Posts Tagged “squash”
By Farmer’s Best
Nogales, Ariz. – Farmer’s Best, a major produce grower in Mexico and distributor in the United States, is only one month into harvesting its summer squash crop and is producing a strong, consistent volume.
“We are very pleased with the quality and production of our gray, yellow and Italian squash this season,” says Leonardo Tarriba, Farmer’s Best general manager. “They have exceeded our standards and continue to grow to impressive, beautiful sizes.”
Farmer’s Best Italian, gray and yellow squash, more commonly referred to as “summer squash,” began their season in October. Squash plants started growing in greenhouses on the west coast of Mexico and were transferred in temperature-controlled trucks with GPS capabilities to fields where they continue growing.
Farmer’s Best incorporates sustainable practices throughout the growing, harvesting, packing and shipping operations re-using, re-purposing and recycling all possible materials. Solar panels are placed at facilities and on fields to offset emissions and energy use. Water is recycled and reused during the growing processes for all produce.
Farmer’s Best summer squash is all grown in Mexico and distributed from centers in Nogales, AZ and McAllen, TX to the contiguous U.S. and parts of Canada. Farmer’s Best grower, Agricola Don Roberto, and associate grower, Bay Brand, are producing a high volume that ensures plenty of supplies. The squash season ends in mid-June.
About Farmer’s Best
Farmer’s Best has been bringing the finest fresh fruits and vegetables to grocery stores, restaurants and family tables for more than 50 years. Founded in 1966, this multi-generational, quality-focused, family company knows that food is about family. Health, safety and satisfaction drive fresh produce choices year-round. Farmer’s Best grows produce in fully-certified fields using the most advanced technologies and environmentally sound, sustainable practices.
Best-known food retailers rely on award-winning Farmer’s Best for all the right reasons. Farmer’s Best packs and distributes its full line of fresh produce from Mexico with standards that meet and commonly exceed USDA requirements. With its trusted highest quality produce, consumers know and ask for the Farmer’s Best brand.
For more information on Farmer’s Best, visit www.farmersbest.com.mx.
Potatoes remain a staple in the American diet, wpotatoes account for 15 percent of all consumed vegetables.
If you haul produce in the fall out of Florida, expect weather related small gaps in the early part of the sweet corn season as well as with small harvest and loading delays with green beans, bell peppers, cucumbers and squash.
Volume for early bean shipments also is expected to be off and on. However, loads are not expected to be until early December.
On some vegetables, including bell peppers, cucumbers and squash, be on the look out for quality issues resutling from frequent rains durng the growing season.
Sporadic harvesting and shipments could make things interesting for the active shipping period when deliveries for the Thanksgiving holidays could get a little dicey. I’m not saying this will happen, but just be aware of the potential problems.
Florida pepper shipments should be in decent volume by the end of October.
If Georgia experiences favorable November weather, shipments there could continue through Thanksgiving.
However, southern Georgia fall veggies are having some problems with whiteflies. For example, some yellow squash is looking more like albino (white) squash as the pests suck out the nutrients. I’d be sure and let my receiver(s) know what you are preparing to load rather than find out if they’ll accept it upon arrival!
Besides squash, the pests also are affecting cucumbers, bell peppers and grean beans. Sweet corn apparently isn’t being significantly hit. Lower yields will mean less product for hauling. Color of the fall vegetables also is being affected. Unfortunately, color and general appearance often receive as much emphasis as the quality of product in this cosmetic world.
South Georgia vegetables – grossing about $2200 to New York City.
While loading opportunities for summer vegetables in the mid-west and 
northeast may have been hindered some due to dry, hot weather, loadings are expected to be brisk for this fall in Georgia. Normal vegetables shipments are expected from the southern part part of the state. Here’s a look at when primarily fall veggies shipments should be available.
These items should continue providing loads in good volume until the first frost hits, which normally comes in mid to late November. The exception is cabbage, which is more frost resistant.
Squash –mid September
Cucumbers — late September
Peppers — early October
Corn and beans — mid October
Cabbage — early November
As the fall Georgia vegetable shipments start declining in November, loading opportunities will be increasing in Florida. However, Florida volume will be light, compared to its most active time of the year, which is spring.
Ohio ships a substaintable amount of vegetables during the summer and fall 
and volume is increasing. The Buckeye state has several major farming operations scattered around different regions shipping dozens of different types of vegetables ranging from squash to bell peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans.
Although shipments have started on some items, Ohio cranks up in July.
For example, cabbage and snap bean shipments area just starting, while items such as potatoes and sweet corn will get going by mid July.
The single most active area in the state with a handful of large shippers providing the most shipments, is located in central Ohio around small communities such as Willard and Plymouth.
However, there’s at least one significant vegetable shipping operation just Southwest of Akron in the eastern part of the state — at Hartville. There’s also a couple of vegetable operations in Northwest Ohio, not that far south of Detroit, MI – in towns such as Napoleon and Alvordton, OH.
Despite a freeze on January 3-4, which caused some damage to early spring Florida produce, overall it has been a warmer-than-normal winter and most 
shipments should be one to two weeks earlier. Florida’s peak spring shipments will occur from late March, extending into May until hot weather begins reducing volume.
Florida spring loadings often involve multiple pick ups of items ranging from bell peppers to squash, cabbage, cucumbers and other veggies. Loads with multiple pick ups often mean multiple drops at the other end of the haul, so be sure and negotiate your freight rates with this in mind.
Tomatoes are a big volume item from Florida and expect loads to be available a week earlier than usual from the Immokalee and Palmetto-Ruskin areas — starting in early April.
As for citrus, shipments are expected to wind down up to three weeks earlier on items such as tangerines (late March) and grapefruit (in April). Tangerine loadings normally end in late April.
Florida ships a significant amount of spring red potatoes from the southern part of the state such as from Lake Wales. Heaviest red potato loadings take place during March and April.
Florida watermelon shipments will get underway in early April.
South Florida red potatoes grossing about $2600 to Philadelphia.