Now that 4th of July is behind us, we enter the peak season for Summer, and with it  bring rising temperatures, backyard barbecues, picnics, and road trip vacations. It also brings on the backyard gardens that will start producing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans, squashes, melons, berries, and other assorted items. In these tough economic times, you can be SURE that more and more folks have taken up garden planting. ANYTHING to help defray the costs of “gettin’ by”.
Normally, trucks are tight starting around the 4th of July, and rates are at their peak for the year. We have seen rates go up, but nowhere near the prices that truckers and truck brokers had projected. Fuel costs have gone up, but are still $1.50/gallon or so LESS than last year at this time. That is about $1000 LESS for  a load of produce to the East coast than we paid last year. That’s huge.
Long range weather throughout the country shows warmer days and nights, with heat spells in various points around the nation. As far as our growing areas, we show steady, seasonal temperatures in Salinas and tree fruit country, and no rain.

LETTUCE–basically we are in “Summer supplies”, which show lower volume in Salinas and Santa Maria. This is typical for this time of year, because with the local growing deals and backyard gardens, shippers out West don’t need to have too much product come on and depress the market. As a result, the market is steady to stronger today, and we look for this to be this way all week. Quality is good to excellent.

BROCCOLI–plenty of supplies on bunch 14s, 18s, and crowns, and the market is flat.

CAULIFLOWER–the shippers pushed this market last week, and are trying to hold on to it today. With higher retails set, we don’t see this market being able to sustain the high prices. We suggest you only order what you need.

LEAF ITEMS–not much change. Red leaf and green leaf are steady, and the romaine market is strong. We have had real quality problems with romaine in the past few weeks, and supplies have dropped off. Romaine hearts, which are mostly contracted, are taking the bulk of supplies, and not much is left for carton business.

CELERY–Oxnard has finished, and we are now in Salinas and Santa Maria for supplies, and will be here well into November. This is certainly better for loading our trucks, which help to concentrate in just a few areas, instead of going from Oxnard to Salinas. The market seems to be going nowhere, and Michigan is right around the corner, which won’t help prices out West.

STRAWBERRIES–no change. The demand has fallen off, and the market is in the dumper. Without a change in the weather(either cold, hot, or rain), we don’t expect the berry market to go anywhere. Raspberries and blackberries are available, but are in shorter supply, especially blackberries.