I'm glad the holidays are over so we can get back to "normal weeks."
It might take a week or so for produce prices to seek their true levels, since winter weather often is a major factor in availability and price. As we speak, Florida is experiencing a cold snap which is not making those vegetables (and tourists) happy.
Here's a look at what is happening today.
Strawberries--Florida usually comes on strong in January once the holiday push is over with, though the cold weather down there currently is slowing the ripening of the berries. A large percentage of Florida berries are grown in Plant City which is looking at 5 consecutive nights of freezing weather. We'll know much more about the prognosis of the crop for the upcoming months, in about a week after the last freeze.
Here's an excerpt from a produce news source about Florida and how the cold is effecting the berries:
Florida growers brace for winter freeze
Doug Ohlemeier
Growers are preparing fields for more below-freezing weather this week. Temperatures in Florida's strawberry-growing area dipped to 31 degrees. Forecasts call for temperatures to drop as low as 24 degrees Jan. 8
(UPDATED COVERAGE, 10:15 a.m.) PLANT CITY, Fla. — Florida strawberry growers say they escaped damage during the first night of an expected week of overnight freezing temperatures.
For five nights, weather authorities forecast central Florida temperatures to fall below freezing for central Florida’s strawberry growing region around Plant City.
From Jan. 4-8, temperatures are forecast to hit in the low- to mid-20s with 24 degrees predicted for the early morning hours of Jan. 8.
The National Weather Service issued freeze warnings and temperatures fell to as low as 26 degrees during the early morning hours of Jan. 4.
Growers sprayed water on fields to protect crops from freezing.
Wow, keep your eyes on the weather channel.
What could mitigate a temporary gap in Florida berries could be some progress in the new California crop. The "spring" California crop begins slowly in Oxnard this month, though January is one of the smallest supply months of the California season. Those berries are often quite large and new varieties are being touted as being "more flavorful." The proof will be in the pudding.
Broccoli--markets are much weaker as we enter January. A good veggie to promote for awhile. Cauliflower is behind the curve here as prices remain a tad high.
Celery--prices skyrocketed for the holidays and they have already come back down to earth. Naked celery is back down to around $30 down from almost $50 for the last couple of weeks. Anise on the other hand has been around $50 also and is still up there.
Tomatoes--continue to be less expensive, especially for grape tomatoes and roma tomatoes. Mexican vine ripes have shown a significant drop in price leaving just Florida 5x6 tomatoes as the last expensive tomato standing. This cold weather will not improve the situation.
Green Beans--I forgot to mention that not only has Florida had cold weather, but some wet weather also, which has affected the green bean crop. Prices are much higher. Some fresh cut packers have temporarily raised the price of their clipped beans also.
Garlic--here's a story. The last few years the Chinese government has subsidized the Chinese garlic industry as prices here were unbelievably low. Even with their cheap labor prices were under the cost of production. I believe I read where China produces about 80% of the world's garlic. Other countries, i.e. USA and Argentina have planted less product since they couldn't compete, and whammo a recession kicks in. China planted significantly less garlic, and they're keeping more of it at home thinking that taking it is effective in warding off H1N1. Maybe so, but garlic prices have jumped considerably since last year. Some help will come with the Mexican crop in early spring, though Mexico is not the player in the garlic world it once was. Local growers take note and plant more garlic.
Arugula--once again, Florida weather is wreaking havoc on arugula which has become a staple on many menus. B&W, our regular source is out of action for maybe another week, and Texas has had weather issues of its own (mostly cold) and is not shipping any product currently. We're trying what we can to bring in any arugula product, baby or otherwise. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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( 2.9 / 270 )As the holiday approaches, markets are beginning to flush out where the supply-demand curve will lead prices. The Christmas week is another huge food holiday which usually causes prices to rise. This year is no exception. Here's a look into our crystal ball.
Berries--up, up and away! Florida strawberries lead the strawberry brigade and prices are higher. The good news is that each shipment seems to be a bit more mature, with larger berries and better color. Prices should recede quickly after the holidays. Raspberries are very tight and controlled by the Driscol Empire. Prices are in the high $40's for Mexican berries. Blueberries are inching upwards, though they are reasonable, and blackberries are moving north, also.
Grapes--Brazil and Peru are bridging the gap between California and Chile green grapes. They are in the right place at the right time this year as prices for perlettes and sugarones are very high. There are still some red and black seedless grapes out of California, though Peruvian Flame grapes have entered the market.
