What are Produce Buyers Looking Forward to?

It’s mid-summer and everyone is swimming in stone fruit, so we decided to ask some produce industry friends about the upcoming products that they’re looking forward to.

• Tammy Graham from New Moon Natural Food Tahoe City can’t wait for the next wave of figs to hit. She loves to build large fig displays with all the colors, and even works in some bottles of balsamic vinegar. She says the Knoll Farm figs are a surprising hit with the customers, even though they are not in baskets.
• Tammy is also looking forward to the new-crop California pears and heirloom apples. Increasingly popular apples are: Roxbury Russet, Cinnamon Spice, King David, Winesap, Cortland, Pink Pearl, and Sierra Beauty. Like heirloom tomatoes, these varieties are not uniform in shape or color, but have compelling individual qualities in flavor, texture, or sweet-tart balance.
• Mary Diaz from Sacramento Natural Foods is waiting for the Marian Farm Biodynamic Thompson grape totes to start up. They are super sweet, with small, amber colored berries. Mary says that customers appreciate the paper tote, which is a nice relief from the more common plastic pouch. Marian Farms expects to harvest Thompsons mid-August.
• Both Tammy and Mary said they are waiting for the orchid melons. These small watermelons are seeded, sweet, and crunchy. They also have a beautiful, pale orange color.

Orchid melons are currently available, while figs and Marian Farm grapes aren’t too far behind. Keep checking the list or ask your Account Manager to give you a heads-up when these products are about to start up.