Posts Tagged “Michigan produce shipments”
Michigan growers are national leaders for several specialty crops. The state ships fruits and vegetables every month of the year, with the peak volume in August and September.
Here are some highlights of the scope of fruit and vegetable production, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture.
Apples: In 2022, 1.36 billion pounds of apples were harvested in Michigan, ranking second in the nation. About 50% of the harvest was used for processing, yielding a farm value of $108 million. Fresh market apples account for a farm value of $34 million at 707 million pounds. There are more than 14.95 million apple trees in commercial production, covering 34,500 acres on 775 family-run farms. Orchards are trending to super high-density planting (approximately 1,000 or more trees per acre), which come into production and bring desirable varieties to market quickly.
Asparagus: Michigan ranks first in the nation for asparagus production, producing up to 26 million pounds annually. Michigan growers harvest approximately 9,500 acres annually.
Blueberries: In an average year, Michigan blueberry farmers produce more than 70 million pounds of more than 30 varieties of highbush blueberries. More than 50% of all Michigan blueberries are shipped to the fresh market. Michigan’s blueberry crop is harvested from more than 14,000 acres. Michigan blueberries are grown, harvested, packed and processed by 500 family farms annually, contributing more than $130 million to the state’s economy.
Cucumbers: Michigan ranks first nationally in the production of cucumbers for pickling. In 2022, Michigan produced 216,726 tons of pickling cucumbers with a value of $45.5 million. In addition, the state produced 53.6 million pounds of cucumbers for the fresh market worth $17.7 million.
Grapes: Michigan uses more than 93,000 tons of grapes for the production of wine and juice. Michigan has 10,900 acres of vines on 390 farms, making Michigan the eighth-largest overall grape-producing state in the nation.
Onions: A majority of Michigan onion production occurs in south central and southern Michigan in the counties of Allegan, Barry, Eaton, Ionia, Kent, Newaygo, Ottawa and Van Buren. Michigan onion production in 2022 was 85 million pounds, with a total value of $18.7 million.
Peaches: Most Michigan peaches are grown in the west central to southwest corner, close to Lake Michigan, with additional production in the east along Lake St. Clair and in the northwest Grand Rapids area. In 2022, Michigan produced more than 23 million pounds of peaches valued at more than $20.1 million. Michigan’s Red Haven peaches are famous throughout the country, with recent new Michigan varieties including the southwest Michigan Flamin’ Fury and Stellar peach series gaining popularity.
Potatoes: Michigan is ranked ninth in production of potatoes, generating $2.45 billion in economic impact in 2022 and nearly 1.65 billion pounds of potatoes harvested from as far south as Monroe County to as far north as Iron County in the Upper Peninsula. Michigan is the nation’s leading producer of potatoes for potato chip processing. Montcalm County has more harvested acres than any other county in Michigan.
Pumpkins: In 2022, Michigan generated $16.4 million from the production of 93.1 million pounds of pumpkins. In 2022, Michigan produced 164 million pounds of squash for fresh or processed use, totaling $39.5 million. Michigan leads the nation in the production of squash.
Snap beans: Michigan snap beans are grown in green, purple, and yellow varieties throughout the July through September season. Michigan produces fresh and processed snap beans. In 2022, 16,800 acres were planted with 16,500 harvested, amounting to a total value of $31 million, while 21.4 million pounds of fresh beans totaling $15.6 million were sold.
Sweet corn: Michigan sweet corn is enjoyed throughout the state in several varieties. On average, Michigan produces 86 million pounds of sweet corn for the fresh market worth $21.8 million.
Tomatoes: Michigan grows tomatoes for both fresh and processed uses. On average, Michigan produces 120,100 tons of tomatoes for processing and 74 million pounds of tomatoes for fresh market, with a total value is $48.4 millio
It is nearly July and that means summer Michigan produce shipments are building in volume. Blueberries and vegetables are expected to have normal volume, although most crops are starting one to two weeks later than last season due to cold and excessive rain last spring.
Both Leitz Farms LLC of Sodus, MI and Naturipe Farms in Grand Junction, Mich report they will be shipping blueberries July through the end of September, with the best volume occurring in July and August.
Buurma Farms of Gregory, MI reports a beautiful crop of vegetables. The company started June with radishes, while mustard greens, collards, kale and cilantro will arrive by June 10 and beets by the end of June.
Mike Pirrone Produce of Capac, MI started about a week ago with
collards and kale, zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers. Eggplant and peppers will get underway in the last part of July.
