The staple Fairtrade Fruit, this week is all about Bananas! The U.S. is the largest importer of bananas and the demand for Organic Bananas only continues to grow. Here at Earl’s we support a better banana: we offer superior flavor, in-house conditioning to order, and daily photos so you can make the right choice. Meet Coliman Bananas, a family business.

October is Fair Trade Month. Earl’s Organic offers Fair Trade Bananas year-round. Buying Fair Trade products ensures that farm workers enjoy sustainable wages, safe working conditions and improves their community by collectively investing in social and business projects. $1 per every box of Coliman Bananas purchased goes to the Fair Trade Premium. Every purchase matters!

After banana bunches are harvested they are placed on hooks on a cable, pulled through the farm by hand and brought into an area outside the packing shed to be washed. They are washing away bugs, dirt and latex from the bananas. Then a worker will go through each bunch of bananas and cut off one banana to test for maturity and core development.

Banana hands size up smaller in the winter and larger in the summer when it is hotter. Winter in the northern hemisphere is summer in the southern hemisphere. Know what to expect when buying bananas, by understanding the growing regions and seasonality.