One of our favorite holidays is on Saturday, April 22nd. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day is celebrated by focusing on conservation, sustainability and protecting our precious planet from unintended human impact. Over one billion people participate in Earth Day every year, making it the largest secular observance in the world. Promote  the importance of organic farming and regenerative agriculture in mitigating climate change and damage to our soil, air and water. Showcase products with recyclable or compostable packaging such as Del Cabo sugar plums in paperboard clamshells or Peri & Sons Earthbag onions. Our oceans do not want any more plastic! Share your efforts to  be a more sustainable business; many ideas for Earth-friendly produce departments are simple and creative. Reducing food waste with a ‘bargain bin’, featuring bulk greens, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and berries, using thin flat paper bags instead of plastic produce bags, and identifying local farms are easy and cheap innovations. Explaining your actions can be a great way to engage your customers and build loyalty; you and your customers make a difference with good food choices. Let’s make everyday Earth Day!  

How much do you know about climate change? Test your knowledge with this trivia quiz! 

“If we really want to protect our planet, it starts with food.”

-Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia (outdoor clothing)  

Merchandising Corner 

If you are not sure how to display new eco-friendly retail packs, here are some merchandising ideas to get your Earth-loving creative juices flowing! 

The clear plant-based cellulose window on these recyclable paperboard sugar plum cherry tomatoes packs lets their bright color shine through, highlighting both freshness and quality.  

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Conveniently packaged in compostable and biodegradable paper/bamboo mesh bags, Earthbag onions are the perfect match for virtually any produce display from Backyard BBQ to Cinco de Mayo! 

Take our Produce Notes Survey

We strive to share current and relevant produce knowledge and market updates, as your produce supply partner.  The goal of our biweekly Produce Notes is to share  information in an organized and useful manner, to make it easier for you to manage and plan for your produce department.  

Help us improve what we publish in our Produce Notes by filling out this 5-minute survey. 

Produce Resources 

The Produce Department Manual provides tools and resources for product ordering, inventory management, in-store merchandising, and more. 

Produce Department Manual 

Save time and boost sales with our ready-made shelf talkers. Shelf talkers help educate employees and shoppers alike, with flavor notes, nutrition, and eating tips. 

Jayleaf Retail Greens Shelf Talkers 

Citrus Shelf Talkers 

Citrus Variety Guide 

New & Exciting! 

Artichoke: Earthy and slightly nutty flavor, artichokes complement any number of spring dishes. While the petals are crunchy on the outside, the heart is much softer and has more intense flavor. 

Fun Fact: According to Greek mythology, Zeus was enraged when a deity, Cynara, snuck back to Earth to visit her human mother. As punishment, Zeus turned her into an artichoke and tossed her to the ground! 

California-grown Asparagus (left): Tender, grassy and sweet, asparagus tastes best freshly picked and in-season right now! Also check out Purple asparagus which has a nuttier and sweeter taste than Green asparagus and adds a nice pop of color to spring displays! 

Mini Seedless Watermelon: The season is just starting up for Mexican-grown melons. Expect steady supply! 

New Crop Potato: California-grown and freshly harvested Red and Yellow ‘spuds are here. New crop potatoes tend to be dug before they are fully mature which makes them delicate and thin-skinned. The flesh is moist (as all young things are!) and has a creamy, sweet flavor. Spring potatoes are lightly cured before packing, but never stored. Prepare simply (steamed or roasted) to enjoy the earthy fresh potato flavor! 

Pear: Two delicious new import varieties from Argentina are available now. Alex Lucas are similar to D’Anjou Pears—green skinned, buttery soft texture and juicy sweet flavor. Durondeau is an heirloom Belgian variety with attractive golden green russeted skin and some red blush. It has a sweet, slightly tart flavor and is very aromatic. Great for eating fresh and baking!

Rhubarb (right): Coming soon! A hallmark of spring, this beautiful pink and green vegetable is often used as a fruit. The tangy flavor is best enjoyed when cooked or baked with a sweetener. Only the stalks are edible; the leaves should not be consumed.