Grape tomatoes loadings will start in mid-July, leading into roma and round tomatoes. Cucumbers and tomatoes will be shipped until the middle of October.
Miedeman & Sons of Byron, MI has just started loadings of cabbage. The operation also grows sweet corn, cabbage, bok choy, napa, celery, cabbage and winter squash. Bok Choy starts after the 4th of July, with squash coming on around Labor Day.
Van Solkema Produce of Georgia based in Bryon, MI will have cabbage, corn, celery, radishes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplant, chilies and blueberries. The company is just starting with cabbage and leafy greens, as well as romaine and red leaf lettuce. Zucchini and yellow squash are just starting harvest, while tunnel cucumbers and celery are expected by July 10th. Peppers will follow the third week of July.
One should know summertime has arrived when Michigan vegetable shipments are moving into good, normal volume…..Some Washington apple shipments grossing a $1000 more than others.
Following a chilly spring, weather has warmed and crops have really been coming on. Buurma Farms of Gregory, MI started with light volume the last week of May with radishes, which soon were followed by cilantro, parsley, beets and celery.
Van Solkema Produce of Byron Center, MI is just getting underway with squash and cabbage, with initial loadings of celery coming just after the Fourth of July. Soon to follow will be sweet corn and cucumbers. Next will be brussel sprouts sometime during the last half of August.
Superior Sales of Hudsonville, MI handles grown green cabbage which begins any day now. By the last week of June there will be beets, bok choy, napa cabbage, zucchini and yellow squash. Sweet corn program shipments should start the third week of July.
Leitz Farms of Sodus, MI is now starting cucumbers, with blueberries getting underway next week, while grape tomatoes kick off around July 15 and romas and round tomatoes around July 25.
Naturipe Berry Growers, based in Salinas, CA, should begin shipments of Michigan blueberries before the Fourth of July.
Riveridge Produce Marketing of Sparta, MI launches its sweet cherry the first week of July, prune plums beginning August 10th, and early varieties apples in August.
Washington Apple Shipments
by Stemilt Growers
WENATCHEE, Wash. – The sweetest apple around is stepping into the spotlight thanks to Stemilt Growers’ new summertime promotion. The company is marketing its Sweet Summer Fuji Fest now through August with its finest and sweetest Fuji apples of the season.
Apples remain a key category in the produce department during the summer months. A Stemilt Fruit Tracker™ analysis of Nielsen scan data from June through August 2017 found apples to contribute 4.4 percent of total produce sales on average in the U.S. Fuji was the second top selling apple during the summer season in 2017. It accounted for 16.7 percent of apple category volume and 15.8 percent of category sales.
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Washington apple, pear and cherry shipments are grossing about $7200 to New York City, with a few loads being reported as much as $1000 more.
Now that we are well into summer, here’s a look at California strawberry shipments, blueberries from the Northwest and New Jersey, as well as from Michigan, plus more.
For the 2016 season, California will ship nearly 80 percent of the strawberry volume in the United States.
The 2016 California Strawberry Acreage Survey from the California Strawberry Commission notes 32,515 acres of strawberries were planted in California for the 2016 season. This breaks down to 27,783 acres planted in the fall of last year for production in the winter, spring and summer and then 4,732 acres planted this summer for production in the fall.
California strawberries are shipped year-round in California, with the ‘late-season strawberries’ second planting often referred to as the “summer plant.”
The majority of this acreage is shipped into the fall/early winter, and primarily originates from the Oxnard and Santa Maria areas.
Watsonville strawberries and Salinas vegetables – grossing about $4500 to Chicago.
Blueberry Shipments
Oregon blueberry shipments are now coming out of the Willamette Valley region with mid- to late-season varieties. Fresh shipments have ended a week or so early this year and now loadings are coming with “blues” out of storage. Shipments should continue through September.
Meanwhile, peak blueberry shipments are expected through August from British Columbia and New Jersey, with both areas continuing with lighter volume through September.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Michigan could set record blueberry shipments as loadings continue this season. However, growers are fighting a pest known as the Spotted Wing Drosophila, a nasty invasive fruit fly. It’s requiring close attention with insecticides, are abundant, requiring stringent controls, DeGrandchamp said.
Meanwhile Southwestern Michigan also is shipping peaches and plums (Berrien County), but in much lighter volume. The apricot season has ended.
Berian County apple shipments get underway in September, followed closely by loadings from Allegan County.
