-
NEW!
• Peruvian Blueberries
• Finger Limes
• Mini Gourds
• Fuyu Persimmons
• Pomegranates Wonderful Variety
• Anna’s Purple Loose Daikon -
COMING SOON
• Fresh Cranberries this week!
• Anna’s Watermelon Radish and White Daikon (Wednesday)
• Wintergreen Burdock mid-week
• California Kiwis end of October
• Side Hill Satsumas by first week of November
• Side Hill Meyer Lemons(November)
• Montecucco Beets
• California Kiwis mid-October
• Hachiya Persimmons mid-October -
BACK IN STOCK
• Black Mission Figs
• Cal-O Bunched Spinach by end of the week -
TIGHT INVENTORY
• Leaf Lettuce, Iceberg, Romaine Hearts
• Organic Girl Little Gems -
gapping
• Covilli Pineapples
• Sunrise Little Gems and Salanova
• Grapefruit -
WINDING DOWN
• Dwelley Corn
• Del Bosque Melons
• Yellow Peaches -
finished
• PNW Blueberries
• Kiwi Berries
BUYER’S NOTES
Updated October 2, 2022
FRUIT
Pacific Northwest Blueberries have wrapped up the season. Forbidden Fruit California Blueberries have outstanding flavor and volume will increase throughout October. Looking for a value option? Try Peruvian Blueberries in 6oz and pints. Increase the varieties of Pears in your display. We have an array of wonderful varieties to try - From Frog Hollow in Brentwood, don’t miss the creamy Warren Pear. It is also a great storage pear! Out of the Pacific Northwest, look to Abate Fetel, Bartlett, Comice, Concorde, D’Anjou, Golden Bosc, Red Bartlett and Starkrimson. Shinko Asian Pears from HGO are crisp like an apple and juicy like a pear. Yellow Peaches are almost done. Get them before they are gone!
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.
how the fair trade premium works
How exactly does Fair Trade Premium benefit the workers?
A few extra cents paid by the consumer – the Fair Trade Premium - will allow for democratically chosen projects to become a reality in farm worker communities; whether it’s a bus for the High School students, dental services or a multipurpose room, this benefit will bring empowerment through decision making and project execution. The Premium that is added to the cost of produce goes directly in its entirety to the bank account of the Workers Association.
How can the workers use the Fair Trade Premium?
One of the most important aspects of Fair Trade is: funds are specifically designated for social, economic and environmental development projects. The workers are the ones who know what’s best for their own community and Fair Trade USA and Fair Trade International have enabled a democratic system for the community to decide how and when the Premium will be invested.
Can the grower use part of the Premiums?
Absolutely NOT. The funds CANNOT be used to invest in the company’s property or cover company’s expenses (wages, operation, supplies, etc.). Benefits are exclusively for the workers, by the workers. The grower IS responsible for covering all Fair Trade Certification and promotional expenses.
How often is the Premium paid to the Workers Association?
Through a transparent process that is traceable and audited by Fair Trade USA or Fair Trade International the grower has assumed the responsibility of paying on a monthly basis, the correct amount of Fair Trade Premium to the Workers Association bank account. Being able to track and verify the correct movements of the Premium from the moment a sale takes place until the deposit is made is a critical audit criteria.
Choosing Fairtrade means supporting standards and actions that put more power in the hands of workers themselves.
Earl’s carries Fair Trade Fair Trade fruits and vegetables year-round. Look for Fair Trade Avocados, Bananas, Melons, Pineapples, Tomatoes and more.
Coliman Banana Community Center funded by the Fair Trade Premium
Year-round Dole Fair Trade Pineapples
APPLES
Ambrosia and Roslynn Club Apples are sweet and delicious. Look for more club apples mid-November. Cuyama continues to represent California with delicious Fujis and Galas. Utility Fuji and Galas are back for those juicers and food prep customers.
AVOCADOS
Equal Exchange Fair Trade Avocados (Mexico) are small farmer grown. Download Equal Exchange POS Materials.
BANANAS
October is Fair Trade Month! Earl’s carries Fair Trade Bananas year-round and ripens them in our banana rooms. Download an Equal Exchange Hanging Banana POS (some assembly required).
BERRIES
Blackberries: Days are shorter, and production is slowing down. Mexico won’t be ready for another month.
Blueberries: First shot of Peruvian Greenbelle looks good. Forbidden California Blueberries have outstanding flavor.
Strawberries: Some fruit from California with seasonally appropriate flavor and some white shoulders.
Raspberries: AG Berry while weather permits with Sun Valley trickling in. Fresh Kampo (Mexico) is back
citrus
Grapefruit: Done for now. Flame variety out of the desert in a few weeks.
Valencias: Fair amount of product on the market with plenty of sizes through most of October. Mexico will start up at the end of November.
California Lemons: Pricing has been volatile with inconsistent sizing and volume. RVO has started up as well as Doc which will bring some relief.