Broccoli and Cauliflower--are rising solely due to holiday demand.
Anise--prices seem to be going through the roof this year. I've seen prices already quoted in the $40's next week for small sizes.
Green Beans--another vegetable prized at the dinner table for the holidays. Prices are higher here for good quality beans.
Lemons--prices inch up a bit as most product shifts to Arizona for the winter. Quality is good!
Limes--prices are up a few dollars here, also.
Red, Yellow and Orange Peppers--product is being sourced from Spain as we wait for Mexican product to kick in. Prices are higher!
There is good news out there, also, as we approach the new year!
Tomatoes--the tomato market is starting to free fall. Grape tomatoes and Florida tomatoes lead the way, with Mexican vine ripes following behind. Next week should show some serious improvement.
Lettuce--good news here, too. Iceberg lettuce leads the way as prices fall under $30. Other lettuce varieties are falling also as the Yuma deal catches up to demand.
Green Peppers and Eggplant--Florida and Mexican product compete for business and demand is not affected much by the holiday.
Remember, it's basically a red holiday.
It's local somewhere!
Say hello to the beginning of the Texas growing season. Texas does a wonderful job growing greens such as parsley, bunch beets, arugula, dandelion greens, dill, swiss chard, cilantro and cabbage. We're also procuring our juice oranges and some ruby grapefruit from the lone star state.
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( 3 / 255 )You can't fight the weather. This is an El Nino year, isn't it? When you look up the potential effects of this El Nino cycle it's not too clear what should happen. But I can tell you what's going on right now. Cool, wet weather has invaded Florida which has slowed the progress of the strawberry and tomato crops. Cold, wet weather in the southern hemisphere has greatly affected the highly anticipated blueberry crop. Predictions of the size of crops in Argentina and Chile have almost been cut in half from earlier predictions and the crop is approaching a month late. This is also slowing the ripening of the grape crop which is getting quite expensive, today. California is in the same boat, as cool weather retards crop development. A recent freeze in the Salinas valley a few weeks ago had growers using water and wind to stave off the cold. The industry said $4 million was spent on the procedures to save the crop. Luckily damage seems to be limited.
Here's a look at what else is going on:
Cantaloupes--low demand causes prices to plummet. The melons, now coming from Guatemala, are quite inexpensive.
Tomatoes --are curretnly a major problem. Mexican vine ripes are not kicking in fast enough, and Florida tomatoes are slow to ripen also, and won't provide much relief until January. Buyers have few options but to purchase pink tomatoes just to fill orders. We pride ourselves in providing you with ripe tomatoes, though it's quite challenging to do so now. We apologize if we're temporarily caught with pale tomato syndrome.
Pineapples--have been on a roller coaster ride for several months now. High prices and poor quality, followed by low prices and high quality. Well, luckily, we're in the later situation right now, so use 'em!
Lettuce--this is a strange one. The romaine market has dropped first, so prices which were in the mid $50's are now in the high $30's. Still not a deal, but going in the right direction. Green and red leaf have hovered in the same area, but iceberg lettuce has risen a bit. Let's see what happens next week.
Berries--new crop Florida strawberries are trickling in, and we're flip flopping between Florida, Mexico and California for product. Florida berries are our preference moving forward, though cool weather and recent rains have slowed the deal down. Blackberries from Mexico have been a bargain, while raspberries from Mexico have been of high quality, though expensive. Blueberries are being sourced from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, and have moved from 4.4 ounce containers to mostly 6 ounce containers in anticipation of the recently touted huge crop. Quality is improving.
Specialty Citrus--is slowly gaining traction in the form of Meyer lemons, blood oranges, heirloom navel oranges, cara cara navels, kumquats, pummelos, mandarins and clementines. It's still a bit early to claim they are at the peak of the season. Grapefruit options range from pink to star ruby or red, to white, and they're getting sweeter by the week. Our grapefruit juice is improving also.
We are currently sourcing juice oranges from Texas, and they are quite sweet. Gotta get my shot of vitamin C. I just read today that one sixth of the population has had H1N1. Wow!