Michigan blueberry shipments – grossing about $3500 to Dallas; Michigan vegetable shipments grossing 25 to 30 percent less, depending upon destination.
Here’s a smorgasbord of produce loading opportunities from around the nation ranging from Michigan to Missouri, the east coast, Idaho and the southwest.
Michigan Produce Shipments
There is light to moderate shipments of summer vegetables coming out of Michigan, primarily in the western half of the state. Cucumbers are one of the heavier volume items, but it is still only about 200 truck loads per week. Other items range from squash to celery. Blueberry shipments continue to increase in volume, while sweet corn is just getting started. Peach loadings will be down significantly this season.
Michigan blueberries and vegetables – grossing about $850 to Chicago.
Midwest Produce Shipments
Watermelon shipments are your best bet here. In the boot heel of Southeastern Missouri, about a 1,000 truckloads of watermelons were loaded last week, and volume is still increasing….Meanwhile, southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois watermelon shipments are very light and it will be another two weeks before substantial volume is available.
Missouri watermelons – grossing about $1500 to Chicago.
Eastern Produce Shipments
In New Jersey, peach loadings are just getting underway, while the blueberry season is coming to an end….New York state is starting to wake up with items ranging from Hudson Valley sweet corn to cucumbers picking up in August….Watermelon loadings should be moving into decent volume in a couple of weeks from Delaware, Maryland and the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Idaho Potato Shipments
Idaho continues to ship potatoes from the 2015-16 crop. The state is moving nearly 1,900 truckload equivalents weekly. Potato loadings are relatively light by comparison from other states.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $5000 to New York City.
New Mexico Onion Shipments
Onion shipments are available from the southern part of the state and averaging around 750 truckloads per week….Across the state line in the Hereford, Tx area, potato shipments are moving into good volume with the new crop. Shippers are still trying to sell some of the old crop, which increases your chances of quality problems at destination.
New Mexico onions – grossing about $3400 to Atlanta.
Now wasn’t this a smorgasbord?
They may not necessarily be truck loads, but at least partial loads should be available in a number of Eastern produce shipping areas, ranging from the deep south, to New York and Michigan.
Georgia Produce Shipments
Southern Georgia should ship around 110-120 million pounds of pecans this year, making it one of the best seasons in the last three years. Georgia is No.1 in U.S pecan shipments…..Elsewhere in South Georgia are a number of vegetables being shipped, but it is light volume with only partial loads available. For example, about 75 truck load equivalents of beans are being loaded weekly. There also is light, but increasing volume with items ranging from peppers to eggplant and greens.
North Carolina Produce Shipments
Eastern North Carolina sweet potato shipments are currently your best bet in the Tar Heel state. About 250 truck loads per week are being loaded….Meanwhile the cabbage harvest has just started, with very light loadings just getting underway.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
New York Produce Shipments
The Hudson Valley provides the majority of apple shipments, although there is lighter volume from other parts of the state including central and western New York. All total, New York apple shipments are averaging a little over 300 truck loads per week….Cabbage shipments from central and western areas are averaging about 225 truck loads weekly. Storage onions, primarily from Orange County, are amounting to around 150 truck loads per week.
New York cabbage – grossing about $1200 to Boston.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Not much going on here. Your best bet is with apples, primarily from the Grand Rapids area. Michigan is averaging about 250 truck loads weekly. There also very light volume with storage onions.
Michigan apples – grossing about $3400 to Orlando.
Here we go with a round up a several produce shipping areas in the Eastern time zone.
New Jersey Produce Shipments
There is currently good volume with peach shipments, although peak loadings will occur as we approach late July. New Jersey peach shipments will continue through most of September. Jersey blueberries are still moving, but are in a seasonal decline. Steady shipments of vegetables continue from the southern part of the state.
Georgia Produce Shipments
Perhaps heaviest volumes is with Georgia watermelon shipments, averaging around 350 truck loads per week. Sweet corn volume is rapidly declining, as are Vidalia onions….Fort Valley peach shipments are moderate. There is higher volume with peaches and watermelons coming out of South Carolina.
South Carolina peaches – grossing about $1000 to Atlanta.
North Carolina Produce Shipments
Steady volume (about 250 loads weekly) continues from the Eastern part of the state with sweet potatoes, which are grossing about $2300 to Chicago.
