Posts Tagged “feature”
By Pacific Organic Produce
San Francisco, CA — Summer has arrived and with it, the start to the Imported Peruvian citrus season! Pacific Organic Produce now offers organic Peruvian citrus. Our 2nd generation grower operates his family owned and operated farm in the Huaura river valley in Peru, known for its fertile soils. The farm began its transition to organic in 2004 and was certified organic in 2010.
The farm focuses on using natural predators to maintain fruit quality and keeps a keen eye on balancing sugar and acid for optimum flavor. Food safety is of utmost importance to the family and the farm is Global GAP certified. They are the first certified organic citrus shipper to export to the US and we’re proud to offer the fruit for now the 7th season – time to get excited for the only “off season”, certified organic, specialty citrus available in the US – Satsuma, Minneola & Murcotts.
A steady supply of 9kg Satsumas will be available July and August, followed by a steady supply of 15kg Minneola and 9kg Murcott in August and September. A poly film 12×2# bag is also available for consumer convenience. Summer is looking even better!
About Pacific Organic Produce
Pacific Organic Produce represents organic growers from the United States and Latin America, providing the finest quality in organic fresh fruit and vegetables to retailers, wholesalers and processors across North America, featuring the Purity Organic brand.
Their growers are third-party certified organic, using the most up-to-date organic and sustainable farming methods. By partnering with these growers over the past 18 years, Pacific Organic has managed to bring year-round supplies of organically raised fruits and vegetables to marketplaces across the country.
By Black Gold Farms
Grand Forks, ND – Red potato shipments will begin the first week of August at Black Gold Farms’ operation in Winamac, Indiana, located about 2 hours south of Chicago and the same distance north of Indianapolis. Focusing exclusively on red potatoes for the fresh market, the Winamac farm grows premium quality Red Lassodas which will be harvested and shipped until the end of August.
“Our Indiana farm has really done a great job creating that important bridge between our Missouri crop and the upcoming Red River Valley crop. This will be our sixth year with fresh reds in Indiana, and each year, the demand for these red potatoes increases, so we’re doing what we can to keep up with it. The timing couldn’t be better to ensure that we’re keeping our promise of providing our customers Black Gold Farms grown red potatoes as consistently as possible. This is another way we’re working to add value to our customers by being the grower, packer and shipper,” commented Keith Groven, Fresh Sales Manager of Black Gold Farms.
Nathan Libey, Winamac, IN Farm Manager says, “This growing season has definitely been a win for us. Black Gold Farms has expectations for a high-quality product, and from what I’m seeing in the field we will be meeting those expectations. There aren’t many potatoes grown around here for the fresh market, so when our product is on the shelves our customers and their shoppers get pretty excited.”
“Each of our farming locations has their own unique characteristics. But, what’s valuable is that our customers have come to know that the red potatoes they’re getting are the best quality on the market, which they’ve come to expect from Black Gold Farms” remarked Groven.
Black Gold Farms is a fourth generation family farm and grower, shipper, marketer of all types of Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes and other commodities. They have an extensive network of farm locations throughout the United States, and are headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Black Gold Farms is committed to doing business that provides for ongoing quality, innovation, service and transparency with all of their business partners.
Here’s a preview of Red River Valley potato plantings for product that will start shipping in late summer….Also, Mastrondardi Produce has opened another greenhouse operation….In Wisconsin, shipper is now distributing Badger State grown celery in the mid-west.
The USDA recently reports slightly fewer potatoes planted in North Dakota this as acres declined from 75,000 in 2017 to 74,000 acres this year. The report shows more russets and fewer red potatoes were planted in North Dakota. In 2017 reds accounted for 27 percent of the potato acres, in 2018 that fell to 18 percent. Meanwhile russet acres jumped from 37 to 44 percent. White and yellow potato acres remained relatively steady at 36 and 2 percent respectively.
In Minnesota, the USDA reported 46,000 acres of potatoes planted, 2,000 fewer than last year. Unlike North Dakota, there was little change in the potato type percentages. Russets made up 69percent of the Minnesota potato crop, the same as last year. Next were reds at 19 percent (down 1 percent), whites steady at 10 percent and yellows moving from 1 to 2 percent.
Ohio Greenhouse
Mastronardi Produce is opening a sixth greenhouse in the U.S., with a 20-acre facility in Wapakoneta, Ohio.
The farm, known as The Ohio Greenhouse Company, will operate year-round, growing Sunset-brand products for shipment to retailers in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and West Virginia.
Mastronardi Produce grows on more than 4,000 acres. The new Ohio farm gives the company the ability to triple the acreage there.