Early Navels: Starting up in a few weeks with low flavor. By mid-November, quality and supply will improve.
fall
Cranberries - Greenbelle this week! Wonderful Pomegranates have full red color and great flavor. Fuyu taking longer to color up so the season is starting off slow. Will see some Hachiyas mid-week. Quince from Appleseed Farms are very fragrant!
figs
Maywood is substantially slowing down with cooler weather. Limited supply with 3-4 more weeks of harvest. AJM returns this week with Black Mission Figs.
grapes
Air Chief Seedless Black, Red and Green Grapes through Thanksgiving
kiwi
California Kiwis starting the end of October.
melons
California Watermelons are winding down. Mexico is just around the corner with a smooth transition. Watermelon Bins are almost finished. Cantaloupes and Honeydew for another week or two. Divine Fair Trade Melons coming this month!
pears
Plenty of varieties to enjoy this fall …more under Market Update. Ripen on your counter for a fantastic eating experience.
stone fruit
Last of the Yellow Peaches! Get them before they are gone.
tropicals
California Keitt Mangos 4ct offer a good value with excellent flavor. Smaller 9ct available in good volume. Season looking to go into November. Highlight year-round Dole Fair Trade Pineapples for Fair Trade Month. POS cards available.
VEGETABLES
Covilli is a few weeks out on Fair Trade Zucchini and Green Beans. We will see their Jalapenos the 2nd week of November, Butternut in mid-October and their Acorn, Delicata and Honeynut in November. Covilli Mixed Heirlooms are now out of Ensenada and will transition to Guaymas in November. Lettuce remains tight as fields are recovering after the rains a few weeks ago. Dwelley has a few more pickings of White Corn and then they will be done. Treehouse (PNW) and JAS (Salinas Valley) will have limited weekly harvests and prices are on the higher side. Thanksgiving is next month! Get your customers excited about Sweet Potato and Hard Squash varieties by downloading Earl’s Guides on the Marketing Resources page of our new website.
asparagus
Back into better production with large sizes.
ARTICHOKES
Production has increased after the rain. Look for 18ct and 24ct.
bok choy
Anna’s Baby Bok Choy has beautiful green leaves. Look for their Purple and White Daikon and Watermelon Radish this week.
bunched beets
Gold Bunched Beets from Ralph’s.
Cal-O back with Red and Gold Bunched Beets.
varietal beans
Dwelley Cranberry, French, Romano, Yellow Wax and Blue Lake Beans steady.
Baby Sweet Broccoli
Increased demand has tightened up Sweet Baby Broccoli.
Broccoli, crowns
Will continue to be tight.
Brussels Sprouts
Creekside and Coke through Thanksgiving.
carrots
Sunrise Bunched Nantes a week out. Ralph’s done with Jumbo Carrots for 2-3 weeks. Cal-O Carrots are tightening up and we will see Bolthouse Juicing Carrots this week.
Cauliflower
Prices creeping up as we get into the late part of the Salinas season.
romanesco
Both Lakeside and Sun Valley return this week.
corn
Dwelley Corn is still hanging on. White and Bi-Color out of PNW.
cucumbers
Pricing has stabilized.
eggplant
Continues to be tight out of California and Mexico.
greens
Tomatero and Sun Valley leading the category.
herbs
Good news in Herbs. Lakeside is seeing great numbers on Cilantro. Price will come down a bit next week.
lettuce
Sunrise Salanova and Little Gems continue to trickle in as they start back up for fall. Green and Red Leaf will be tight front side of the week. Cal-O is letting fields size up. Romaine steady from Cal-O. Romaine Hearts price climbing some more. Organic Girl Little Gems availability is still sporadic.
leeks
Ralph’s (Washington) prices are coming down. Lakeside offers a California value.
mushrooms
Historically Crimini availability is tight during Thanksgiving. Now is a good time to start highlighting other delicious mushroom varieties. Download Earl’s Mushroom guides.
bell peppers
Not much out of Mexico. Supply out of Canada and some California Colored Bells.
hot peppers
The Habanada looks like a habanero with none of the heat but with all of the floral flavor. Comanche Creek Mixed Habaneros come in a variety of colors- orange, red, yellow and green in 12/2oz clamshells. Habanero Paper Lanterns are small fiery peppers also available in 12/2oz clamshells. Now is the time to enjoy California Varietal Peppers. Download the pepper guide.
onions
New Red and Yellow Onion Mediums from Anderson (PNW). Green Onions continue to increase in price during this rough patch of limited inventory. Cal-O is transitioning to a new growing region and optimistic about supply returning in better volumes in the coming weeks.
potatoes
Fraserland and Nature’s Pride Red and Gold mid-October. Bouchey Amarosa, Banana, Medley, Purple and French Fingerlings in bulk and bagged. One more week on Bouchey Russets and then moving into Nature’s Bounty.
roots
Montecucco is starting up with Parsnips, Gold and Red Beets and Purple Loose Turnips.
Wintergreen (PNW) Burdock returns mid-week!
summer squash
Hurricane has delayed Covilli Fair Trade Zucchini to the end of October. Tomatero continues to have good volume. Covilli Green Beans are pushed back to 2nd week of November.
sweet potatoes
Thanksgiving is a little over a month away. Download Earl’s Sweet Potato Flyer.
tomatoes
Wholesum Fair Trade Cherry Tomatoes in good supply. California open pint varietals are winding down. Covilli Fair Trade Mixed Heirlooms good volume (MX). Tutti Frutti Mixed Heirlooms will go through Thanksgiving, weather dependent. The first frost will end the deal.
winter squash
NEW Ornamentals. Mini Gourds make the perfect Fall decoration!
Opportunities on Tutti Frutti Sugar Pie Pumpkin, Butternut and Mixed Hard Squash Bins. Ask your Earl’s Sales Rep for more info. Del Cabo Jack O’Lantern Bins are the perfect way to kick off October. Download Earl’s Hard Squash guide.
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