Celery and green beans, berries and limes, those prices are higher but the quality's still fine.
The weather is freezing and no one is shopping, we're all getting nervous as profits keep dropping.
We at Frog Holler keep trying our best, to service you better than all of the rest.
Go Birch, and go Andy, new Cyndi and Mike, with Matt at the helm this team is alright.
As the new year approaches quality should improve, especially for 'maters which should be hitting their groove.
So, I'm startin' to lose it so I'll talk to you soon, I'd better start shopping 'fore I get sent to the moon.
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( 3 / 88 )Here we are in mid December with how many days till xmas? Just like Thanksgiving, the December holidays are a time of gathering with family and friends, and it's another huge food holiday, across the country. Typically prices begin to surge as the holiday approaches, and here's a brief peek at the market scope as we turn the corner.
Strawberries--about this time or the year, I keep my eyes on the weather map around Plant City and Dover, Florida. This is where most of the Florida strawberries are about to be come from. In early December temperatures dropped to 33 degrees, putting a scare into the Florida growers. They lucked out with no damage, though the crop is delayed. The strawberry market is very tight and we certainly could use a few more players in the game. Florida has done a great job in the past 5 years or so with much improved varieties and flavor. Festival and Treasure have been the varieties of choice lately, and dare I say they're almost like a home grown berry. Luckily, California has had a record crop in 2008, producing about 1.8 billion pounds, allowing us to have the few berries we see today. California's new crop begins shortly after the new year, so there should be plenty of strawberries to choose from in January. By the way the weather forecast for Plant City next week is for the highs to be in the mid 80's and the lows in the 50's. Nice weather to ripen a strawberry.
Broccoli and cauliflower--prices are currently depressed for both commodities. They typically get a boost from the holidays, so enjoy these low prices this week.
Melons--record rains in Central America from this years' hurricane season, has slowed the beginning of the deal leading to short supplies and high prices. The markets are beginning to sort themselves out now and return to normal. Most of the product coming to the U.S. is currently sourced from Guatemala, and quality is improving. Current varieties seem to have a thin rind which doesn't hold up great, especially on the produce stand. Interior quality is good, though. Honeydews are winding down from Mexico and will shift to Central American product. These melons are a strange bird in that it is difficult for me to tell when they're ripe. You can't really tell how ripe they are by the feel of the rind, like you can with a California honeydew.
Asparagus--prices are beginning to inch forward, here. I imagine next week will see a greater impact from surging demand.
Tomatoes--prices for all varieties, except romas have dropped quickly. Unfortunately quality for vine ripes is not very good right now, and I think it might be a few weeks before the Mexican crop offers better alternatives. Grape tomatoes are a bargain right now, as are Florida gassed green tomatoes. Back in the day, the U.S. used to import tomatoes from Cuba. That would be a nice alternative right now.
Green Beans--from Florida tighten up even further. Quality has been excellent.
Cranberries--nothing has changed here. Supplies are very limited, so if you need some for the holidays, order them now.
Lemons--prices are quite low as many countries compete for business. Arizona has just begun, adding to an already crowded field. Can't we have lemonade in December?
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( 2.9 / 57 )Wow, what else can you do. Things are getting ugly out there, but maybe we just need to concentrate on making things better close to home, like in Washtenaw County. Like my good friend says, man it's good just to wake up, take a deep breath, and get my feet on the ground.
Things in the produce business are sluggish during the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and this year is certainly no different. Demand for produce is soft, while folks are tending to stocking up on stocking stuffers. The result is several lower prices. Here's a look at some of them:
Blackberries--not a staple of your diet, these tart berries are being given away for a song. Prices are about $12 per case. Now that's something to sing about.
Melons--cantaloupe prices are falling, though the taste isn't quite there yet. Honeydews are a bargain, while watermelons are in a definite quality gap. They're cutting rather pale with a weird texture. Heat and sun are needed.
Green Peppers--prices are receding rapidly. Supplies of Florida peppers are competing with the Mexican crop and there are bargains out there.
Sweet Corn--once again Florida supplies are on the rise, and demand is softening, leading to lower prices. Quality is on the rise.
Grapefruit--it looks like we've got ourselves a bumper crop as long as no major freeze impacts the crop. Red, pink and white grapefruit of all sizes are available. Did you know that Frog Holler distributes fresh grapefruit juice, squeezed by our friends at The Produce Station.
Oranges--choices are ramping up here. California navels are getting sweeter each week. California valencias, which we're using for juice oranges, are about done for the year, so we'll shift to Florida hamlins or the pineapple variety. Florida red navels are available now, and they're quite good. Kumquats are beginning to show up as are Spanish clementines to go along with California ones.
Tomatoes--the market is slowly showing some signs of weakness, starting with grape and cherry tomatoes whose prices are much lower. Place pack Mexican vine ripes are still high, though quality should begin to improve. Prices for Florida 5x6 gassed green tomatoes are also falling rapidly.
Eggplant--another case of both Mexican and Florida product and little demand. You got it, prices are lower.
Asparagus--is now under $2 per pound by the case. Even Thanksgiving couldn't spike prices. We'll hum a tune to that one.
Cucumbers--Mexican seedless cukes are picking up the slack from Canadian product, and prices are falling. Regular slicing cucumbers are gaining steam from Mexico as supplies increase, and prices are falling here also.
Zucchini and Yellow Squash--prices remain high for yellow, though zucchini is beginning to free fall.
Hopefully for this short period between the two holidays, you can make up some ground on your cost of goods. We need all the help we can get.