Wisconsin Shipping Celery
By Alsum Produce
Markesan, Wisconsin — Alsum Farms & Produce grower partner, Trembling Prairie Farms Inc. started harvesting Wisconsin celery July 16th with the season expected to go through the first week of October. Fields are located in the muck soils of Green Lake County.
In 2012, Trembling Prairie Farms started with 3 acres of celery and today has expanded to over 45 acres. The farm starts with a Midwestern selected celery variety that grows extremely well in the Wisconsin climate.
The process of growing celery starts in local greenhouses in late February to early April and is then transplanted in 12 different plantings. Celery planting in the muck soil begins on May 1 with the goal of the last planting to be in the ground by July 1.
California fresh fig shipments are increasing from the San Joaquin Valley with normal quality and volume expected.
During the past five years fig shipments have actually got underway around the middle of July, so the timing of the 2018 fresh fig season in California is about two weeks later than recent years. Some observers compare season to be more similar to those of 10 or 20 years ago.
Stellar Distributing Inc. of Madera is one fig shipper noting the first of two fig crops this year was very light, but the second crop looks more normal. Shipments of central San Joaquin Valley figs will continue until around Thanksgiving.
California ranks first in the nation in fig shipments, accounting for nearly 98 percent of all U.S. figs produced.
The USDA reports there were 6,100 bearing acres of figs in the U.S. in 2016, and growers shipped 31,600 tons of figs. Of that total, 26,700 tons (84 percent) were processed.
Total fresh output has remained steady in recent years, though bearing acreage has declined slightly with improving yields. Fresh fig production in 2016 was 4,900 tons, or about 10 million pounds.
Western Fresh Marketing of Madera, CA has been packing brown turkey figs out of the California desert region since late May.
Desert region fig shipments are coming to a seasonal close, although harvest in the desert will resume later in the year with the return of cooler weather.
Although growing conditions have been favorable, observers say it is still impossible to tell whether the fig crop will be up or down compared with a year ago.
California fig shipments are often shipped to markets on both coasts because of the stronger demand, particularly from Florida up the East Coast and Los Angeles to Seattle on the West Coast.
In the U.S., imports of fresh figs in 2017 totaled 920,000 pounds from Mexico, 150,000 pounds from Chile and 150,000 pounds from Peru.
That is much higher than 2010, when Mexico shipped only 50,000 pounds and Chile 10,000 pounds to the U.S.
The primary fig varieties include black mission, sierras, brown turkey and kadota, with the tiger variety also significant.
San Joaquin Valley grapes and stone fruit – grossing about $9000 to Boston.
Wild Maine blueberry shipments are underway with limited fresh berry loadings from a crop grown mostly for the processors. If you your in the area, you might get at least a partial load, but this certainly a leading volume state.
Distribution ranges primarily from Maine to New York City and Wild Blueberry Commission of Orono, ME thinks they might get a little more fresh directed fruit out of the crop because of some new consumer research.
The commission is hoping consumer trends for natural/healthful eating might lead to more wild blueberries being consumed.
The commission sanctioned research showed, “wild has a place in today’s evolving real food movement….(and) people are looking for foods that are closer to nature…..and that it would taste better…and they probably would buy more of it and pay more for it.”
Wild blueberries are grown only in Maine and Eastern Canada for a few weeks from late July until early September. About 98 percent of the crop is frozen within 24 hours of harvest to ensure year-round availability.
The processed fruit is shipped all over the country and all over the world, often incorporated into granolas, cereal bars, muffins, purees, yogurt and ice cream. However, the fresh berries are only distributed in New England and as far south as New York.
A primary reason for hoping to boost sales of fresh-market blueberries, based upon the research, is fresh fruit is more profitable to growers than frozen ones.
The commission plans to increase its “Fresh from the Wild” sampling programs in supermarkets, will invite the media to visit the barrens where they’re grown for a firsthand look at the low-bush berries, and will feature growers in promotional materials.
The wild blueberries are being promoted as being really special because of its “amazing flavor.”
They’re grown on 10,000-year-old barrens of sandy, acidic soil.
By Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Nogales, AZ — The Arizona State Transportation Board announced they will fund the full build-out and expansion of State Route 189 (Mariposa Road) to the tune of $134 million. SR 189, is the main thoroughfare for trucks crossing the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales and heading northbound on I-19 to area warehouses.
The full-funding announcement is a revision from earlier budget commitments to complete the work in two phases over the course of several years. The funding package also leverages state, federal, and local funding that make up the entire $134 million price tag.
“The road improvement should speed roundtrip delivery from the port of entry to some warehouses by 20 minutes or more per truck, giving companies a valuable incentive to locate their operations in Nogales,” said Lance Jungmeyer, Fresh Produce Association of the Americas president (FPAA).
