Happy Tuesday!
We can’t believe how fast this month is flying by as September quickly approaches and kicks off with Labor Day festivities. This holiday is the last ‘hurrah’ for many consumers as the summer vacations come to an end, and the Fresh Starts commence. There’s no better way to celebrate the summer season than with fresh, seasonal cocktails. Learn all our favorite ways to ‘sip’ this summer with a variety of refreshing California Giant berry cocktails, and be sure to touch base with our sales team to make sure you’re covered with berries for all the fun!
For more information, including crop and weather reports, please scroll below.
Watsonville - Salinas:
Weather last week was not as hot as originally predicted, which came as a relief to growers in this region. It was a beautiful weekend in the Salinas-Watsonville area, with weather to remain in the mid 70s the rest of the week. Mornings begin cloudy, but wean off into sunny afternoons. Overall, quality looks good among strawberries. Blackberries are struggling slightly to meet quality standards, and our team is working very closely with the cooler and the growers to ensure only the best quality is being packed. Raspberries look excellent with very minimal concerns at this time. Labor is getting tighter industry-wide, with more stories about blocks being left behind. Field workers have begun qualifying for sick pay, and many are taking advantage of this, which could result in the continuation of labor shortages in the weeks ahead.
Santa Maria:
Weather started off last week in the low 80s, this week, temperatures will cool down into the moderate 70s, with 50s at night. Organic strawberries look better this week in terms of quality, with more firmness to the fruit. Counts are 26-28, with the occasional 30 count. We are mostly dropping small fruit when packing, with most fruit looking good overall. As for our Portola - we anticipate this crop ramping up quickly and will likely peak end of September early October. This crop has a lot of flowers coming in with great quality on the way. As for blackberries – they continue to look strong, with only minimal issues recorded such as minor leaking and red cell here and there. Our peak among blackberries is forecasted for the first few weeks of September. Overall, there have been no reports of labor issues, with the season cruising along nicely.
Blueberries:
In Oregon and B.C., we are seeing a steady supply of northwest blueberries for the next 10 days. Looking ahead, supply will begin to decline at the end of this month as we finish our last picks in the field. Our supply will be light, but will have blueberries in this region through the month of September. Following that, our export season will be well underway.
Markon Field Tour:
We had a great time taking our friends at Markon out to our strawberry fields last week. From explaining the growing process, answering eager questions, to even taste-testing fruit straight from the field - it was a success from start to finish. We always enjoy our summertime tours with our partners and look forward to more in the weeks ahead.
For up-to-date weather conditions in all of our growing regions, click on the region below. Wunderground.com is our go-to weather resource for fast and reliable weather updates.
Fresh, fruity drinks are always a must during the warm summer months – not to mention, catching the eyes of consumers comes easy by adding fresh, flavorful ingredients to the menu. By adding fresh, seasonal ingredients into the mix, cocktails go from the ‘Friday night refreshment’ to the trendy, Instagram-worthy libation that not only photographs vibrantly, but tastes as good at it looks. Scroll down to take a peek at our top-rated California Giant cocktails to cool down with this summer and take into the long Labor Day weekend.
This Nashville Walmart had a total California Giant takeover!
Send us your own "pick of the week" and we will feature it here!
© California Giant Berry Farms. All rights reserved.