Promotable 

Earth Day Favorites 

• Sugar Plum Paperboard Clamshell (right) (Del Cabo) – Made with 100% recycled paperboard with a plant-based clear cellulose window that is certified compostable.
• Red or Yellow Onion Earthbag (Peri & Sons) – The name says it all. Earthbags are made from paper/bamboo mesh and are 100% biodegradable and compostable! 
• Retail Herb Compostable Clamshell (Bay Area Herbs) – Coming soon! Same high-quality herbs in an entirely compostable container. 
• G.R.O.W. Bananas (Organics Unlimited) – Ethically sourced and fairly traded. A premium from every case of G.R.O.W. (Giving Resources & Opportunities to Workers) bananas sold goes back to support underserved agricultural communities in Mexico and Ecuador. 
• Fair Trade certified Cherry Tomato Brites, Darlings, Kaleidos, and Poppies (Wholesum) – Fairly traded, sustainable, and exactly what inspired shoppers are looking for right now. 
• Mushrooms for plant-based menus and, reducing your carbon footprint! Especially bulk packs with less packaging.  

Blackberry: Steady supply; it’s a good time to let blackberries shine while other berries are still limited.  

Hass Avocado: Volume deals on California-grown 70 count fruit from Las Palmalitas! Get ready for Cinco de Mayo, one of the biggest avocado holidays in the USA; May 5th falls on a Friday this year for weekend celebrations! 

Hot House Cucumber: Readily available with sharp pricing for the next couple of weeks. 

Medjool Date (below): Stock up on retail packs of dates for shoppers looking to celebrate the Ramadan holiday ending on April 21st. Medjool dates are one of the most popular varieties—known for sweet, caramel taste and moist texture.

Pink Lady Apple: 100 and 113 Count sizes are still very promotable. Ask your Account Manager about volume deals! 

Ruby Grapefruit: nutrition powerhouse of citrus: complex flavor profile indicates high vitamin and mineral content; all sizes are in good supply and promotable. 

Tomato on the Vine: Prices are holding steady; supply is plentiful. 

Limited 

Baby Broccoli: California desert production is ending; availability is limited. Prices are expected to trend up. 

Bunched Spinach: gapping with no timeline of when it will be back in stock 

Cauliflower: very limited 

Lime: Still limited. Prices are expected to come down in May when supply is more abundant. 

Napa Cabbage: gapping 

Passionfruit: very limited due to the cold winter; passionfruit do not respond well to cold and rains, the blossoms fall off the vine and what little fruit there is remains green in color.

Raspberry: limited 

Red Seedless Grape: the last of the Peruvian imports are coming in, then a gap until the domestic season starts in May. 

Radicchio Chiogga & Treviso: limited 

Romanesco: gapping 

Strawberry: Still limited but better availability than the previous few weeks. In a couple weeks, supply should improve greatly, weather permitting.

Food Movers & Shakers

Let’s celebrate the changemakers in our food system who have contributed to the areas of food justice, organic farming, transportation, culinary arts, and sustainable agriculture. Thanks to these individuals and organizations, our food system is becoming more transparent and changing for the better. 

Rachel Carson

Courtesy:  National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution 

Rachel Carson is most famous for her 1962 ground-breaking book, Silent Spring, warning of the dangers of DDT and other chemical pesticides to the natural world. Carson was a marine biologist, working for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in DC, when she started questioning the scope and direction modern industrial science was taking. She was always aware of the impact that humans have on all natural eco-systems; her work directly resulted in the birth of the contemporary environmental movement, and the establishment of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

It may surprise you to know that a 1957 lawsuit against the US government to stop aerial spraying of DDT inspired Carson’s writing of Silent Spring. The suit was brought by two biodynamic women farmers in New York state to protect their organic farm and property from unwanted pesticide contamination. Marjorie Spock and Mary Richards spent over three years in court, but eventually lost their case against the government. They shared their trial transcripts with Rachel Carson, who used it and other mounting evidence of indiscriminate misuse of ‘biocides’ (a term coined by Carson) for her book. 

The accumulated threat from chemical exposure up the food chain from insects to birds to humans was now clearly scientifically established. Of course, it drew fierce opposition, and a personal smear campaign, from chemical companies and their lobbyists. Rachel Carson prevailed, transforming public opinion and the scientific community forever, birthing the deep ecology movement. Sadly, Rachel Carson died in 1964 of breast cancer at the age of 57. 

We owe so much to Rachel Carson for her love for nature, her trust in farmers, and her bravery to speak out, even against powerful forces. 

To learn more, check out this 5 minute video.