Visit Our Other Sites
Watsonville - Salinas:
Weather in Watsonville-Salinas was stormy last week, but looks to improve this week in Watsonville with only one day of rainfall on Thursday. The rest of the week and into the weekend looks sunny with clear skies. Salinas is predicted to have showers Tuesday-Thursday, but forecasts show clear skies after that into the weekend and into next week. It has been slow in both of these regions due to the freeze a few weeks back. We still anticipate our start date for the season kicking off mid-April and expect to have good size fruit once we get going.
Santa Maria:
Santa Maria experienced showers off and on all last week, with roughly half an inch reported among this region. This week, we anticipate more rainfall with a few inches underway – but amounts do not seem as threatening as our Oxnard region, which is expected to receive even more. Despite weather conditions, quality is holding up better than expected. Fruit has been on 3-day rounds, and most straws at 17-20 count – some bigger. Monterey variety is showing more weakness from the rain and frost we have experienced. Fronteras took a big hit, but is mostly at 14-17 count and still looking relatively strong. Fruit is on the rebound, but is holding up better than anticipated with growers being very disciplined on quality.
Oxnard:
Weather in Oxnard has been similar to Santa Maria, with showers off and on last week and a consistent light mist that has kept fields very wet. This week, forecasts call for a few inches of rain in the Oxnard-Ventura region, thus potentially setting us back in harvest. Quality is pretty good despite weather challenges – but we are closely monitoring forecasts this week as another wave of storms sweeps this region. We are keeping rows clean with fruit on 2-3 day rounds, and color 90-95% among straws. Both San Andreas and Fronteras are 14-17 count and holding up in size.
Mexico:
Weather in Mexico is consistently in the 80s with nighttime lows in the upper 40s – low-mid 50s. Days are sunny and hot, and no rain is forecasted for the next week. We’re starting to see fresh winds in the late afternoon around 6pm, which has been helpful in cooling down the crops and allowing for fresh evenings. As for strawberries – we are not seeing much red fruit, but lots of green fruit on the way to be harvested in the next 2 weeks. However, sizing is looking to be on the smaller side so we are hoping to see this improve. Much of our Zamora straws are ending production – most at 26-28 count, 90-95% color and varying in firmness. Consistency in quality is up and down, but growers are being vigilant about only packing good fruit. Raspberries are slowing down in production as the mother plants run out of fruit. They have been pruned, leaving space for the young plants on the way. We have seen better quality in previous weeks, but size and firmness still look decent despite the warm temperatures we have had. Blackberries have minimal defects, and are 30-33 count in 6oz. clamshells.
Florida:
Last week it was on the cooler side in Florida with some frosts on the farms. This week we are starting off with potential thunderstorms tonight and gusty winds tomorrow. The remainder of the week looks like it is going to warm up into the 80s, with nighttime lows in the upper 50s – low 60s. Our season here is slowing down quickly, with this week or next being our last week packing in Florida.
Blueberries:
Chile is winding down in its season with the first week of April being the last week packing, with Florida just scratching the surface. We do not expect significant volume in Georgia until April 16th with a lot of volume on the way.
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.
This week marks the first week of spring. You know what that means... the 59th Annual Spring Lamb Barbecue isn’t too far off!
This long standing stag event began in 1959 by John Moncovich Sr. along with his friends – J.J. Crosetti, Louie Lettunich, Peter Scurich, Pat Carroll and Chick Arbanas to have a fun industry barbeque in the spring at the Crosetti ranch. Due to the instant success around town with the attendees, the group decided to charge attendance and donate proceeds from the event to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. Bill Moncovich, John’s son and Presient/CEO of California Giant Berry Farms began volunteering in the early 60s and has served as the Chairman of the Annual Spring Lamb Barbecue in Watsonville, CA since 1973.
The Spring Lamb BBQ has proven to be the longest standing and most successful charitable event to serve the American Cancer Society to date – and we look forward to another year with you all! Tickets and sponsorships are officially on sale and can be found here.
What You Need to Know
We are excited to see our foodservice partners express their enthusiasm about our First Annual Chef Invitational taking place this summer - with chefs already brainstorming recipes to include at the competition. In the coming weeks, we plan to keep our partners updated with answers to any questions we have received, updates on what to expect, selected chefs and recipes, and all the information necessary to keep you in-the-loop as we approach this chef showdown.
Question of the Week: Are seasonings and spices included in the 10-ingredient or less requirement?
Answer: No - seasonings and spices such as salt, pepper, ground cinnamon, or any other ground spices will NOT be counted as one of the 10 ingredients chefs can use as part of their recipe creation.
Want more details about California Giant’s First Annual Chef Invitational? You can learn more about the promotion by contacting Tom Smith at tsmith@calgiant.com
We can always spot our classic, blue label from a mile away!
