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Watsonville-Salinas:
Weather in Watsonville this week started off with foggy, overcast mornings and cool temperatures and cleared up later into the afternoon. Toward the back-half of the week, conditions have improved and weather has been beautiful with temperatures in the high 60s - low 70s and sunny skies. Next week looks to be in the low 60s with scattered clouds and potential for rain at the end of the week but chances are low due to inconsistent weather predictions. Quality has been fantastic with counts 10-12 on conventional fruit and 12-14 on organic. Our only current concerns consist of dry calyx here and there, and slight bruising - but nothing significant. Organic quality also looks great as well. Labor is not an issue at the moment with a lot of foot traffic in the fields. Volumes are ramping up each week with a lot of excellent fruit ahead for the season.
Santa Maria:
Weather in Santa Maria started off this week overcast with light showers, and has since transitioned into favorable weather in the high 60s - low 70s and mostly sunny skies. We may receive another tenth of an inch of rain over the weekend, but as of now odds look slim. Next week we should have moderately cool days with brisk mornings. We are seeing slight bruising here and there among the crop, but crews are doing a really good job of keeping packs clean and dropping any defective fruit. San Andreas counts are 16-18, some 20-22, where Monterey is 14-16 and some higher. Fronteras is 18-22 and some 24-26. Overall, quality is good and labor is a non-issue. Volume will increase a bit between the next few weeks among conventional berries, while organic volumes remain steady after next week.
Oxnard:
Weather in Oxnard has been sunny with temperatures mostly in the mid -6os and a possibility for showers on the horizon for Sunday, but nothing significant. Organics continue to look strong but volumes are decreasing, and we anticipate wrapping up our Oxnard season within the next week or two.
Blueberries:
Georgia Blueberries:
Georgia quality has been good overall, with minor defects here and there such as soft berries, but in general quality is looking favorable. Highbush volume is still steady and will decline in the second half of May.
Oxnard Organic Blueberries:
Quality has been good in Oxnard, and harvest crews are continuing to use the packing line and the pack has been free of flower remains, leaves, and stems. The fruit is firm with good size.
Central Valley Blueberries:
Our field-packed fruit is firm with good size. There are some stems in the pack here and there, but not enough to be a concern. Volumes should pick up between now and the end of May.
Mexico:
Central Mexico may experience high temperatures combined with isolated storms in the afternoon. High temperatures range between 90-95 degrees during the day, with higher altitude areas in the 80s. Nighttime lows consist of the high 50s-low 60s. May is normally the hottest month of the year, which does affect the crop to some extent. Raspberry quality remains strong through the warmer weather conditions, with minor defects including overripe or uneven color, but nothing significant to report. Due to blueberry market conditions we are beginning to cut back a bit in volume, with some growers evaluating if they want to continue or not. Aside from the slow decline in volume, quality remains firm, with good flavor and bloom. Blackberries should continue until week 22, and volume is expected to increase the next few weeks due to peak periods among various fields. Quality is good overall, with some soft fruit and red cell here and there due to the warm weather.
Georgia Blackberries:
Our Georgia blackberries are about to be loaded with fruit in the next month or so - with an anticipated start date for June 14-15th. Blackberry volume is expected to come on in abundance so be on the lookout for updates in the next 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.
Yesterday marked the last day to submit Chef Invitational recipes and we are so delighted with the submissions that we have received, and all the creative, savory and sweet applications our California Giant berries were used in. We also loved seeing all the wonderful feedback from chefs as well as to why they would like to be selected to participate in the competition, meet our staff, and tour our operations. We sincerely thank each of our partners and their talented chefs for participating in this year's recipe submission process - the opportunity to collaborate with each of you in this annual culinary event is always an honor.
We will announce to both our partners and their selected chef finalists by May, 10th - be on the lookout from us to see if your chef was chosen!
We would also like to give a huge shout out this week to a few of this year's Chef Invitational Sponsors. Returning sponsors Odonata Wines and Alfaro Family Vineyard will be back at the event pouring an assortment of delicious local wines. In addition to these delectable libations, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing - a new, recent partner of ours in which we have collaborated on custom berry beers with for various events will also be in attendance with a California Giant beer collaboration. We have loved partnering with this dynamic group of talented, local craft brewers on new, innovative beer flavors, and we can guarantee you'll love their beer too. Also new to the sponsor line up this year is Lula's Chocolates - a name many of you may already know. Lula's is the Central Coast go-to chocolate shop, with handmade, carefully crafted confections - they specialize in sweet treats such as sea salt caramels, mouth-watering assorted chocolates and truffles, nut clusters, toffees and more. If you're local to the Monterey County and haven't yet stopped by one of their flagship locations - do yourself a favor and stop by and try them for yourself. Otherwise, you can try fresh, chocolate-dipped California Giant strawberry stems as you walk the chef floor in a few weeks!
We would like to say thank you to our 2019 Chef Invitational Sponsors for their participation and involvement in this years event - and can't wait to see you soon.
