With Halloween just a couple weeks away, pumpkin mania is at its peak. Every grocery store, coffee shop and bakery have pumpkin displays, drinks, and baked goods prominently promoted. But did you know that the association of pumpkins with Halloween is a relatively recent phenomenon?   

Halloween comes from the Irish festival Samhain, (pronounced sow-win) a celebration that marked the transition from the summer harvest season to winter. The Roman Catholic church adapted this sacred holiday and renamed it All Hallow’s Eve, which contracted to ‘Halloween’. It is believed that spirits of the ancestors are closest to our physical realm during this period, half-way between the Equinox and the Solstice. To distract, or perhaps honor, these spirits, indigenous Celtic people would carve faces into large turnips and set candles inside. They would place the turnip lanterns on roadways and next to gates to light the way for travelers.   

The celebration of Halloween in America is traced back to the mid-1800s when Irish immigrants began arriving in large numbers. The first mention of pumpkin carving was in 1866 in a children’s magazine. This tradition grew more and more popular and by 1920, Halloween was embraced everywhere in the country. As pumpkin carving grew into a lucrative industry, American farmers bred new lines of squash specifically for carving. Massachusetts farmer John Howden developed the Howden pumpkin in the 1960s, and it is still the most popular carving pumpkin in America.  

Fun Fact: The largest pumpkin ever grown in North America weighed 2,749 pounds! It was grown by Travis Gienger from Minnesota and affectionately named “Michael Jordan.” 

While pumpkins are the main event for Halloween, don’t overlook the myriad of specialty squash available for both decoration and eating. From small Casperitas, which look like mini white pumpkins, to the spooky Warty Goblin (green and orange with warts), there is a whole world of squash and pumpkins besides the good ‘ol Jack O’ Lantern. Expand your horizons and gourd offerings—check out our full bin and half bin options which include 10+ varieties of specialty hard squash. 

New & Exciting!

Chestnut: They are here now! ‘Tis the season for delicious, sweet chestnuts from Heath Ranch (VV Exclusive).  Packed in 8-pound mesh bags, these attractive locally-grown nuts are available in several sizes, primarily Colossal. 

Cranberry: It’s time! Both 8-ounce and 12-ounce retail bags available. Although Thanksgiving is still weeks away, shoppers are looking for cranberries for fall recipes! 

Eggnog: Delicious, creamy eggnog from Alexandre Family Farms and Straus is here now. Only available during the fall and winter season! 

Envy Apple: Envy apples are a vibrant red with a smattering of yellow color. A cross between Braeburn and Royal Gala, this apple has balanced sweetness, lovely aroma and crisp texture in every bite. Bonus—they are slow to oxidize and brown!   

Granny Smith Apple: Robin’s Nest Farm is coming on with their delicious apples, grown locally in Watsonville, CA. These are a staff favorite because they are mature and fully ripe, unlike many Grannies picked too early.  

Opal Apple: Beautiful sunny yellow color with distinctively crunchy texture, and a sweet, tangy flavor. Opals do not brown after cutting which makes them perfect for salads, cheese boards and kids’ lunchboxes! 

Persimmon: Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons are both available now! Fuyus are mild, crunchy and sweet while Hachiya are more intensely sweet with slightly spicy flavor. Enjoy Fuyus anytime, but Hachiya must be fully soft and ripe, like pudding, to eat or use in cooking.

Rambutan: grown by a family farm in Guatemala, this exotic fruit is a close cousin to Lychee and Longan. Similar in texture to a juicy grape, with a sweet, slightly floral, and tropical flavor. To enjoy, split the brittle skin and peel it back to get to the white fruit inside. Don’t worry, the ‘spines’ look sharp but are soft and bend back easily. Watch out for a single large seed inside! 

