-
NEW!
• Cuyama Gala Lady Apples
• Traceland Avocados
• Montecucco Beets
• D’Anjou Pears
• Abate Fetel Pears
• Jack O’ Lantern Bins (3-week supply)
• Comanche Creek Habanada - Sweet, not spicy with floral habanero flavor
• Comanche Creek Habaneros and Mixed Red/Orange Habaneros
• Anna’s Red and French Breakfast Radishes -
COMING SOON
• More Utility Apples
• Pomegranates & Persimmons -
BACK IN STOCK
• Forbidden Blueberries (Full supply October)
• Ralph’s Gold Bunched Beets (Tuesday) -
TIGHT INVENTORY
• Shishitos
• Strawberries
• Broccoli Crowns
• Green Butter Lettuce
• Green Onions – Read more below
• Shallots -
gapping
• Pink Lady Apples
• Euro Cucumbers
• Cal-O Green and Red Butter 2 weeks
• Covilli Pineapples -
WINDING DOWN
• Candy Grapes
• Crespo Keitt Mangos
• Stone Fruit -
finished
• California Rincon Avocados
• Coke Purple Baby Broccoli
BUYER’S NOTES
Updated September 25, 2022
FRUIT
California Avocado season is winding down fast. Rincon (Carpinteria) is done. Traceland (Morro Bay) will have a few more picks with mostly #2 fruit, an excellent value! Avocados out of Mexico have started up, all sizes available. Fall is here! Persimmons are just around the corner. Look for Fuyus to start up first. New varieties of Apples and Pears out of California and the Pacific Northwest are landing weekly. Cuyama Fuji Apple Bins now available. Excellent for juicing and baking! Crespo Mexico Keitt Mangos are a great value. Get them before the season ends. California Keitt Mangos will continue into October. Have you tried Kiwi Berries yet? They taste just like a kiwi, but without the fuzz. No need to cut, just pop them in your mouth. Read more under our vegucation highlight. California Grapes were challenged last week coming out of the rain, throwing harvest cycles off. Volumes are looking up and fruit has excellent sugar and fall flavor characteristics. Available in bags, totes and loose. They make a wonderful frozen snack for these warm late summer days. Strawberries took a hit from the rain and return this week. The much loved California Forbidden Blueberries are back with full volume in October.
October is Fair Trade Month
Every Fair Trade purchase empowers farm workers to improve their communities by deciding as a collective how and when to invest the Fair Trade Premium.
Stay tuned for specials on Fair Trade Avocados, Bananas, Pineapples and more during the month of October along with downloadable POS cards and information about Fair Trade to share with your customers. Every purchase matters!
Kiwi Berries
Dragon Fruit
Frog Hollow Warren Pears
APPLES
Cuyama time of the season – our main California Apple, alongside Washington. Small, snack-sized Gala Lady Apples from Cuyama are also great for canning or applesauce! Market prices are evolving as the season gets going. Moving through the last of the Import Apples. More availability in Cello Apples, US#1 and Utility Grades coming soon!
AVOCADOS
Mexican fruit from Equal Exchange as well as Traceland, new at the end of last week! Look for 48ct and 60ct as well as #2 fruit.
BANANAS
It is another hot weekend! Take care to store your bananas properly. Here are some helpful tips.
Download Earl’s Banana Handling & Receiving Guide for more helpful tips.
bananas are extremely susceptible to heat
Do not expose them to extremes of cold or heat
• Avoid setting containers in drafts, near heating vents, windows, or motors
• Ideal temperature to store in a well-ventilated space: 56-58 F, 13.3-14.4 C
• Temperature for ripening: 60-65 F, 15.6-18.3 C
• Relative humidity: 90 - 95%
• Mist: No
• Typical shelf life: 3 to 7 days (ripened, depending on conditions)
• Do not store or transport with commodities that produce ethylene i.e., apples, pears, etc.
