Green Thompson seedless Biodynamic® grapes from Marian Farms are an early fall favorite that stands out for its taste and quality. This variety is thin-skinned, sweet, juicy and flavorful. But what makes Marian Farms’ grapes so good?
Marian Farms, located in Fresno, California, grows using Biodynamic® practices and hand picks at peak ripeness. Grown on 90-year old vines, the grapes are harvested when they are at their sweetest ensuring ripe, full, and attractive clusters that range in color from translucent green-yellow to golden-amber. Unlike both organic and non-organic grapes, they are never treated with gibberellic acid which is sprayed on seedless grapes to increase berry size.
Once the most widely planted grape in California, and still grown primarily to make raisins, Thompson seedless can be considered an heirloom variety. Originally from Turkey, they were established here during the 1890s. Current popularity has shifted to new table grape cultivars offering larger, greener berries with strong crunch. But like many heirlooms, the flavor and sweetness of Thompson Seedless are out of this world. Don’t fear the amber color, it means the grape is full sugar!
New & Exciting!
Blueberry: We’re seeing the first of the Peruvian-grown blueberries for the season. Availability is a bit limited to start but should improve in 2-3 weeks.
Brussels Sprouts: The local season has started! We’re bringing in sprouts from Creekside Organics, grown in California’s Salinas Valley. Supply is plentiful and the season is expected to last through mid-January. Start building up your fall displays—this is a great item for promotion!
Fuyu Persimmon: Coming soon! These coveted fall fruits will be available in 1-layer cases from Biodynamic certified farm Beck Grove. Fuyu persimmons can be eaten while firm and are still delicious when they soften up. Small supply to start but availability will improve as the season ramps up!
Golden Delicious Apple: Bright yellow with smooth crisp, juicy texture. They offer a sweet, mellow flavor with subtle hints of honey, ideal for snacking, baking, or salads.
Hard Squash: Get excited! We’re entering hard squash season and starting to see a few specialty varieties come on including Carnival, Black Futsu, Koginut, Red Kuri and Sugar Pie Pumpkins. More to come! Talk to your Account Manager about
pre-ordering Mixed Variety squash bins!
Jack O’ Lantern: Get into the Halloween spirit with bulk pumpkin bins! Available in Regular (averages 50 pumpkins per bin) or Large (averages 30 pumpkins per bin) size.
Jujube Rock Front Porch Ranch: Fresh and dried fruit available now! From Rock Front Ranch, a regenerative woman-owned farm in Santa Maria, California. Jujubes, also known as Red Date, or Chinese Date, are incredibly nutritious. When fresh, jujubes pack up to 20 times the vitamin C found in citrus fruits. For thousands of years, these sweet fruits have been prescribed for anxiety and insomnia and are considered an ancient superfood.
Kiwi Berry: Kiwi berries pack the same bright, fruity flavor as a classic green kiwifruit, but have an edible, smooth thin skin. No fuzz on these adorable grape-size fruits! Perfect for kids as a healthy and unusual snack. Enjoy these when they are soft and ripe; the softer the berry, the sweeter the taste. Oregon-grown Kiwi berries have a short season and will be available until November. Fun Fact: The kiwi berries are an Anna variety which is short for Ananasnaya. Its Russian name means “pineapple-like.”
Pomegranate: Coming soon! The Early Wonder variety kicks off this superfood’s fall season! Its jewel-colored arils are perfect for eating fresh or scattering over salads and Middle-eastern inspired dishes. Get these on the sample table and show customers how to open and eat a pomegranate!
Reed Avocado: Large round creamy heirloom variety, California-grown. Perfect for guacamole, or slicing on a sandwich, burger or salad. Bonus: The skin is thick and sturdy enough to use as a natural bowl. Just mash and add salt! Act fast—these are available in limited quantities.
