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As we head into spring, all of our growing regions in California will be harvesting, and we expect to have sufficient volume for the Easter holiday. Over 5,000 of your shoppers have already requested our berry-themed recipe ideas for Easter, so make sure to stock up on 1lb and 2lb packs.
The 2016 sponsorship and rider information was released by the Tour de Fresh steering committee this week, and we’d appreciate your support as one of our fresh sponsors for this year’s ride. For those interested in supporting one or more riders, or sponsoring the ride this year, please visit tourdefresh.com.
For more information on our growing regions and to learn about our food waste-free initiative, scroll below!
Pictured above: fieldman Manuel Lara in one of our Watsonville, California fields
Florida - We experienced a cold front over the weekend, but it will not affect production. Temps warm back up today to the low 80’s, with nighttime lows in the 50’s. There is a chance of rain on Thursday. After this potential rain, the forecast returns to normal with perfect berry growing weather. Quality is fantastic. The fruit is firm, with counts ranging from 12-14 and 14-20.
Oxnard - It was warmer than average last week, with temps in the 90’s. This warming trend is expected to continue through this week. There is a slight chance of rain on Thursday. Quality is good with full color and counts from 14-16 and 16-18.
Santa Maria -Daytime highs last week were in the high 70’s, with nighttime low’s in the 40’s. We are expecting a chance of rain on Thursday. Counts are between 12-15 and 14-18. Quality is good and fruit has great flavor. Labor is not an issue.
Watsonville - Temps were in the 70’s last week, and this week is expected to be the same. Possible rain showers are predicted for March. We are about three weeks away from walking our strawberry fields.
Mexico - Temps have been in the high 80’s, with nighttime lows in the 50’s. Blackberry volume is down due to the weather. Our quality control team is turning away berries due to red cell and leaking.
Blueberries - Our Chilean blueberry program will supply orders through March, and then we transition into our California & Georgia programs at the beginning of April. Our Oxnard organic program is beginning to increase in volume and will have a steady supply through May.
El Nino Update – Another El Nino storm is predicted to hit in March.
Pictured below: strawberries in Watsonville, California
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.
Our 2016 Tour de Fresh signature event is headed back to the West Coast and will take place July 26-28 – kicking off in Napa Valley and leading up to the PMA Foodservice Conference in Monterey, CA.
The 2016 sponsorship and rider information was released by the Tour de Fresh steering committee this week, and the website has been updated with more information for those interested in supporting this worthy industry cause, or riding in the event. For those interested in supporting one or more riders, or sponsoring the ride this year, please visit www.tourdefresh.com.
Pictured below: John Knappe and Serjio Sanchez of California Giant participate in the 2015 Tour de Fresh
It’s the most expensive food in the world - the food you buy but never use. Research suggests as much as 40% of our fresh produce we purchase winds up, not in our stomachs, but in the trash.
Starting on March 1st, we're asking consumers to join in our mission to have a food waste-free household. We will be providing an eBook full of ways we can reduce food waste at home, reasons to join our food waste-free movement, and how to achieve maximum enjoyment and use of our California Giant fresh berries.
Check back tomorrow at calgiant.com to download our eBook!
Pictured below: Instead of throwing away overripe berries, we froze them before they got too soft. We then used them to make homemade strawberry ice cream.
Check out our California Giant blueberries spotted at Walmart in Gilroy, California. Have you spotted our berries lately? Snap a picture on your smart phone and send it our way!