• Highly sensitive to freezing injury for a sustained amount of time (+12 hours)
• Susceptible to chilling injury if kept below 55 F, 13.3 C
• Damage sometimes is not apparent until the produce is returned to a higher temperature
BERRIES
Blackberries: Excellent quality from Tomatero, under hoops and spared from the rain!
Blueberries: Forbidden in over the weekend, starting to ramp up in early/middle October!
Strawberries: Took a hit from the rain in Salinas/Watsonville, anticipate some gaps.
Raspberries: Tail end of the California season, next will be Baja.
citrus
Grapefruit: Star Ruby is done, and Ruby Marsh leads the way with yellow to pale red skin and a tangy refreshing flavor.
Valencias: Product on the smaller side (88ct), plenty of volume on the 113ct choice fruit – perfect for your juicing needs.
California Lemons: Still sizing small from Mexico and California – 140ct is the name of the game.
Limes: Good supply out of Mexico.
figs
Time to promote figs from Maywood!
grapes
Challenging last week coming out of the rain, throwing harvest cycles off. Candy Grapes will be done at the end of the week! Late Summer/early Fall Grapes have excellent sugar and fall flavor characteristics. Loose Grapes are an export grade with very high quality if you’re looking to ditch the plastic!
kiwi
Kiwi Berries are in and make a wonderful pop and go snack. Gold Kiwis very solid and tasting fantastic!
melons
California season wrapping up by the end of this month, with the Mexican season starting mid-October for Watermelons and November for Loupes and Dews.
pears
Keep it coming! More varieties each week – don’t forget about the premium Warren from Frog Hollow with creamy texture. They have excellent holding quality.
stone fruit
Big harvest before the rain led to a lot of product from growers last week. This week expect a limited supply – and then wrapping up the season by October. Fall Fiesta Plum from Homegrown eating very well with amazing flavor!
tropicals
Dole is the main Pineapple supplier for now, as Covilli is still gapping. More Red and Fuschia Dragon Fruit this week! Papaya landing on the ripe side – checking our inventory daily. Received our last delivery of Crespo Mangos. Get it while you can before fully switching – to California fruit!
VEGETABLES
Green Onions in the Pricing Stratosphere
Extreme heat this summer in Mexico’s Baja California, followed by Hurricane Kay in early September, played havoc with vegetable supplies, greatly limiting production of organic green onions and sending prices sky high. “We’re definitely dealing with green onion drama,” said Rick Kilby, buyer for Earl’s Organic Produce in San Francisco. “There is just no supply coming out of Mexico right now.” He said growers are prorating orders, and the product is being shipped as soon as it is being harvested, creating logistic delays. “We are seeing a lot of customers we don’t usually see,” Kilby said. “They can’t find green onions anywhere else.” Kilby said the wholesale market price on both organic and conventional green onions is in the mid-$50s, and he doesn’t expect a letup until October. “It seems like it’s going to take a couple of weeks,” he said.
Rick Kilby, Buyer, Earl's Organic Produce
Michael Boskovich, who handles organic sales for Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, CA, echoed the comments of Kilby. “It’s been a perfect storm,” he said. “There was a crazy heatwave of 115 degrees that stunted the growth, followed by hurricane monsoons.”
Salinas, CA-based Braga Fresh is one of the few firms reported to have had green onion supplies in recent weeks. Director of Sales Casey Mills confirmed to OPN Connect that the supply situation has been difficult, with a strong market as a result. “Organic green onion supplies have been extremely tight over the past few weeks for a multitude of reasons and have caused market pricing to spike,” he said on Wednesday, September 21.
“As we finish up harvest on the last of our summer plantings, excessive heat and recent rain in the growing region have drastically affected yields and overall crop quality. Organic green onion supplies have been extremely tight over the past few weeks for a multitude of reasons and have caused market pricing to spike.” - Casey Mills Braga Fresh
Mills noted that next month should bring supply and demand back in sync. “As we move into October and get started on our fall plantings, we anticipate both supplies and quality to improve simultaneously, and we will likely see the market begin to normalize,” he said.
