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Watsonville-Salinas:
Weather in our Watsonville-Salinas regions was very hot the last few days and is finally beginning to cool down into more moderate temperatures. Temperatures the next 7-10 days will be in the high 60s-mid 70s with mostly sunny skies - perfect weather for our berries. The majority of our growers in this region are on a 3-day harvest rotation - keeping fruit fresh and high quality following these hot days. Despite the hot temperatures earlier this week, fruit looks great and damages are minimal, if non-existent. Conventional counts are 16-18, while organics are 24-25 count. Berries are firm, flavorful and volume is expected to remain steady in the weeks to follow.
Santa Maria:
Weather in our Santa Maria region is mild, temperate and beautiful - temperatures will be in the mid-high 70s for the next week or so with sunny skies. Nights are generally in the 60s with foggy mornings. We have slight bruising from recent hot temperatures in this region as well, but nothing significant. Conventional berries are mostly 22-24 count, full color and great flavor, while organic berries are 24-28 count and facing more defects than conventional fruit due to the recent heat. Our fall crop is being planted with all of our Monterey variety currently in the ground, with organic planting starting soon.
Blueberries:
Georgia Blueberries:
There were some light rain showers yesterday in this growing region - growers were waiting to harvest until the fields dried up. Thursday-Sunday this week will be dry, so growers should be able to get some good harvesting in. Quality has been pretty good this week - the fruit has nice appearance with good bloom. Next week or two will be the final week for the Georgia season.
Oxnard Organic Blueberries:
Oxnard weather has been warm and sunny - next week will be the final week of the Oxnard organics season. Quality is fair with some soft berries. We are packing mostly the Jewel and Emerald varieties the remainder of the season.
Central Valley Blueberries:
There was extreme heat in the Central Valley over the last week which has led to some minor quality issues. We’ve seen temperatures over 105 degrees the first half of the week. We are seeing some shriveled berries and soft fruit here and there, because of this, the season will likely come to an end within the next week or so if quality holds.
Oregon Blueberries:
Our Oregon region is receiving warm weather this week, which will help bring on ripening and coloring more quickly. The Oregon duke season will start next week. The first farm to harvest will be Looking Glass farm in Roseburg, OR. They are planning on starting 6/20. Willamette Valley duke growers are predicting start dates from 6/21-6/26. Most duke fields are about 5-10% blue right now.
Washington Organic Blueberries:
One of our Duke fields was showing about 5% blue color this week. This farm will receive warm weather for the next week, which should speed up the ripening process. Our latest estimate is that this field will begin harvest around June 24th.
Mexico:
Temperatures have been ranging from 80-90 degrees during the day with partly cloudy days and nights, as well as on and off rainfall throughout the regions. Quality-wise - the packs look decent, with primary concerns being overripe, soft tips and some broken fruit due to warm temperatures and moisture. Blueberries are showing minimal defects with slightly smaller size. The Mexico season is winding down, and plantations for future crops are going well - the quality of the plants is excellent and growers are happy. The next season looks promising in volume and quality.
Georgia Blackberries:
Our Georgia growing regions have experienced showers and then heat, however fruit quality is remaining strong and we are seeing mostly firm berries - some undersized - but overall quality is good.
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.
It's Dad's Day (or should we say...weekend) and we know the men in our lives are just itching for an excuse to fire up the grill. We have a few of our favorite California Giant savory-berry recipes below that are our tried-and-true father favorites, along with a few extra bites and beverages to accompany the spread. Cheers to time well-spent with the family this weekend!
Summer BBQ Burger with Blueberry Corn Salsa
Strawberry and Paprika Chicken Fajita
Shrimp and Pepper Strawberry Skewers
