Posts Tagged “Kern County potato shipments”
Grower-shippers in California’s Kern County say they started on-time start with this season’s vegetable shipments, in spite of heavy rainfall.
Danny Andrews Farms of Bakersfield, CA reports minor delays due to rain on the start of lettuce and cabbage, but harvest of those items began April 13.
Andrews started vegetable shipments with iceberg lettuce, green and red cabbage. The company will have carrots in June and melons in July.
It remains to be seen whether the rains will adverse affect quality and yields of melons.
Johnston Farms of Edison, CA wrapped up citrus shipments in mid-April and started its potato season nearly a week ago, with peppers expected by June 1.
Kirschenman Enterprises Inc. of Edison, CA started its potato season with shipments from the Coachella Valley, and now is focusing on its Bakersfield crop which includes white, red and yellow spuds.
The company expects to launch its table grape season in Kern County at the end of June. Kirshenman reports the grape industry expects to have 10 percent less volume this year, not because of COVID-19, but due to overproduction, declining markets, and some grape varieties being pulled in favor of new varieties.
TD Produce Sales of Bakersfield started shipping white potatoes in late April and red and yellow potatoes in early May.
A major shift in the Bakersfield, Kern County potato shipping region has occurred over the past decade as russets have lost favor to red, gold and white potatoes.
In 2004, the acreage for russets in Bakersfield was 4,667 acres, but this year it is down to only 506 acres. The plunge in russet acreage corresponds with the overall drop in acreage in the past 10 years. In 2004, total acreage of all varieties planted in Bakersfield was 10,922; this year it is half of that at 5,398. The 4,000-plus-acre decline in russets represents a vast majority of the difference.
Kern County potato shipments are still an important area for reds, Yukon Golds and even white potatoes, as well as some specialty items such as fingerlings.
The change in shipments refers to the shift from storage potatoes, which fills produce shelves through the winter and early spring, to the first fresh potatoes, which come from California in the spring and are noted for a thinner skin.
This time of the year storage potatoes are starting to look “tired” and retailers are looking for the fresh crop.
Red potatoes are now the number one potato crop grown in Kern County, with about 2,000 acres this season.
The Yukon Gold potato is gaining in popularity and its acreage has increased over the years. The 2015 season total is over 1,500 acres, representing a significant increase in the past decade.
White potatoes have lost some acreage, but at 1,300 acres the crop is still substantial.
Bakersfield fresh potato shipments start in May and continue through June and into early July.
Kern County potatoes and carrots – grossing about $4000 to Dallas