Specialty Squash: Don’t be afraid to offer your customers something unexpected for their hard squash needs. We have exciting varieties like Jade Knight, Warty Goblin, and Casperita available by cases as well as mixed bins and mixed half bins which may include 10+ varieties. Ask your Account Manager for recommendations to spruce up your specialty squash display. 

Maple Sugar Candy: For all fall and winter festivities, stock up on delicious maple syrup and maple candy from Maple Valley Co-op, a Wisconsin-based all-organic cooperative, (modeled after Organic Valley Co-op). Maple candy is a great healthy alternative for Halloween treats! Celebrate National Co-op Month by supporting a farmer/producer co-op!   

Promotable

Brussels Sprouts: Good volume on California-grown sprouts; expect steady supply through end of November.

Green Kiwi: The California kiwi season has started! These fuzzy fruits are from third-generation farm, Wild River, located just 130 miles from San Francisco. 

Hass Avocado: Good news! Beloved avocado grower, Las Palmalitas Ranch is expected to go five more weeks. Great pricing on 36 count and ask about volume deals for 48s & 70s.   

Kiwi Berry: Oregon-grown fruit still in good supply. Kiwi berries are similar in flavor to their larger green cousins but in a convenient snackable size and no fuzz! Packaged in 6-ounce clamshell, these are a great alternative for your shelves while blueberries are in short supply. 

Lemon: Check out the combo pack—competitive pricing and nice alternative for choice grade fruit.

Passionfruit: Bring a taste of the tropics to your fall displays with California-grown passionfruit. The perfect balance of sweet and tart! 

Pomegranate: Early Wonderful variety here now! We have an assortment of sizes and a volume-fill pack available. The sweet and tangy arils are perfect for eating fresh, sprinkling on a salad, or juicing. 

Limited

Bok Choy: Gapping 

Blueberry: The Peruvian import season is just starting up and supply is limited. Demand is high; expect high prices. 

Jicama: Gapping 

Raspberry: Extremely limited. 

Rutabaga: Gapping until early November 

Done for the Season 

Asian Pear from Earthseed Farm 

Dry-farmed tomato from Sea Level Farm 

Jujube 

Peach 

Reed Avocado 

Thomcord grape 

Valencia Orange 

Merchandising Corner  

Festive Fall Displays 

Pumpkins are an obvious choice for setting autumn decor, but don’t forget about pomegranates, kiwis, and persimmons! Take advantage of the vibrant color and the unique shape and texture of these items to make your displays pop. Read on for some tips to build and maintain stellar fall displays.  

Jack-O-Lantern and Specialty Squash Bins: Put a layer of milk crates on the bottom of the bin to lift the pumpkins up, making the bin look fuller and the produce more accessible. Side stack pomegranates, mini pumpkins, and squash to make the bin of Jacks stand out.  

Kiwi: These should arrive firm and will ripen over a few days to a week. As the kiwi ripen, they become soft and sweet, but may wrinkle a bit. Look for overly-wrinkled fruit and cull those from your displays, or use for sampling.  

Pomegranate: Larger fruit tends to sell faster, but smaller fruit is often available at a better price point. Watch out for fruit with hardening skin, as this is a sign of severe dehydration, and needs to be pulled. Softer pomegranates are still good, and often taste sweeter.  

Fuyu and Hachiya Persimmons: Educate customers on how to tell the difference between Fuyu and Hachiya, when to eat, and how to gauge ripeness on a Hachiya. Consider placing signage to help illustrate. Hint: ripe Hachiya starts to feel like a water balloon! Placing in the freezer overnight and allowing to thaw is a quick way to ripen Hachiyas.  

We hope you enjoy creating some fantastic displays with these ‘wonder-fall’ favorites. 

National Co-op Month 

Co-op Month is celebrated by cooperatives and community partners nationwide during the month of October, an annual opportunity to raise awareness of a trusted, proven way to do business and build resilient, inclusive communities.   

As a values-driven business, VV is proud to support the co-ops within our communities.   

Learn more about Co-ops here!