peru, while onions from Chile will start arriving anytime, a 20 percent drop is seen.
Imperial Valley vegetables – grossing about $3800 to Chicago.
Wishing you safe travels if you’re on the road this holiday. Otherwise, I trust you are able to spend Thanksgiving with those you love and cherish the most. We have so much for which to be thankful in this great country. May God’s blessing be with each and everyone of you.
Here’s a few interesting facts about Thanksgiving.
The famous pilgrim celebration at Plymouth Colony Massachusetts in 1621 is traditionally regarded as the first American Thanksgiving. However, there are actually 12 claims to where the “first” Thanksgiving took place: two in Texas, two in Florida, one in Maine, two in Virginia, and five in Massachusetts.
The first Thanksgiving in America actually occurred in 1541, when Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his expedition held a thanksgiving celebration in Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas panhandle.
One of the most popular first Thanksgiving stories recalls the three-day celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621. Over 200 years later, President Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving, and in 1941 Congress established the fourth Thursday in November as a national holiday.
Now a Thanksgiving dinner staple, cranberries were actually used by Native Americans to treat arrow wounds and to dye clothes.
Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879), who tirelessly worked to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday, also was the first person to advocate women as teachers in public schools, the first to advocate day nurseries to assist working mothers, and the first to propose public playgrounds. She was also the author of two dozen books and hundreds of poems, including “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
At least for some shippers in the Red River Valley, it was looking a little dim in September due to drought. However, October rains have increased yields — and loading opportunities have improved for those who haul red potatoes out of the region, located on the borders of North Dakota and Minnesota.
The last of the spuds are now being dug. It’s looking like valley potato shipments for the 2012-13 season will be quite close to the five-year average. Currently, only about 250 truckloads a week or being shipped, but loadings are still increasing as the focus moves from harvest, and storage to shipping.
From central Wisconsin, russet potato loads are averaging around 500 truckloads per week…..Peak shipments of cranberries for the Thanksgiving holidays are now underway from central Wisconsin.
Nebraska continues light loadings of potatoes. In the southwestern part of the state potatoes are being shipped from the Imperial, Neb area. The other most active part of the state is around O’Neill in the northeastern part of the Nebraska.
In the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, grapefruit and orange shipments have been slowly ramping up. Because California’s season ended early, there’s been good demand for Texas citrus, although loadings have been limited and there’s not much citrus yet to be found in the retail stores.
If you are loading grapefruit or oranges in South Texas, it should be a little more simple than 20 years ago when there were at least two dozen citrus companies. That number has shank to only four, primarily due to mergers and acquisitions. This should be reducing the number pick ups required for some hauls.
Central Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $3400 to Houston.
Red River Valley red potatoes – about $4300 to Orlando.