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. It was believed that spirits of the ancestors lurked in the shadows during the festival. To distract the spirits, 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. 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.” 

New & Exciting!

Burdock Root: Fiber rich vegetable that has an earthy, nutty flavor when cooked. The blend of sweet and bitter taste can be described as similar to that of an artichoke.

Comice Pear (right): Succulent, buttery and exceptionally sweet. Most often green in color with some red blush. This variety has fragile skin so take care when handling the fruit!  

Fun Fact: Comice are known as the “Christmas Pear” and are often the stars in holiday gift baskets and boxes. 

Decorative Gourds: 650–pound bins of Speckled Swan and Birdhouse ornamental gourds are perfect for attention-grabbing fall displays! Pre-order yours now! 

Early Wonder Pomegranate: This early season variety has dark red arils and sweet-tart flavor. Perfect for eating fresh, adding to yogurt or topping a savory salad! 

Eggnog: Everyone’s favorite holiday item is now in season! Straus Family Creamery’s old-fashioned eggnog is rich, creamery, and not overly sweet. It’s worth the year-long wait for this delicious holiday tradition. Available through pre-order only. 

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! Check out our Apple Variety Guide for flavor notes on other apples this season! 

Far West Fungi ReadyCycle Packs (left): All fresh mushrooms in clamshell retail packs from Far West Fungi now come in 100% recyclable Readycycle cardboard. This includes Shiitake, Tree Oyster, Maitake, King Trumpet, Lion’s Mane and Exotic Mix. Goodbye plastic! 

Fuyu Persimmon: Fuyu variety here now! Squat and rounded in shape. Flavor has notes of pear, dates, and hints of cinnamon. Texture varies from crisp and succulent when young and become tender as they mature. No astringency and edible when firm. Bins are available for pre-order. 

Green Kiwi: California-grown and coming soon from Wild River!   

Marigold (right): This eye-catching and fragrant flower is sacred in Mexico and an important part of Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. The holiday falls on November 2nd this year. Brighten up your floral displays with this seasonal beauty! 

Promotable

Asian Pear: In great supply from Sebastopol-based small farm, EARTHSeed. 20th Century, Niitaka, Olympic and Shinko varieties here now! Founded in 2021 by Pandora Thomas, the main land steward of the farm, EARTHseed is the first Afro-Indigenous, all Black-owned permaculture farm in Sonoma County.   

Bunched Broccoli: Good supply at promotable prices! 

Chestnut: Readily available in a variety of sizes: Large, Jumbo, Colossal and Super Colossal. We love the sweet, nutty, buttery flavor of cooked chestnuts. Try this dreamy French Chestnut Soup recipe. 

Dracula Peppers (right): These spicy purplish-black chili peppers are just what you need to create a festive spooky produce display this Halloween! 

Hard Squash – Butternut, Delicata and Acorn are plentiful. It’s not too early to start planning for Thanksgiving! Ask your Account Manager about pre-ordering bins. 

Lemon: Plentiful supply on Mexican-grown fruit! 

Maple Valley products: Stock up on delicious maple syrup, maple butter and maple candy from Wisconsin based all-organic cooperative for fall festivities. Maple candy is a great healthy alternative for Halloween treats! Celebrate National Co-op Month by supporting a co-op! 

Opal Apple (left): Opals have bright sunny yellow skin, satisfying crunch and sweet tangy floral flavor. They are naturally non-browning so perfect for a pre-sliced snack or garnish on a cheese board! Check out this recipe for Fish Tacos and Apple Slaw! 

Red Bell Pepper: Supply remains strong from many labels. 

Russet Potato: Steady volume–lots out there! 

Limited

Aloe Vera 

Artichoke: Remains extremely limited 

Blueberry: Limited and expensive 

Carrot 

Cauliflower 

Keitt Mango: Winding down fast; larger sizes are more available 

Rambutan: Gapping until further notice due to import challenges from Guatemala. 

Valencia Orange: Prices are going up! Fruit is very limited. Most growers are winding down fast.   

Done for the Season 

Corn 

Deglet Date: Bulk and retail packs are done until the new crop starts up in mid-November. The last of available supply is on hand now. 

Stone Fruit: We’re nearing the end of a delicious season! 

Produce Resources 

APPLE VARIETY GUIDE 

WINTER SQUASH VARIETY GUIDE 

Check out the Customer Toolbox on our website (login required) for more produce resources! 

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 Decorative Gourd 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 gourds 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! Reach out to your Account Manager if you’re interested in setting up time with Kerri Williams, our Merchandiser, to revamp your fall displays. 

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!