Posts Tagged “feature”
While old crop potatoes are still being shipped, particularly from Western and Mid-western states, it already is looking like there will plenty of loading opportunities for the 2015-16 potato crop.
The USDA is reporting the following estimates from major potato shipping states. Idaho, which easily leads the pack in acreage, volume and shipments, has 4,000 more acres planted this season, which many considered to be too many acres a year ago.
Other states look like this: Colorado down 1,000 acres; Maine up 500 acres; Oregon no change; Washington up 5,000 acres and Wisconsin up 2,000 acres. The entire U.S. potato plantings for the upcoming season has increased by 18,400 acres, or two percent over last year’s big crop.
A major jump in plantings is with Minnesota that includes a whopping 7,000 acre increase (plus 16.3%) compared to 2014, and a 1,000 acres increase in North Dakota (1.3%).
Currently, Idaho potato shipments are amounting to about 1500 truck load equivalents per week. Colorado potato shipments from the San Luis Valley are average around 500 truck loads each week.
San Luis Valley potato shipments – grossing about 1750 to Dallas.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $4600 to New York City.
Washington/Oregon Potato Shipments
It’s too early to tell for sure, but excessive heat and drought could reduce shipments out of Washington state and Oregon this coming season. While some diggings will begin any day now, most active doesn’t occur until after Labor Day. We’ll know a lot more in a month or so.
Peach shipments are past their peak in Georgia, while increasing in volume from South Carolina. New Jersey peach loadings will get underway soon.
Georgia peach shipments from the Fort Valley are now in the last half of the season. Weather factors earlier in the year are going to result in only about a 60 percent crop over all. For example, Lane Southern Orchards, the state’s largest peach shipper, expects to ship about 475,000 25-pound half bushel cartons this season, compared to 750,000 bushels a year ago. Lane should be shipping into the last half August.
Georgia is moving about 100 truck loads of peaches per week.
Georgia peach shipments – grossing about $3400 to Boston.
South Carolina Peach Shipments
Titan Farms in Ridge Spring, SC expects to ship its highest volume of fruit from mid July through August, while winding down the season in early September. Titan is believed to be South Carolina’s largest peach shipper.
South Carolina is loading about 200 truck loads of peaches weekly, with volume still increasing.
South Carolina peaches – grossing about $3100 to New York City.
New Jersey Peach Shipments
New Jersey peach shipments are expected to be good this season when it kicks off in late July. We’ll have more details soon.
By Northwest Cherries Growers
Through June 22nd, the Northwest cherry industry has shipped just over 9 million 20-pound boxes. Despite many growers picking out light on all varieties up to this point, current shipments put the total crop on a path to finish June close to the pre-season industry estimate. The first Skeenas and Lapins have shipped.
We look forward to getting into more varieties coming into production, as we climb out of the projected dip in variety availability. We expect solid picking to continue in earnest for at least the next 2 weeks, with many later growers continuing even after that point.
The Rainier crop has shipped about 1 million boxes shipped to date. At 8 percent of the total shipped crop to date, that puts the 2015 yellow cherry crop in line with historical percentages despite the fact that we’ve shipped 450,000 more boxes to date than last year’s previous record. That’s an 89% increase year over year in this window. For the yellow cherries increased to 2,480 stores this week, from comparatively none the week prior and even fewer (100) the past year.
The Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys combined have been averaging about 1250 truck loads of cherries per week, although volume is expected to decline a little this week.
Washington cherries, apples and pears – grossing about $3150 to Atlanta.
Owner operators working with Cool Runnings Ltd. seem to be doing a little better financially this year, but company president Fred Plotsky would still like to see a more robust economy.
Based in Kenosha, WI and observing its 29th anniversary this month, Cooling Runnings has the majority of its business hauling produce out and California and the Northwest.
Plotsky cites lower diesel fuel prices as a primary factor in produce truckers doing better this year. Despite less money going for fuel, the owner operators his truck brokerage works with are saying they still need $2 per mile as freight rates continue to struggle keeping up with the increasing cost of operation.
“Business is better than last year,” Plotsky observes, “but it still could be better. There is an up tick in the economy, although I still see it as pretty flat to maybe slightly better at best.”
Cool Runnings has a history of working on a regular basis with the same produce truckers. The company provides advances to drivers, but Plotsky says one sign they are doing better, is fewer advances in pay are requested. “This leads me to believe the drivers have more money in their pockets,” he says.
Still, Plotsky knows that excessive rules and regulations on the trucking industry are taking its toll. For example, he points to the electronic logs being pushed this year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
“A lot of the older guys are not going to plug it (electronic logs) into the engine. They are saying, ‘you know what, I’m not going to do this, and they are hanging it up,” Plotsky says. While implementing electronic logs is not that complicated, he says it is matter of excessive FMCSA government oversight.
His truckers generally feel they are doing a good job of providing service and doing it safely. They are not hurting anyone, and trucking legally for the most part.
At the same time, Plotsky notes in produce trucking it is a challenge when there are so many multi pick ups. Delays at loading docks make it more difficult to operate legally. Yet, drivers are going to have to find a way to do this when the electronic logbooks become mandatory.
