There are many varieties of pears, but the most popular pear in the United States is the Bartlett. The Bartlett pear, originally known as the Williams pear, got its start in 17^th century England. It crossed the Atlantic with early American colonists. In 1812, Enoch Bartlett began distributing the variety under his own name as he was unaware of the pear’s true name. Bartlett pear trees arrived in California by 1849 by prospectors in the Gold Rush. California’s ideal climate and soils led it to become the nation’s supplier of pears as the first large-scale commercial fruit industry emerged. Many of the farming families who originally planted pears near Sacramento’s Gold Rush communities are still growing pears today!

California-grown Barletts are just starting and looking exceptional this season. The Bartlett carries a true pyriform “pear shape,” a rounded bell on the bottom half of the fruit with a definitive shoulder and a smaller neck or stem end. Bartletts are extremely aromatic pears and are unique as their skin brightens as they ripen. They start off green, crunchy and tart and turn yellow, moist and mildly sweet. Pears are an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C. Add these delicious sweet treats to your order today!

Summer Melon Displays

It is peak melon time and all our favorite farms have great supply of all the beloved standards and specialty varieties you have been waiting for. With safety and social distancing guidelines still in effect, customers will not have the opportunity to touch and taste melons in the same way as pre-pandemic.  It is more important than ever to build an eye-catching display and share product information at the store and in other creative ways. Here are some tips to help talk up and sell melons:

• Make smaller displays exciting by using color and texture breaks by incorporating other items.
• Add “Staff Favorite” shelf talkers to your displays. Bits of information like this help customers make their purchasing choices. This helps add a personal touch to displays.
• Descriptive shelf talkers are a great addition to specialty melons that customers may not be too familiar with. Do not crowd the sign with too much info. Two to three talking points is plenty.
• Clear signage is always a must. With so many varieties, this helps avoid confusion and helps making sure customers are walking away the melon they want.
• If your department is set up to offer cut fruit, this is a great perk to offer. Halved melons filled with grapes and berries an attractive crowd pleaser. This is also a good way to help move melons that might need to be moved quickly or have been damaged. This helps cut down on loss.
• Since there is not an opportunity to engage and actively taste alongside customers in-store, consider introducing virtual tastings. Staff can taste, give their feedback, and describe the flavor profile of different melons on video. Keep the videos short and share through your social media accounts if available.

New & Exciting:

• Black Seedless Grape*: Pouches and paper totes in good supply. Skin is firm and deep purple to nearly black. Flesh is translucent, juicy, tender, and less crunchy compared to red or green grapes. Tastes sweet with a grapey Muscat flavor.
• Brussels Sprouts: California-grown sprouts in good supply.
• Gala Apple: California-grown and new crop starting up.
• Goldline Peach*: Rare white peach. Distinctive thin golden line runs through fruit. Extremely delicious with a balanced sugar and acid flavor.
• San Marzano Roma Tomato: Available in limited numbers. Beautiful deep red coloring. Sweet flavor with low acidity. Skin is easy to remove, firm pulp, and low seed count.
• Specialty Melons*: Canary, Charentais, Goddess, Piel De Sapo, and Sharlyn varieties available in limited numbers. Talk to your Account Manager if you’re interested!
• Sweet Pepper: California-grown and tasting great.
• Sweet Potato*: New crop Garnets here now. New crop Hannah, Japanese and Jewel sweet potatoes are starting the last week of July.

• Yukon Gold Potato*: Finely flaked yellowish-white skin with light yellow flesh. Slightly sweet with a smooth, slightly waxy texture, and moist flesh. Best for boiling, baking, and making French fries.

Promotable:

• Ataulfo Mango: Import in good supply.
• Bagged Apples*: Braeburn and Gala have sharp pricing. Great item for retailers looking for easy-to-grab produce items for customers.
• Broccoli*: Supply is strong with sharp pricing.
• Green Bean: In great supply with sharp pricing.
• Hard Squash: Acorn, Butternut, Delicata, Kabocha and spaghetti are all in strong supply and California-grown.
• Hass Avocado: Larger sizes have sharp pricing. Talk to your Account Manger for volume deals.

• Kiwi: Green and gold fruit in good supply.
• Melon: Honeydew, Galia and specialty melons in good supply.

• Tomato*: California-grown cherry and heirloom tomatoes in very strong supply. Tasting amazing and make great colorful retail displays!
• Yellow Peach: Fruit is big, juicy, and tasting delicious! Peaking in season with sharp pricing.

*Staff Pick

Limited:

• Berry: Strawberries are in somewhat good supply. Production is expected to be up and down moving into the second half of the California-grown season. Raspberries are steady with limited numbers out of Baja, California.
• Bell Pepper: Red and yellow continue to be very limited in supply.
• Cabbage: Green in limited supply with high prices. Savoy remains limited.
• Cherry: Get your cherries before the season ends! Sweet and Dark Sweet available in limited numbers.

• Eggplant: Ping Tong Long and mixed variety box available in limited numbers. Globe continues to be tight in supply.

Did you know… although eggplants are often considered a vegetable, they are a berry by botanical definition? They are a member of the genus Solanum and are closely related to tomatoes and potatoes!

• Poblano Pepper: Gapping.

Done for the Season:

• Rhubarb

Download July 24 2020 Produce Notes