Smooth Organic Veg Transition Underway

The organic veg transition from summer production areas to the desert and other warmer regions is underway with no apparent issues on the horizon.

Gabe Romero, who is involved in sales and business development for The Nunes Company in Salinas, California, reported in mid-October that the company finished harvesting from its Yerington, Nevada fields in early October. He noted that the Salinas Valley and the Mendota area in California’s San Joaquin Valley are the sources of supply through October and into November when the transition to Yuma, Arizona will begin.

Gabe Romero, Sales and Business Development, The Nunes Company

“We are expecting a smooth transition,” he said on October 16. “We have good supplies of all the leaf items going forward, and there have been no weather problems in Yuma.”

Going down his list of organic commodities, Romero said the cauliflower market has been very strong as there was a bit of a gap for the last couple of weeks, and demand is very good. He said the market on organic cauliflower was in the $40-$50 range; that is about $6 per carton higher than conventional flower this week, which is also in short supply. Romero predicted that the market would remain strong through October. He added that the company’s supply of organic cabbage was also tight as supplies shifted from Nevada to California. 

The Nunes rep said the transition to Yuma should be complete for all its organic vegetables by mid-November in time for the Thanksgiving pull. That holiday is on the early side this year on November 23, which means the demand spike should begin the week of November 13. 

“We are expecting a smooth transition. We have good supplies of all the leaf items going forward, and there have been no weather problems in Yuma.” - Gabe Romero

Dominic Etcheberria, general manager of Veg-Land Inc. in Fullerton, California, agreed that the organic vegetable industry appears to be headed toward a relatively problem-free transition period. Veg-Land is currently sourcing organic mini sweet peppers and bells from California’s Central Coast, while Baja California is providing the firm with organic cucumber, squash, and eggplant. Etcheberria said those items should continue in good supply through November, overlapping with production from its winter production fields.

Dominic Etcheberria, General Manager, Veg-Land Inc.

“Central Mexico growers are just about to begin their new season starting in November, where we will receive organic zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, eggplant, bell peppers, and brussels sprouts,” he said.

Surveying his sales sheet during this October 16 week, Etcheberria said the highest FOB price in relative terms is being realized on the mini sweets for which demand is excellent. He added, “We are experiencing pretty good markets for all of our organic crops and are anticipating no gaps in supply.” 

While Mexico has had different periods of high heat and extensive rain over the last several weeks, the Veg-Land executive said those weather events have caused no major issues on the farming side.

“We are experiencing pretty good markets for all of our organic crops and are anticipating no gaps in supply.” - Dominic Etcheberria

Luke Patruno, who handles organic sales for Deardorff Family Farms in Oxnard, California, said the company is also anticipating a smooth transition this year. “Deardorff is fortunate to have the ability to provide our customers with a seamless transition yearly,” he said. “We will go through early December with our core commodity, organic celery, loading in the Santa Maria area. We also are offering organic broccoli and cauliflower loading through early December in Santa Maria.”

Luke Patruno, Organic Sales, Deardorff Family Farms

From there, the production moves to Mexico where Deardorff partners with Campos Borquez to bring what Patruno called “the best, most consistent organic vegetable supply to the marketplace.” 

Loading will then move on to Yuma, with the ability to also load in Oxnard. The desert production will again feature the firm’s core organic commodities: celery, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Currently Patruno said Deardorff is also handling organic romaine from its Oxnard location. “Growing conditions have been quite favorable, and we’re seeing some of the nicest ever this season,” he said, adding that the supply of organic romaine will continue through December.

Patruno credited favorable weather conditions for allowing Deardorff to stay on target with its budgeted projections, and he anticipates no production gaps.

“Growing conditions have been quite favorable, and we’re seeing some of the nicest ever this season,” Patruno said, adding that the supply of organic romaine will continue through December.

Concerning the upcoming holiday season, the Deardorff sales representative said supplies of its crops should remain consistent. “We’re always listening to what the customer wants and try our best to make a good crop in the right geographical location at the right time of year to produce the most consistent, high-quality produce,” he said. “This year we look forward to being able to offer our consistent volume through the Thanksgiving pull.”

He added that the company is anticipating continued good, solid production of high-quality organic romaine for the next month. “That would be a great item to promote for the upcoming holiday season,” Patruno said.