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Watsonville-Salinas:
Weather has been favorable with daytime temperatures in the low-mid 70s and nighttime temperatures in the 50s. Morning's are overcast but conditions clear up in the afternoon. We may be heading into a warming trend this weekend with temperatures potentially reaching the 80s, and back into the mid-70s next week. Conventional strawberry quality is good, with even better crop conditions the second half of the week. Counts are mostly 20-22 with some 18. Organic counts are 26-32 and should remain this size the remainder of the season. Bushberry quality is good but we are consistently battling red cell in blackberries. Our grower is taking action diligently and has shade cloths partially covering his fields and is looking to add more before the heat comes this weekend. Labor is better than it's been the previous two weeks now that people are getting back into the swing of back-to-school. Flakey labor is still a factor, but it has slightly improved for the time being. Volumes for raspberries and blackberries will be on the rise for the next 3-4 weeks.
Santa Maria:
Weather has been in the low-mid 70s with nighttime lows in the 50s. A warming trend is on the way this weekend with temperatures to reach the 80s and 60s at night - which is relatively warm for nighttime temperatures. Conventional fall crop quality is great at 12-14 count, with a nice sheen and good size. Portola is 12-14 count and we are still working to control some mud crop when it comes to this variety - but this is normal and should clear up within the new few weeks. Our organic spring crop is 27-30 count and looking good - volumes are expected to increase next week. Our organic fall crop is going to be off to a slow start with volumes to kick in over the next 2 weeks. Labor is fine at the moment, but traffic and production should ramp up pretty quickly here.
Blueberries:
Oregon:
Conventional production in Oregon will be steady this week and should start to decline the first week of September. We will continue to pack smaller volumes out of Oregon throughout the month of September. Quality is good for the most part - we had some fair quality on some final picks of mid-season varieties last week. Organic production will continue through mid-September.
British Columbia:
British Columbia production is winding down. Quality has been good this week. They will continue to pack lighter volumes through mid-September in B.C.
Mexico
Mexico production is consistent - we will begin packing light volumes in early September.
Mexico:
We are seeing mostly cloudy days and scattered rains in most of our Mexico growing regions, with storms in the afternoons. Temperatures remain in the 80s with lows in the 60s. During the next few weeks, production will start with early fruit from Guanajuato with good size and quality on the way. In Michoacan, the climate is mostly cloudy with green fruit, little volume currently but good quality overall. Blueberries in Jalisco look great production-wise, while almost all are in the vegetative state. So far, they have great size, firmness and a great balance of sweetness.
As for raspberries, production is coming along in our various growing regions of Gaunajuato, Michoacan, and Jalisco. We will start receiving in Maravatío in a few weeks - 65% of our crops have green fruit at this time and 23% are differentiating and flowering, and the remainder are in the vegetative state. In Jalisco, 50% of production is green fruit. Blackberries in Los Reyes faced a heavy storm with strong winds, however fruit quality has remained steady. Most production in Ziracuaretiro will start late September, with the hope that the rains will slow down so field personnel can harvest. Strawberries are looking good and climates are favorable. We are on time for our strawberry season at this point, with the crop to kick off in a few weeks.
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.
As the long holiday weekend approaches next week, we couldn't help but think of all the delicious ways to celebrate - BBQs, lakeside eats or backyard gatherings all call for two perfect pairings: berries and bacon.
Our 2019 emcee at our 2nd annual Chef Invitational, Tony Baker of Baker's Bacon and Montrio Bistro, not only wowed chefs and sponsors at our Foodie Forum event, but his Blackberry Bacon-Wrapped Bacon made with California Giant blackberries was a real 'crowd-pleaser', as guests and attendees at the chef showdown were able to try various sponsored samples and eats - and let's just say - everyone was coming back for multiple tastings at the Baker's Bacon booth.
We knew we had to continue the conversation with Tony after the Chef Invitational, and are excited to see our fellow Chef Invitational finalists have too. With many now incorporating Baker's Bacon on their menus - a nod to the quality, purity and flavor that comes with his fine cuts of meat, and the collaboration that stems from our annual culinary event.