“This is the culmination of many years of hard work in unifying support from groups across Arizona about this important roadway,” Jungmeyer said. “From Flagstaff to Phoenix to Tucson, communities were all talking about the importance of funding this much-needed expansion. We are always looking for ways to speed up the produce superhighway that is Nogales, and this funding is an important step in our continued success.”
Nogales and Santa Cruz County are committing approximately $45 million over the course of several years from their share of a fee paid by produce trucks crossing the border. The State Legislature committed $25 million of general fund money to this project. The road is also recognized as vital on a Federal level as well as evidenced by the investment of $25 million for the project through the award of a Federal Tiger Grant.
The project will fund important enhancements to the entire length of SR 189 and will also construct a flyover ramp connecting SR 189 to I-19, which eliminates stoplights and left-hand turns that currently hamper movement of heavy trucks onto the interstate. The project is also designed as a crucial safety measure by separating the ingress and egress of local high school traffic from the intersection where it meets with the commercial traffic on SR 189. The project has been fast-tracked to begin in 2019.
Added Jungmeyer, “SR 189 is the artery that drives our economy by facilitating the movement of trucks and passengers into and out of Arizona, and we are excited about the positive benefits this will bring to our members in the form of faster, safer, more reliable deliveries to their warehouses. Ultimately this will be a major win for our customers and the end consumers because we will have faster deliveries of the fresh, high-quality produce that is synonymous with Nogales.”
About the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas:
The FPAA is a nonprofit trade association headquartered in Nogales, Arizona, that represents over 120 U.S. member companies involved in growing, packing, sales and transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Mexico. Produce from Mexico accounts for approximately 37 percent of fruit and vegetable consumption in the U.S. during the winter months. The Mariposa Port of Entry located in Nogales is the largest port of entry for fresh produce imported into the U.S. from Mexico.
by Pear Bureau Northwest
PORTLAND, Ore. – Pear growers and producers from Washington’s Wenatchee and Yakima districts and Oregon’s Mid-Columbia and Medford districts estimated this year’s fresh pear harvest at 18.9 million standard box equivalents, or approximately 415,000 tons of fresh pear shipments.
The estimate will mark an 18 percent increase from the 2017 harvest – an unusually small crop – and will be equal to the five-year average.
Pick dates for the coming harvest are projected to be roughly a week earlier than last season, staying close to the historical average. Starkrimson are expected to be picked in early August, with the Bartlett harvest expected in mid-August. Anjou is expected to happen in late August in all districts while Bosc and Comice varieties will be harvested beginning in September and span through early October. Finally, Concorde, Forelle and Seckel will be picked in September and October across the four growing districts.
Out of the leading varieties, the estimates for this season are 9.3 million standard boxes for Green Anjou (about 49.6 percent of total Northwest fresh pear crop), 4.6 million standard boxes of Bartlett (24 percent of the total crop), and 3.2 million Bosc (16 percent of the total crop). Red Anjou will represent 5.6 percent of the crop with a potential 1.1 million standard boxes.
The Green Anjou crop is showing a projected increase of 10 percent compared to the smaller crop in 2017, but down 5 percent from a five-year average. Growers estimate that the Bartlett pear crop will be up 24 percent compared to last season, marking a 5 percent increase over a five-year average. The Bosc crop is estimated to be 42 percent higher than last season’s small crop and 8 percent above the five-year average, while Red Anjou production is expected to be 7 percent higher than last year and 5 percent above the five-year average.
The organic pear estimate is expected to come in at 1.64 million standard boxes (36,000 metric tons), which is 8.7 percent of the total Northwest crop. Newly transitioned orchards and a strong pear crop overall have contributed to the growth in organic pears. Out of the entire organic crop, growers project 583,500 standard boxes of Green Anjou, with the Bartlett and Bosc crops sizes projected at 564,700 and 321,050 standard boxes, respectively.
Washington apples and stone fruit – grossing about $7700 to New York City.
Fresh categories are driving nearly 49 percent of all dollar growth across fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), according to Nielsen’s latest Total Consumer Report, with fresh and perishable foods accounting more than $177 billion in sales.
Although fresh categories are performing well in Retail stores, the sector still has some room for improvement, according to the June 2018 report.
Some findings include:
- Ecommerce is still maturing within food and beverage, but fresh perishables are an opportunity in stores today. Amazon and Whole Foods merged a year ago, and ecommerce within grocery continues to grow, but is still maturing. During the past year, online food and beverage sales represented 13 percent of the overall dollar volume seen online. Fresh and perishable foods generated sales nearly 14 times as high as all online food and beverage sales this year.