Tutti Frutti Winter Squash
Bouchey Fingerling Medley
Ralph’s Red Bunched Beets
asparagus
Steady and consistent from Mexico for at least another month.
ARTICHOKES
In the thick of fall production, second cycle on the plants – quality is solid.
beets
Promotional opportunity on Bunched Red Beets from Sun Valley (Watsonville) and Ralph’s (WA) this week! Bunched Gold Beets return Tuesday from Ralph’s.
Root grower Montecucco starting this week with Loose Red Beets in addition to Loose Gold Beets out of Canby, OR! Parsnips to follow! Sandy soil and ideal climate create the perfect conditions for growing root vegetables.
varietal beans
Good outlook on Dwelley Cranberry, French, Romano, Yellow Wax and Blue Lake Beans.
broccoli
Bunched Broccoli looking good, price staying high after the heavy rain last week. Crowns are tight. Baby Sweet Broccoli market is rising with limited harvest from Lakeside next week. Look to Coke and Tomatero.
brussels sprouts
Supply is on the tighter side, bags not available as anticipated.
carrots
Ralph’s Nantes in last week! May be looking at bulk carrot prorates from Cal-O over the next month due to the heat in Bakersfield – will bring in more Ralph’s if needed.
cauliflower
Small amounts of Colored Cauliflower from Sun Valley. Cauliflower is tight after the rain storm last week affected quality.
romanesco
Remains steady from Lakeside. Look for Sun Valley to start up on the front side of the week.
celery
Is steady but expect prices to start to increase as we march on towards Thanksgiving.
corn
White Corn still trickling in from Dwelley. Keeping supply tight as we move out of summer.
cucumbers
Price starting to come down on Slicers, but Persians still extremely tight out of Mexico – sourcing as many as we can! Euro Cucumbers still out of supply, with no ETAs available – affected by a hurricane in Baja California.
greens
We anticipate some disruption in quality as we see higher temps following the rain storm last week.
herbs
A mix of Josie’s, Sun Valley, and Cal-O. Price on the higher side due to heat and rain.
kohlrabi
Consistent Purple supply for the next few weeks.
lettuce
Expect possible disruptions in Cal-O Head Lettuce as they move from the foothills into the valley. Green and Red Butter will be gapping for about two weeks. Romaine Hearts tightening up from Josie’s due to quality, exploring other options. Iceberg 12ct and 24ct steady from Lakeside. Great value here for promotions.
leeks
Carrying the premium Ralph’s from the Pacific Northwest, with Lakeside as our value California-grown option.
mushrooms
Heat wave in Canada a while back stalled out crimini production – such affects take weeks to appear, and takes several more weeks to interrupt supply. Should be good to go by October. Shiitake Mushrooms are a wonderful substitute for Criminis. Download Earl’s Mushroom Guide.
bell peppers
Mainly sourcing local bells, some choice packs are limited or gapping.
hot peppers
Shishitos limited from Del Cabo.
onions
Green Onions will remain tight and expensive after the heat and rain. Read more under the Vegetable Market Update.
potatoes
Bouchey wrapping up early October, with Nature’s Pride from Tule Lake to take over. Cal-O Gold Potatoes strong through the end of the year out of Bakersfield.
radishes
Anna’s is starting up with their radish season, shipping Red and French Breakfast Radish.
summer squash
Tomatero Zucchini in promotable volume.
tomatoes
Tutti Frutti Mixed Heirlooms are in promotable supply with superb flavor, color and varieties. Romas and Early Girls going strong from Tomatero. Cherry Tomatoes slowed just a bit from the rain, and pricing will increase.
winter squash
Rockin’ with new varieties from Tutti as well as Dwelley – Tetsukabuto, Black Futsu, Honeynuts, etc.! Jack O’ Lanterns in this week!
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VEGUCATION CORNER