“With the multiple pick ups and delays in loading, it makes it a challenge to make on time deliveries. If you don’t get out of California on Monday night or early Tuesday morning, you can’t make it to Chicago on Friday. You can drive it, but not legally,” Plotsky concludes.
By The California Walnut Board
FOLSOM, Calif. – The California Walnut Board (CWB) today announced the launch of its Waldorf Salad Refresh Recipe Challenge in partnership with the legendary Waldorf Astoria New York, the birthplace of The Waldorf Salad and many other iconic culinary innovations. From now until July 23, 2015, foodies of all skill levels are invited to create and submit their most creative twists on the classic Waldorf Salad while incorporating the salad’s three signature ingredients: walnuts, celery and apples.
The winning dish will receive the honor of being featured on the menu of the Waldorf Astoria New York’s prestigious Sunday Brunch menu this fall, as well as on the California Walnuts website.
Since its inception in the late 1800s, The Waldorf Salad has become a beloved dish that has inspired countless variations over the years. For instance, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resort‘s annual Taste of Waldorf Astoria culinary challenge paired five established and five emerging chefs together to recreate one of Waldorf Astoria’s iconic dishes. The winning dish, Celery Risotto Alla Waldorf, was a recreation of the famous Waldorf Salad between Waldorf Astoria Master Chef Heinz Beck and JBF Rising Star Semi-Finalist Chef David Posey at the Waldorf Astoria in Rome, the Rome Cavalieri. Similarly, the Waldorf Salad Refresh Recipe Challenge celebrates this timeless American classic and the delicious taste of walnuts by encouraging home cooks to develop and share their most unique and innovative recipes with California Walnuts in the spirit of friendly competition.
“We are pleased to celebrate the culinary versatility of walnuts with the Waldorf Salad Refresh Recipe Challenge. We want contestants to inspire walnut lovers everywhere by creating their most original versions of this American classic,” said Dennis A. Balint, CEO of the California Walnut Board. “And having the opportunity for the winning recipe to be featured on the Sunday Brunch menu at the Waldorf Astoria New York is simply a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Finalists will be selected by the California Walnut Board with the ultimate winner being selected by the Waldorf Astoria New York’s Director of Culinary, Chef David Garcelon. The grand prize winner will also receive $5,000 and a trip for two to New York City, which includes a two night stay at the Waldorf Astoria New York (blackout dates apply), brunch for two and one spa treatment at the hotel’s Guerlain Spa.
Not only do walnuts add flavor and a delightful crunch to salads and foods of all kinds, but they are also the only nut that provides an excellent source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acid (2.5 grams), as well as being a convenient source of protein (4 grams) and fiber (2 grams), per one ounce serving.
For more information about the contest and to submit an original Waldorf Salad recipe and photo, visit www.Walnuts.org/Waldorf.
About the California Walnut Board The Walnut Marketing Board was established in 1948 to represent the walnut growers and handlers of California. In April 2008, the Walnut Marketing Board became the California Walnut Board to provide origin designation to the product it represents. The Board is funded by mandatory assessments of the handlers. The CWB is empowered by a Federal Walnut Marketing Order. The Board promotes usage of walnuts in the United States through publicity, advertising and educational programs, and also provides funding for walnut production and post-harvest research.
Northwest produce haulers are already looking to fall shipments of several varieties of apples, pears and even apricots as well as some summer tree fruit.
Wenatchee Valley peaches and nectarines will begin in mid-July and run through early September. New crop pear and apple shipments get underway in early August.
Apple loadings will kick off with ginger golds the last week in July, followed by galas. Weather factors have crops coming on about 10 earlier than normal. Remanents of the huge Red Delicious crop from last season continue to be shipped from storage. Improved storage technology has resulted in varieties like granny smith, golden delicious, galas and red delicious to be shipped out of Washington year-round.
Honeycrisp apples will start shipping in late August and continue until the end of May. That variety has really taken off in popularity with consumers and eventually, with added production, it should be available the year-round for hauling.
Apples continue to lead Northwest produce shipments, averaging about 2000 truck load equivalents weekly from the Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys, followed by cherries with about 1500 loads a week. There is moderate volume with onions coming out of Washington’s Columbia Basin and Oregon’s Umatilla Basin.
Yakima Valley fruit – grossing about $5400 to Dallas.
Bland Farms LLC of Glennville, GA, the nation’s largest sweet onion grower and shipper, is appealing the decision of a Georgia appeals court that says Georgia’s agriculture commissioner has the power to set packing and shipping dates for Vidalia onions, overturning a lower court that sided with Bland.
A three-judge panel of the Georgia Court of Appeals issued a unanimous opinion June 30 stating repeatedly that “all authority to regulate packing and shipping rests with the commissioner.”
The case was filed in the fall of 2013, shortly after Commissioner Gary Black put a new shipping rule into effect.
Black said Vidalia growers sought his help to protect the reputation and value of the state’s trademarked onions after consumer and retailer complaints in 2012 and 2013.