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( 3 / 48 )We're just a week away from Thanksgiving and pries and supplies look remarkably good. Only a few commodities seem to be in short supply, but overall we're in better shape than in most years. Maybe a bad economy is good for something after all. We'll start with a few problem areas.
Strawberries--supplies are very scarce until Florida picks up the slack in a few weeks. Prices are much higher, though quality has been good for this time of the year. Blueberries remain inexpensive, though quality is variable. Raspberries have been quite reasonable, though I would expect a stronger market next week.
Zucchini and yellow squash--the freeze in Georgia left Mexico as the only game in town, and prices are high. This is somewhat confusing to me since these squash are not big Thanksgiving vegetables, and demand should not be excessive. These squash mature quickly and don't usually stay expensive for long, so I would imagine prices should abate quickly.
Cucumbers--are another vegetable coming almost exclusively from Mexico and prices are high here also. Product is from new areas and quality is good.
Tomatoes--unfortunately are still an issue. Prices are high and quality is suspect, especially for slicers. New crop grape tomatoes from Florida have been good, though other tomatoes take longer to mature, so supplies there are limited.
Cranberries--growers like Ocean Spray are all of a sudden saying this years' crop is short, so buy now. Distributors are telling us that their orders are being cut, so buy now. What's a wholesaler like Frog Holler to do? I guess pass the word that cranberries are tight, so if you want them after Thanksgiving, you better stock up. This does sound like a chain letter, doesn't it.
Lot's of good news, so far:
Winter Squash--a bit of local butternut, acorn and kabocha squash are still around at reasonable prices, though supplies are dwindling rapidly.
Green Beans--they're coming from Florida, prices are lower and quality is very good.
Broccoli and Cauliflower--prices are in the high teens for both, which is quite reasonable. Quality is good and hopefully things will stay where they're at.
Asparagus--here, too, we have a supply exceeds demand situation. So far, growers are having difficulty pushing prices higher. We'll see what happens next week. Usually asparagus prices climb for the holiday.
Lettuce--the price of iceberg has fallen, and other varieties have been stable. Good news here, also!
Celery--is another staple of Thanksgiving where prices are low.
Apples--virtually all varieties are now available, and prices are dropping for most varieties after a crazy run of very high prices. Good "local" apples for pies are still available such as Northern Spy, Ida Red, and Golden Delicious.
Idaho Potatoes--the market falls another few notches as harvest nears completion. Slower demand has lead to lower prices.
Fennel--prices remain stable here, also, for this California grown vegetable.
Turkeys--I'm not sure how the price of Turkeys are doing this year. I imagine they're stable also.
We, at Frog Holler, hope all of you have an enjoyable and relaxing Thanksgiving with friends and family. Peace out!
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( 2.9 / 112 )Early November is a transition time in the produce industry. All the high volume summer deals, such as tomatoes, corn, peaches, cherries, melons, etc. are now behind us. The local, fresh apple deal is winding down, as most of the apples have been harvested and placed in coolers for delivery throughout the winter. The citrus season is just beginning as grapefruit from Texas and Florida have begun showing up in produce sections. Florida sunburst tangerines, California and Spanish clementines are right around the corner, as are California seedless navel oranges. The big citrus push though, really takes place December through March.
So, I'm sitting here contemplating what the outlook is for the -vegetables which are associated with Thanksgiving. Some years we're lucky with ample supplies and reasonable prices, while other years, weather problems create poor quality and high prices. It's a bit early for bringing out the crystal ball, but so far I'm quietly optimistic we might luck out this year.
Here's a look at some of these items:
Sweet Potatoes--please don't call me a yam, which is only a very distant relative, is the vegetable associated with Thanksgiving. North Carolina, is the country's largest producer followed by California, Mississippi and Louisiana. The major varieties currently grown are Jewel, Covington, Beauregard, and Garnet, the latter which is mainly grown in California. All of these are moist-fleshed varieties. Sweet potatoes are actually being looked at as a possible replacement for corn to produce ethanol, because of their high carbohydrate content. Anyway, I was supposed to be talking about supplies for Thanksgiving. Don't worry, we'll have 'em, even though Louisiana got hit by hurricanes Ike and Gustav which flooded much of their crop. The other states have plenty for this this holiday.
Green Beans--are so tender and susceptible to weather problems, that it's too early to make a call here. Currently product is coming from Georgia, which was hit by a freeze last week. That hurt the cucumber and squash market, more than the bean market. Growers in Florida are about to begin their harvest and all is looking good so far.
Cranberries--are rarely a problem for Thanksgiving, though in some years supplies become scarce around Christmas. Cranberries are being harvested in Michigan, Wisconsin and Massachusetts, which supply most of the product we use for the holidays. The predominant varieties are Early Black, Howe, and Stevens. The later Howe variety is preferred for its darker color and storage ability.
Brussels Sprouts--are another popular vegetable for this holiday. Prices tend to escalate for these little cabbage like vegetables, because demand is so high. Currently the crop is in good shape and no problems are on the horizon. We also offer baby brussels sprouts( a one week pre-order) which come packed 10X500 gram bags to a case.
Broccoli and Cauliflower--have been on a roller coaster ride as of late. Prices are currently reasonable, though here, too, the huge demand created by Thanksgiving often boosts prices. Occasionally there will be an oversupply, and prices could stay low.
Celery--the market is showing some signs of weakness which could carry forth a few more weeks.
Potatoes--of any color are popular for this holiday. Russet potatoes are showing signs of weakening, while reds, whites and yukons are all strong holding at about $30 per case.
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