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Watsonville-Salinas:
Santa Maria:
Last week was a warm one for our Santa Maria region with temperatures mostly in the low 80s and mid 60s at night. Next week, we are forecasting temperatures again in the 70s-80s range with nights in the 40s. Quality is looking good in the fields - our Portola is mostly 15-20 count and showing minor damage from the freezing morning temperatures we had the other week, but nothing significant. The Monterey looks excellent at 16-18 count with good size, shape and flavor. Organics are 24-26 count and still increasing. We are completely finished with planting for the 2020 season and are currently having no issues with labor.
Oxnard:
Weather has been mild in the low 70s with nights in the 50s. A warming trend is on the horizon for the weekend with temperatures forecasted to reach the 80s. After that come Sunday and Monday temperatures will cool back down a bit. We have no rain on the long term forecast for the next 10-14 days, as a dry pattern takes us through November. Plants are looking good as we continue to wait for harvest over the next few weeks.
Mexico:
Blueberries:
Cloudy weather and cool temperatures are continuing to affect the maturation of our blueberry crops. However, more growers are starting to harvest and most are increasing their production. Conventional quality is looking great, with big fruit, firmness and bloom. Organics are slowly increasing production and quality is excellent.
The wet weather is affecting our blackberries across our various regions due to this commodity not being covered by hoops. We are anticipating more growers with macro tunnels to start to harvest so we can maintain better production and slowly increase volumes over the next few weeks.
Strawberries:
Strawberry production is looking great and counts are 24-28 count. Fruit is firm with great color, and production is increasing rapidly over the next few weeks across all growing regions. Organics are delayed but can be expected to slowly begin production in 3-4 weeks.
Blueberries:
South America
Weather has been great in Chile. It is looking like production will be very good this season and right in line with our current forecasted volumes. Argentina production is winding down. They recently experienced some rainfall that is leading to some questionable quality. We are expecting Argentina production to be finished by the end of November due to this. Meanwhile, our Peruvian growers are still set to produce consistent volumes through January. Overall, quality has been good in South America.
Oxnard
Our grower is going to pick a small volume of fruit at the end of this week between Friday and Saturday. These small volume picks may persist every few weeks throughout November-December. Steady production of Oxnard organics will begin come January.
Florida:
Weather in Florida has recently been in the 80s with nighttime temperatures in the 60s. Next week, we are anticipating a cool down and some rainfall with temperatures to decrease into the high 60s, and nighttime temperatures in the 50s. Following that, weather should stabilize into more moderate conditions in the 70s. We will begin harvest next week with small volumes, with numbers to slowly increase each week. Plants and varieties (Sensation and Brilliance) all look good at this time. Organics have a start date projected for mid-December.
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.
Thanks to the latest Fresh Facts on Retail report by the United Fresh Produce Association, this week we're buzzing about two very timely topics: organics and sustainability. Read more for a few of our favorite finds.
According to the report, organic produce dollar sales in the latest quarter reached nearly $1.5 billion (4% higher compared to this time last year). While for the first time, pounds of organic vegetables sold declined, growth in organic fruit sales actually grew - a positive sign for berries.
The report also notes that among the top selling organic produce commodities, blueberries (10.2%) and strawberries (6.8%) were the fastest growing organic commodities with double digit dollar growth rates. While other commodities like bananas saw an increase as well at 11.1%, it's safe to say organic berry popularity is at an all-time high.
Not only are organics top of mind for consumers, there's also a lot of buzz around sustainability within the industry. Now more than ever, shoppers are demanding transparency about how their products are being grown and manufactured. But not only that, consumers care about the resource-needs around this process, the packaging efforts, and the social responsibility of the brands and companies they align with and support.
According to the report, 81% of global respondents said it is extremely important or 'very' important that companies implement programs to improve the environment, and 30% of respondents are willing to pay a premium for products that deliver on social responsibility claims.
Not only does social responsibility resonate with consumers, so does thinking beyond the product - considering renewable energy, water conservation, carbon footprint, and packaging.
While this report may not have been directly related to the produce category, it tells us that shoppers are beginning to seriously consider sustainability in their decision making process when driving the path to purchase.
For more information regarding California Giant Berry Farm's Sustainability Journey, please visit our site here.
