During the winter months many growers move their operations from the Salinas and San Joaquin Valley down to Yuma, Arizona and the California desert. As the weather warms up historically in March, the growing areas move north from Mexico and the California desert to the Salinas Valley.

The Peruvian Mango season is finished, and Mexico isn’t producing enough fruit to keep up with demand.  It can't be understated how much the conventional market effects the organic market, as the organic market share of mangos is incredibly minimal. Once we get into peak season we will see supply, quality, and price issues disappear.

High temperatures and humidity for an extended period of time create the perfect conditions for aphids and mildew quality issues. This week temperatures in the California desert regions moved into the low 80’s and all desert vendors are seeing increasing mildew and aphid pressure on warm veg items.

Artichokes from California's central coast have a beautiful frost kiss. The frost causes the outer layer of the artichoke to turn brown, flake and peel when the temperature reaches below 32 degrees. Although the brownish color may not look pretty, frost kissed artichokes have a more intense nutty flavor. Once cooked, the brown disappears, leaving a delicious green artichoke!

Apples and pears are enjoyed long after being harvested in October/November by keeping them in storage. Storage delays the normal ripening and aging process. As we move into the New Year most of the fresh storage supply has run out and we can expect most apples and pears from the Pacific Northwest to be coming out of controlled atmosphere storage (CA Storage). Think of sleeping beauty under a spell and how she never aged a day until she woke up.

Organic bananas are limited on availability due to slow growth from cooler weather and rain in Mexico and bananas from Ecuador are delayed due to port congestion. Overall availability is very tight and we may continue to see some gaps in the coming weeks.

Refreshing Dragon Fruit is a delicious superfood.  It is also known as pitaya, pitahaya, or strawberry pear.  The flesh has edible seeds, and the flavor is slightly sweet and tastes like a cross between a kiwi and a pear.

The California Hass avocado season historically starts as early as January/February in San Diego and works its way north as each area of California finishes their harvest and another area begins.  The beginning of the year is when the California Hass Avocado must pass the minimum allowed level of oil content before being picked. Understanding the geography of where your Hass avocado is grown will help you choose the best flavor.

Mexican avocados are at the tail end of the season. They have been on the tree for a longer time and are more mature, meaning they ripen quicker, have a higher oil content and should be eaten firm. A new crop of California Hass avocados is now being harvested. Buyers should be aware of the avocado growing cycles and know that they can be disappointed with an early crop.