About a dozen growers filed a brief with the appeals court supporting Black. They said they asked for the rule because a minority of growers, seeking to be first to market, had been shipping early, although legally. Their brief said early-variety, poor quality onions with short shelf life had sent retailers and consumers to other sources for sweet onions.
Bland Farms opposed the rule, saying only individual growers know when any given field of onions is ready to harvest.
Bland Farms’ legal challenge claimed Black violated the state’s Vidalia Onion Act with the new rule. Such changes would require legislative action, according to Bland Farms’ complaint. The appeals judges said that argument was “misguided.”
“The Act does not afford growers statutory rights with regard to shipping or packing. Rather, the Act gives the commissioner both the authority to determine and announce a shipping date and the authority to promulgate a rule or regulation for packing,” according to the opinion.
The appeal judges noted Black had considered increasing inspections instead of imposing the new rule, which sets Monday of the last full week in April as the shipping start for Vidalia onions. The rule has a provision for the commissioner to change that date at the request of growers in the event of special conditions.
The number of loads for the new season Michigan apple shipments will be down from original estimates, but still good…Meanwhile, here’s an update on shipping opportunities for California avocados.
Depending you who you ask, Michigan apple shipments will be somewhere between 22.5 and 25 million bushels. Last season, crop finished at 27 million bushels.
The Michigan apple industry is still collecting data for the final 2014-15 estimate.
Heading into the 2015 harvest, Michigan growers are expecting similar volumes from the Ridge area, higher volumes from the Southwest, similar volumes from the East and lighter volumes from the Northwest part of Michigan.
Michigan blueberry shipments have just started. We hope to have more info on loading opportunities soon.
Avocado Shipments
Over 70 percent of the California avocado shipments have been completed, with much of the volume now coming out of the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo areas. California could ship up to 10 million pounds a week through mid-July before volumes begin a gradual decline.
Mexico’s 2014-15 crop is finishing up. However new crop loadings for Mexican avocado shipments are just starting.
Imports of Peruvian avocados began arriving at US ports within the last week or so.
Southern California avocados, tomatoes, vegetables – grossing about $5400 to Cleveland.
Texas appears to be gaining ground on California when it comes to fresh produce shipments…..In Georgia, Vidalia onion shipments apparently will be down overall as product is now coming out of storage.
Texas produce shipments are becoming ever more important when it comes to spot rates for refrigerated loads. This appears to be due to increased fruit and vegetable production in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, plus more imports than ever from Mexico, as well as shift in demand from California in part because of the prolonged drought.
Although California had regained the top spot in late June, Texas volumes in the spot refrigerated freight market has surpassed California for the first time in early June, according to Mark Montague, manger of industry pricing for DAT Solutions.
Lower Rio Grande Valley watermelons and Mexican produce crossing the border – grossing about $2700 to Chicago.
Vidalia Onion Shipments
Vidalia onion shipments will be down as much as 40 percent this season for some shippers. Whether the reduction is due to excessive rains, or spring weather having too hot of temperatures, opinions vary. But shipments will be down, it’s just a matter of how much, since some shippers appear to have been hit harder than others. Vidalia onions are now being shipped out of storage, which can be “ify” some years when adverse weather or disease creates quality issues.
Southeastern Georgia Vidalia onions, as well as Southern Georgia bell peppers, sweet corn, eggplant, watermelons and squash – grossing about $3000 to New York City.
by Pear Bureau Northwest
PORTLAND, Ore. – The annual meeting of Northwest pear growers was conducted recently in Portland, with anticipated projections on the 2015 fresh pear shipments
set at nearly 20.4 million standard box equivalents which equates to approximately 451,000 tons of fresh pears. The projection is 2% higher than the five-year average, and 2% lower than last year’s crop. The estimate was collected from fresh pear growers in Wenatchee and Yakima, Washington and Mid-Columbia and Medford, Oregon growing districts.
With relatively mild winter and warm spring conditions in the regions, harvest is expected to be five to seven days earlier than last season, beginning in late July with Starkrimson, followed by the Bartlett harvest in early August. Anjou, Red Anjou, Bosc, Comice, Concorde, Forelle, and Seckel will be picked from late August through September. With no major frost issues, crop quality is expected to be excellent with good fruit size for the domestic and export markets.
The top three varieties produced by Northwest growers remain the same as in previous years; Green Anjou pears are anticipated to make up 54% of the total 2015 crop, and Bartlett and Bosc pears are expected to yield 21% and 15%, respectively.
Harvest of certified organic pears in the Northwest is projected to make up about 5% of the total with 974,115 standard boxes (21,430 tons) for the 2015 harvest, a decrease of over 11% when compared with a strong 2014 organic crop, but still a healthy 8% increase over the five-year average. Bartlett and Green Anjou are the two most abundant organic pear varieties, with Bartlett estimated at 301,500 organic standard boxes, and Green Anjou projected yield at 377,000 boxes for 2015.
Washington apples, pears and cherries – grossing about $5900 to Houston.