- On-the-go fresh produce fails to keep pace with clean snacking. Americans are not rushing to on-the-go fresh produce opportunities although they rank eating more fruits and vegetables as the top factor for healthy eating. They often prefer other snack options. On-the-go fresh produce — pre-cut produce that has been portioned intentionally for snacking purposes — declined by nearly 2 percent in dollars and 6 percent in unit volume over the past year. On the flip side, salty snacks are proof that consumers are seeking indulgence in their snacking purchases, too, as sales grew nearly $1 billion year over year. Still, clean-label products represented more than 35 percent of salty snack dollars in the past year.
In the battle of the burgers, frozen is still winning, but fresh is catching up; meanwhile, alternative protein growth remains strong. Frozen patties are still the staple in the burger category, as frozen meat-based burgers have seen 2 percent dollar growth from last year. However, fresh meat burger patties (up 8 percent) and prepared burgers from the deli section (up 15 percent) are both growing and asserting their importance to the future of the category. Within the past year, sales of alternative-protein burgers have experienced dollar sales growth of nearly 21 percent. However, alternative-protein burgers represent just 6 percent of the overall burger category. Despite this, frozen alternative-protein burgers grew 17 percent year over year, which highlights an area for potential expansion.
A California heat wave that started two weeks ago in the coastal region has brought on lemon ripening much more quickly than usual and product is dropping from trees. Long story short, California lemon shipments will be much lighter than normal for the next two months.
Wonderful Citrus of Delano, CA has less than 20 percent of its lemons remaining on trees. Lemoneira of Santa Paula, CA reports the heat wave hit July 7th and has continued.
Overall, imported lemon volume has been down this summer and the situation will not improve anytime soon.
Imported Mexican lemons are expected to be off 15 to 20 percent due to a December cold front affecting trees in the colder regions of Mexico’s lemon growing regions in the north. At the same time Chile is projecting a lemon crop very similar to last season, but their shipments to the U.S. are down by 30 percent compared to the same time last season. Chilean adverse weather condition has slowed harvests and move back shipping dates. Additionally, Argentina lemon imports have been less this season than anticipated.
Domestic lemon shipments from the California-Arizona desert region by the end of August, but only in very light volume. Full volume from that area will not be available until the end of September.
Orange Shipments
The recently completed California orange shipping season has the last tabulation at 44 million boxes, down 1 percent from the USDA’s June projection. The estimate for valencias has been lowered 5 percent to 9 million boxes, on par with last season. The forecast for navels is steady at 35 million boxes, which is down 11 percent from the 2016-17 season.
The smaller navel crop — with that season normally running from October into June — was expected by the industry because of a couple of weather events.
The USDA forecast for the new season of California orange shipments will come out in September.
Mid-Atlantic watermelon shipments are expected to take a hit this summer resulting in reduced volume and possible shipping gaps….Meanwhile, Michigan blueberry shipments look promising this season and one operation is looking to significantly increase volume.
The mid-Atlantic watermelon shipping region includes Delaware, Maryland and the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Some watermelon fields were hit with saw 16 inches of rain during a 50-day period, reports Evans Farms LLC of Bridgeville, DEL. While there has been an increase in watermelon acreage, that may not mean much due to the excessive rains. This resulted in delayed plantings and probably has reduced watermelon acreage by 20 percent. Yields Might be off by double-digit percentage as well. Some say conditions are the worst they have in the past quarter of a century.
There are an estimated 20 to 25 watermelon growers in region. The harvest is just getting underway, which is about a week later than normal.
Shipments should continue into the last half of September.
2017 Watermelon Shipments
In 2017, total seedless watermelon shipments from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia totaled 18.42 million cwt., with 24 percent shipped in July, 62 percent shipped in August, 14 percent shipped in September, and less than 1 percent in October.
Delaware accounted for 10.6 million cwt. in seedless shipments, with 26 percent shipped in July, 63 pecent shipped in August and 11 pecent in September.
Maryland accounted for 6.65 million cwt. in seedless watermelon shipments.
Virgina’s watermelon shipments in 2017 totaled 1.2 million cwt., with 63 percent shipped in August and 37 percent in September.
Michigan Blueberry Shipments
Wish Farms of Plant City, FL is expected to market about 30 percent more blueberries this season due to an expanded relationship with Michigan grower Leduc Blueberries. The Michigan season started earlier this month and blueberry shipments will continue through mid-September.
Volume is projected to hit 2 million pounds, and over the next five years could increase to 3 million pounds.
The Leduc family has been growing blueberries in Paw Paw, MI, since 1955. Roger and Jackie Leduc started with a 20-acre farm, and it has now grown to a 400-acre operation.