White Sapote: This exotic fruit is distantly related to citrus. It has green to yellow skin outside and custardy cream-colored flesh. The flavor is sweet and mild—with notes of banana, peach and vanilla. Eat when soft, like an avocado, & watch out for the large seeds! Fun Fact: The seeds of the white sapote were processed into a sleep aid by the Aztecs. Scientists today have isolated compounds within the seeds that have anti-inflammatory and sleep-inducing properties.
Promotable
Apples: Lean into fall with a spectacular apple display! We have a diverse range of apple varieties including new crop Fuji, Gala and Granny Smith from local California growers Cuyama Orchard and Ferrari Farm and a small offering of unique heirloom varieties.
Asian Pear: Earthseed Farm’s Asian pear season is in full swing! This 14-acre solar powered farm is located in Sebastopol, CA and
is the first Afro-Indigenous, all Black-owned permaculture farm in Sonoma County. Their Asian pears earn a cult following every season for their superb quality and flavor. Current harvested varieties include Shinseki, 20th Century, Hosui, and Chojuro.
- Chojuro: Known for its rich and distinctive sweet butterscotch flavor (brown skin)
- Hosui: Rich sweet flavor with distinct brandy aroma. (brown skin)
- Shinseki: Sweet and juicy with a delightful fruity aroma. (yellow skin)
- 20th Century: Exceptionally juicy, mild sweet flavor with hint of lemon. (yellow skin)
Earthseed will also have Olympic, Shinko, Ya-Li and Niitaka coming varieties over the next month.
Blackberry: Mimi’s Organics, our main local berry grower for the next few weeks, has a strong supply of juicy, delicious blackberries! Highly promotable as we transition into the fall season.
Biodynamic Thompson Green Grape: Intensely sweet, juicy and flavorful and seedless. These grapes are hand-picked at peak ripeness and packed in environmental white paper totes—which shows off their gorgeous color. Unlike almost all non-organic and organic grape growers, Marian Farms never treats their vines with gibberellic acid to increase berry size. Remember, amber color indicates sugar!
Cauliflower: Expect strong volume and quality on 12-count cauliflower for the next couple weeks.
Heirloom Tomato: Local supply is plentiful on mixed heirloom cases and straight packs of Brandywine, Cherokee, Marvel Stripe. Help our growers finish the season with a bang!
Lettuce: Supply is readily available for Gems, Red and Green Leaf, Romaine and Red Butter. Lett-uce rejoice in the abundance of greens!
Passionfruit: A staff favorite! Delicious sour & sweet flavor with citrussy floral finish. Eat fresh or add to smoothies, yogurt or desserts. Known as Lilikoi in Hawaii, passionfruit is overtaking pineapple and guava in all things tropical.
Onion: We’re still featuring locally grown red and yellow onions from northern California farms including Full Belly Farm, Terra Firma Farm, Veliz Organic, and John Tobias Farm (sold under the Hummingbird label). Let’s not forget the humble but mighty shallot, also available locally right now. Prices have come down—this is a great time to promote! Fresh & flavorful—these onions are a great way to support local growers.
Pear: New crop California-grown pears are still available. Abate Fetal have a wonderfully distinct sweetness, and should be eaten when crisp. Bosc are unique for their color: a warm cinnamon brown with russeting and elegant shape. Of course, their honey sweet flavor with hints of spice is also delicious eaten out of hand. Bartlett are extremely aromatic with sweet, rich flavor; very juicy.
Black Plum: Angelino variety plums will continue to be available for several weeks, These have blackish-purple skin and sweet yellow flesh.
Strawberry: Volume remains strong, supply is expected to go through October.
Limited
Baby Bok Choy
Bagged gold beets
Coconut Chunks
Fig: Becoming very limited.
Nopales: limited but new planting coming on
Pickling Cucumber
Raspberry: Gapping /limited until import seasons begins mid-October.
Specialty Grape: All varieties are winding down for the season.
Done for the Season
Domestic Blueberry: Northwest fruit has ended abruptly. We will be gapping until the organic import season begins mid-October.
Grape: Bronx, Concord. Plenty of seedless Thompson to fulfill your grape needs!
Star Ruby Grapefruit
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