Watching the weather around the  country , specifically in the  commercial growing  areas in the Northeast it appears Mother Nature and  Father Time  are giving them a weeks reprieve before Winter Frost sets in which will likely signal an end to the homegrown season. Demand for West Coast veg should start to increase. Many shippers have been offering promotional pricing but with Thanksgiving promotional pulls  starting as early as  November 2nd and usually running for an extended period most shippers  have started  taking a  cautious  approach to additional  promotions for the month of November. A few veg shippers claim they are running ahead of schedule currently which will eventually lead  to availability issues  during the  transition to the desert (11/12-16) but most are confident they will have budgeted volume  through the majority of the Thanksgiving Holiday pull.

Weather in California  growing districts , especially the  Central  Coast  will be mostly unsettled  with few  showers in the north with below normal temps  until returning  to normal (72/48)  by the weekend continuing through the first week of November . Weather around the country has the opposite trend with above normal temps this  week  and dropping to below normal by next week with plenty of precipitation in most areas.

Truck availability remains good with rates  starting to edge down slightly. Fuel prices  are also predicted to go lower which will help rates even further.   As always  advance notice will give you the advantage of best rates and service.

LETTUCE-  Transition to the Central Valley continues with most shippers expected to have supplies in both locations throughout the week. There are a few shippers  who do not have a Central Valley operation and choose to stretch their Salinas Valley and Yuma districts. Lettuce from Huron shows irregular size and some  quality issues due to overspray and/or tomato virus and some seeder issues. None of which  is  uncommon for the Central Valley lettuce crop. Better stands and quality are anticipated for next week best, but still limited quality for this week will be  from  Salinas although rain will eventually have a negative impact on quality. The market has gradually firmed up as shippers are still apprehensive about their transitional supplies. Once supplies settle look for the market to ease back possibly by the weekend.  With a wide range in quality from both districts  loading fresh lettuce is top priority.   

BROCCOLI- Supplies of broccoli continue to readily available with crowns only slightly tighter than bunch. Production continues to be slightly ahead of budget adding to the current supply but may cause a tightening during transition.  Warmer weather is  expected later this  week  so  look for supplies to continue to be  strong. Volume  deals  will become  more accessible as the week goes on. Quality is  mostly good  with occasional pin rot due to recent rains. Central Valley production will start up by next week which will also help contain prices.   

CAULIFLOWER- Inventories continue to be higher than budgeted  which  allows  volume  deals to be  readily available . Quality remains good.   Most growers  continue to run ahead of schedule increasing the likelihood of tighter supplies  later next month. There are no new districts to support demand and local homegrown production is nearing an end .

LEAF ITEMS- Romaine  and  Romaine Hearts continue to  be  weak with low pricing. Demand on green and  redleaf is also flat. Wide range in quality . Similar to lettuce but to a lesser extent, a few shippers will  transition their mix lettuce program to the  Central  Valley this week and next.  Similar wide ranging quality issues exist in the Romaine as in Iceberg lettuce. Homegrown supplies  are getting weaker by the  day so increased demand is  expected sooner than later . 

CELERY- Market continues to be weaker with increased volume offerings. Michigan  is winding down production but Oxnard is ahead of schedule as is the current Salinas crop which will add to the oversupply situation. This will likely lead to possible shortages during the Thanksgiving demand but take advantage of deals  now and possibly get a more favorable ad price for the Holiday. Although many shippers have  locked in their Holiday volume which will eventually help firm prices in the  coming weeks.

ASPARAGUS– Production from Mexico continues to be  limited and demand has stayed strong. Quality continues to improve weekly.  Supplies look to be on track for Holiday promotions.

GREEN ONION- Production has leveled off  but demand continues to be weak especially on small size Green Onions. Pricing on medium and large sizes are slightly higher.  There is a  good  chance the  market reacts  upward with local supplies light and possible unsettled weather in Mexico affecting labor combined with better demand by the end of the month.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS-  Increased supplies and lighter demand has  prices continuing to  head lower. Although similar to Celery, demand for November promotions will likely prop the market  back up  by early November. Take advantage of good values  while supplies last.

STRAWBERRIES- Production and quality continue to wind down in Salinas /Watsonville  especially with rain and unsettled weather  scheduled through Wednesday. Oxnard will be the primary shipping region for eastern quality fruit. Mexico availability will also start to increase quality offerings. The market will continue to have a wide range of prices reflecting the quality gap. The market on top end quality will continue to be strong through the Holiday’s.  Supplies on Raspberry and  Blackberries primarily from Mexico will increase and eventually lead to some easing in the market. Production from  Florida is on schedule but is still more than a month away.

GRAPES- The transition into late season varieties has been slow. Color and sugar levels have been inconsistent. Supplies  look to be  inconsistent , especially  on  Reds and  Green.  Globes have had more consistent quality and offerings