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Blueberries
Oregon:
While still in plentiful supply, conventional blueberry volume is beginning to decrease as the season winds down for Oregon. Organic volume will be heavier for the next three weeks as we have a large late-season crop that is producing large volumes. We are seeing occasional soft berries in the packs due to some of the heat the area saw last week, but overall quality is good.
Mexico:
The new fall crop out of Mexico is beginning to harvest very light volumes. This will begin to increase in early September and will see steady production increases each week through September and October.
South America:
We will begin to receive light volume from Peru and Argentina in September. Growers continue to report positive remarks about this season’s harvest. They are very pleased with the quality of these early picks.
Strawberries
Watsonville- Salinas:
The weather report stated that “Fogust” has returned to the coastal areas – and the berries could not be happier. The heatwave is behind us and we’ve experienced a strong marine layer of fog, with temperatures in the low-mid 70s and overnights in the low-mid 50s. The warm temperatures did leave its mark however, as we still saw dark and soft fruit during this weeks harvest. As of today, reports of firmer and lighter colored fruit is being picked with thanks to the cooler temperature. Labor crews are working hard to get caught up. The adjustments to the harvest schedule as result of the heatwave on top of a tight labor force has been a struggle. Crop Counts: Conventional: 16-18 Watsonville / 20-22 Salinas; Organic: 24-28
Santa Maria:
This week’s weather in Santa Maria mirrored that of the Monterey Bay and the fruit is showing for it. The fields are reporting strong fruit with nice color and sheen. Some residual bruising here and there but are working out of it moving forward. The organic fall crop especially is coming on strong and looks great. Crop counts vary widely from ranch to ranch due to age of plants and effects from the heatwave: Conventional: 12-14 /18-20; Organic: 12-14 / 28-30
Raspberries
Watsonville-Salinas:
We are still seeing the effects from the heatwave on the raspberries. Crews have been diligent to keep the dark and soft fruit out of the packs. This week’s weather cooldown is especially welcome. Volume will remain relatively steady through the end of September.
Mexico:
Quality out of Mexico is excellent and volume will significantly increase week over week with peak volumes expected to come in mid-November.
Blackberries
Watsonville-Salinas:
Crews have been working through red celled and leaky blackberries as result of the heatwave; however, the damage was not as big as it could have or even what we expected. Projected volumes show increasing totals each week through September.
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.
Start off your day with a smile with our berry-filled recipes. Enjoy and wake up bright eyed and berry bushy-tailed!
A berry sweet message from one of our Kroger shoppers:
"I wanted to say that I'm a huge fan of your company. I've been a long time buyer of your products and can't imagine buying anything else. I know a lot of folks probably email to complain and it can be tough responding to those, so I thought I'd add a little positivity. You're doing great work especially during this difficult time it's appreciated in my house, and I wanted to say thanks for all you do. Thank you and have a great day!"