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( 2.9 / 170 )And prices were climbing, when we showed them to clients they all started crying! Lettuce in the $50's, tomatoes in the $40's, what in the world's going on. I received an industry wide tomato e-mail about a week ago, stating that "Florida growers were possibly seeing the worst shortage of tomatoes in the last twenty years." This is due to the abnormally high temperatures in late September and early October which has caused a shortage of product. Lettuce from California is in about the 3rd week of extraordinarily high prices. Romaine and romaine based products lead the way in the mid $50 range. Compare this to last years prices below $20. Iceberg lettuce, green and red leaf, and boston lettuce are in the mid $30 to $40 range. These high prices could last until mid December. At least quality is beginning to improve as product shifts to Yuma, Arizona.
Tomatoes --while Florida is far behind in production, Mexico claims to have a great looking crop and as supplies increase prices should begin to fall. The worst is over as prices are slowly beginning to fall. Grape tomatoes and romas are fairly reasonable, leaving gassed green Florida tomatoes and Mexican vine ripes being outrageously priced.
Lettuce--the worst was thought to be over, though prices remain very high. Supposedly the transition to Yuma lettuce should have pushed prices down, but high demand is forcing growers to pick lettuce while young, which is exacerbating the problem. Let's hope for warm weather in Arizona.
Berries --the warm weather in Florida has accelerated the crop, and significant volume should hit our market by mid December. Florida strawberries have been excellent over the past 5 years or so, so we welcome their arrival. Prices could be reasonable by Christmas.
Blueberries have begun being shipped from Chile as well as Argentina and Uruguay. The supposed gigantic crop has been downsized due to poor weather in South America. Blackberries from Mexico and Guatemala are a bargain, while raspberries remain stable.
Broccoli and Cauliflower--from California are following the lettuce market. Demand far exceeds supplies and prices are higher. As product moves further along in the desert, prices should come down.
Asparagus--felt a little bump from Thanksgiving, though prices will fall a bit this week. The market for asparagus is quite soft as over planting in Peru and Chile has stuffed the market.
Citrus --product is heating up here. Florida and Texas juice oranges have supplanted California valencias. As usual for this time of the year, the juice is a bit thin and pale, though certainly not offensive. Each successive variety will improve the flavor. California Navel oranges continue to gain maturity. Quality is quite good for this early in the season.
Cranberries--product seems to be dwindling quickly, so if you think you might need some product for the holidays, don't wait too long before purchasing them.
Mexican product--such as cucumbers, green peppers, zucchini and eggplant is coming on like gang busters giving relief to these commodities. Prices are dropping as supply exceeds demand here.
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( 2.9 / 178 )
Well, we've dressed up our newest Frog Truck with "Lady Frog" or maybe she's Froggie Mama. It's about time we've graced Ann Arbor with a lady frog, don't you think? You should know our style by now. Every new truck gets a new Frog "cartoon" which we hope puts a smile on your face. There's enough serious stuff going on out there, so we try to keep things on the lighter side while we truck around the city trying to deliver you the best produce around. I love it when I see kids in a car pointing at our trucks, laughing their heads off. Our good friend and, of course, local artist Zeke Mallory, has painted all the Frog trucks. Thanks Zeke, for the smiles you've put on our faces. Check out his work on his webswite at www.zekemallory.com
While we're at it, we've just about met our goal by having a fully refrigerated truck fleet. This is to insure that your food is delivered to your dock at temperatures between 32 and 42 degrees. Frog Holler Produce Co. is in the process of obtaining its HAACP certification, a food safety acronym which stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. After 9/11 and its terrorist implications, and way too many incidences of Salmonella and other disease producing organisms over the past 5 years or so, governmental agencies are trying to combat this problem by instituting a range of policies to help assure food safety. Beginning at the farm would be a good place to start, but I won't get pulled into politics right now. So, we at Frog Holler Produce, are stepping up to the plate by instituting new policies which will increase our awareness of delivering food safely to you. This will eventually include traceability which will enable the food chain to trace a tainted product back to a particular farm. I thought my new Android could do this stuff. What are apps for anyway? This has become such a big deal, that many companies seem to place a higher value and price on their policies than on the quality and taste of the food itself. We appreciate and understand the role that food safety plays in the distribution process, but our reputation for quality and service will still be our calling card. We would love for you to come visit us in our new and improved facilities if you get the chance. Your support has enabled us to grow and assist us in servicing you better. It is a 2 way street!
Thanks once again,
Froggie Rick (as some called me back in the day)
Froggie Mama (she's the newest Frog in town)
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