Ohio Produce Shipments
Sweet corn shipments join a host of other mixed vegetables originating out of the Willard, OH area. Volume currently is very light, but should hit stride with the arrival of August.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Blueberry shipments are increasing. Movement started nearly three weeks ago and approximately 90 million pounds of blueberries are forecast to be shipped in 2015 for fresh and frozen markets….Concerning Michigan apples, shipments are expected to be similar to last season’s good volume….Mixed vegetables continue to move in good volume.
New York Produce Shipments
Orange County onion loadings will get underway in August. Meanwhile, Hudson Valley apple volume is light as the shipping season comes to an end. Otherwise, there are a number of vegetable shipments scattered throughout the state, particularly in the central and western areas.
Good volume is shaping for summer produce shipments out of both Michigan and New York state.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Blueberry shipments out of Michigan get underway around the 4th of July, with celery loadings coming the following week. Cucumbers get started around July 10th, with peppers getting underway the third week of July. Look for Michigan sweet corn shipmetns about July 20.
Yellow squash and zucchini have just started.
Michigan’s asparagus movement ended about 10 days ago. The state harvested an average crop of 9,500 acres of asparagus, of which about half this volume went to the fresh market.
As much as two-thirds of Michigan’s carrot shipments goes to the processing market. The fresh market harvest is set to begin in September, with shipments running into January. Michigan carrots are planted by seed and the 2015 crop was in the ground by mid-June.
Michigan onion shipments will start in mid-September.
New York Produce Shipments
Coming soon will be dozens of different vegetables. Summer squash loadings have started and many others such as potatoes get underway with the arrival of July.
Apples are perhaps New York state’s biggest crops. A good shipping season that starts the last half of August is expected.
Light to moderate volume of old crop apples still shipping – Hudson Valley apples grossing about $2000 to Atlanta.
From the South Texas-Mexican border to the Canadian border, here is a look at produce shipments originating out of the central United States.
Lower Rio Grand Valley Produce Shipments
There are steady Texas grapefruit shipments, amounting to around 200 truck loads weekly, with about one-fourth this volume in oranges. Just south of San Antonio, cabbage shipments are increasing…..However, the biggest volume comes with Mexican produce shipments. There is everything from such tropical as mangos, papayas, and pineapples to watermelon, peppers, roma tomatoes, broccoli and carrots.
A word of caution. Although volume is very light with Mexican tomatillos and chayote, some quality problems are being reported.
Lower Rio Grand Valley/Mexican produce – grossing about $4800 to New York City.
Sweet Potato Shipments
Both Louisiana and Mississippi are shipping sweet potatoes, but volume is light.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Heaviest produce volume in Michigan remains with apples, primarily out of the Western area of the state, averaging about 175 truck loads per week…There are about 125 truck loads of potato loadings a week….Finally, there are still some storage onions left, but it is in a seasonal decline.
Michigan apples – grossing about $2400 to Atlanta.
Wisconsin Potato Shipments
Central Wisconsin is shipping over 300 truck loads of primarily russet potatoes weekly.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $2200 to Houston.
Red River Valley Potato Shipments
Eastern North Dakota and Western Minnesota are shipping red potatoes in similar volume to that of Wisconsin.
Red River Valley potatoes – grossing about $1950 to Chicago.
You will find light to moderate shipments of produce from these states in the Eastern time zone: Michigan, New York, the Appalachian states, and Florida.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Michigan is shipping primarily apples in moderate volume, with lesser amounts of potatoes and onions. The state is averaging about 250 truck loads of apples per week. Potato and onion loadings are averaging only about 40 percent the volume of apples. The majority of the shipments are from Western Michigan.
Michigan apples – grossing about $4100 to San Antonio. Onions and potatoes grossing about 20 percent less.
New York Produce Shipments
New York apple shipments are averaging about 275 truck loads weekly, but are spread out from points ranging from the Hudson Valley to the Champlain Valley, as well as central and western New York. The Empire state is loading around 150 truck loads of storage onions per week. Orange County has the most shipments. There is limited volume coming from Long Island.
New York apples – grossing about $4100 to Miami.
Appalachian Apple Shipments
There is light volume with apples coming out of portions of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
Florida Produce Shipments
Florida strawberries shipments began in mid-November in a light way with much greater volume becoming available next week (December 8-12). Shipments typically run through March. There are about 11,000 acres of strawberries, with the vast majority of it grown within 25-30 miles of Plant City, FL. (For more on Florida produce shipments, see our December 1st report).
Florida strawberries -grossing about $2400 to Chicago.