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Happy Monday!
Last week marked our Mother's Day pull, and we are in great shape for the month of May! We have clean fields, lots of fruit, and clear skies in the forecast. Make Mom smile this weekend with our fresh, long stem strawberries!
For more information, including crop and weather reports, please scroll below.
Watsonville - Salinas:
It was an overcast weekend in the Watsonville - Salinas regions although no rain came of it. The next few weeks should stay steady in the mid to high 60s, with rain expected in this region in the longterm forecast for the 18th of May. Strawberry volume is expected to increase week by week, with mid-June being our biggest peak. Berries are looking great in quality, with most being 12-14 count and should hold up for the next 2+ weeks. After that, size is expected to slightly downsize as we move forward.
Our raspberry plants have began their harvest this month, and should increase in size and volume week by week.
Central coast blackberries are on their way, and should be ready for harvest in a few weeks! Get ready for a lot of fruit come the end of May!
Santa Maria:
Cooler weather is in the forecast this week with temperatures ranging in the mid to low 60s. Some light showers started in this region Saturday evening, and carried on into this morning. Despite showers over the weekend, fields are still looking clean and maintained. The central coast will see continued widespread cloudiness and near-to-below average highs through the coming week, while more showers are predicted for the 10th and 18th of May - meaning more rain is ahead this month. Fruit quality is dependent on ranches, however, berries are looking good. San Andreas are 18-20 count and look decent. Monterey - 16-18 count - has prime color, looks excellent and has minimal bruising. There are some green tips in the fields but most of that is down. Volume is expecting to gradually decrease week by week, with our peaking days slowly being put behind us.
Oxnard:
Last week temperatures fluctuated in the low to upper 80s, and gradually dropped into the 70s and 60s over the weekend. This region was generally unaffected by the weekend rainfall, as showers primarily hit the central coast. However, we can expect a cooling trend to emerge this week with temperatures in the 60s with occasional fluctuations. With a steady 2-3 day cycle - occasional 4 - we have kept numbers down low, but this is the best thing we can do right now. We are on our downside of our peak with all varieties as we enter this week, with numbers slowly expecting to decrease. Although peak season in this region is coming to an end, San Andreas and Fronteras varieties are still consistent. Quality is good, but not the greatest we have seen. Counts vary variety to variety - but most can be seen at 24-26 with better fruit on the way.
Mexico:
Los Reyes, Ziracuaretiro and the Tangancicuaro regions are all expected to have temperatures in the mid 80s with lows in the 50s this week. These hot, sunny days will be accompanied by some occasional clouds and 11-18 mph winds. Quality in Ziracuaretiro is improving with less green and red cells, and only the occasional quality defects. Los Reyes is producing good quality berries with minimal issues as well. Quality in Tangancicuaro looks great and firm, and volume overall in these 3 regions is expected to increase a bit, and remain steady for the rest of May.
Blueberries:
West Coast blueberries are increasing in production while East Coast crops are starting to slow down. In Georgia, harvest will last through June 10th. Whereas the Central Valley is expected to peak in production mid-to-late May. Quality among both Georgia and California blues has remained good to excellent, with decent weather conditions in the short-term forecast.
Here's some behind-the-scenes photo's from two major field tours we had last week with our friends at Giant Eagle Pittsburgh and Sysco Hampton Roads! Our tours included a sneak peek at harvesting, cooling, packaging, and even a picking contest in the field. We had a great time, and look forward to more field tours this summer!
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.
The strawberry emoji misses its fellow berry friends! Let's get our other berries on board by signing this petition! Sign the No Berry Left Behind Petition to support the cause, or even start your own campaign for other healthy fruit and vegetable emoji's!
This Washington Safeway loves their California Giant strawberries!
Cal Giant is reaching out to you with an important request on behalf of Bill Moncovich and the annual Original Spring Lamb BBQ. This annual event is approaching its 58th year and in that time has raised well over $1 million for the American Cancer Society. More than ever we need your support of this event and the cause to fight cancer knowing that no one is left untouched by this disease.
The Original Spring Lamb BBQ is held every year on the third Saturday in May. This year on Saturday, May 20th over 700 attendees will come together at the historic Crosetti Ranch to support this worthy cause and help make a difference for those affected in our families, in our community and throughout the U.S. You can get more information on the history of this long standing event Here which has been recognized by the American Cancer Society as the oldest consecutively held fundraiser for the ACS in the United States. Please make a donation, sponsor costs towards the purchase of lambs, or buy tickets and come to Watsonville so you can enjoy the event with us.
Please visit www.springlamb.org to see how you can support this 58th year with us and help wipe out cancer along the way.
You can submit payment directly through the website via PayPal.
If you would rather send a check, please mail donations to the address below.
Spring Lamb BBQ
Attn: Bill Moncovich, President
PO Box 1359
Watsonville, CA 95077
You can also feel free to pass this email along to others you might feel would like to participate or support this cause. We would be happy to provide you with additional details.
We truly appreciate your consideration and look forward to doing more good with your help in the years to come!
