Market Notes Dec 26,2019
The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness.
Henry David Thoreau
10) URBAN GARDENS – First it was increased support for local growers. Then it became lettuce on the rooftops. Now we can combine genetics with urban gardening. Introducing the CRISPR tomato. When three specific genetic mutations are combined and tuned just right, scientists can now turn tomato plants into extremely compact bushes ideal for urban agriculture. Lovers of GMO rejoice! 9) COSMIC CRISP APPLE– The result of 20 years of study and research by Washington State University’s tree fruit breeding program. Cross between Enterprise and Honeycrisp, the Cosmic Crisp apple is both sweet and tart. No GMO here, just years of crossbreeding for an apple that does not turn brown when you cut it and has a shelf life of over a year. 8) STRAW COCONUT-The Hamona coconut now comes packaged with its own straw. This coconut has three “eyes” on its shell where you can simply push a straw through and start drinking. A wonderful solution for a difficult fruit. 7) RED KIWI – From green to yellow and now red. Perhaps rainbow is next. The red kiwi, new this year, has the sweetness of the yellow Sun Gold variety but this fruit is said to have an added berry flavor. The “vibrant” red flesh came from a unique and naturally occurring pigment, called anthocyanin, within the fruit. Make room for kiwi salads! 6) SMART FRESH– Post harvest technology continues the search for extended shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Now apples and pears retain their freshness and nutrient value with Smart Fresh. Smart Fresh is a brand of a synthetic produce quality enhancer containing 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Smart Fresh technology halts the fruits and vegetables’ natural ripening process to prolong freshness. It claims to be risk free and is being used for mangoes, melons, peaches, and tomatoes as well as apples and pears. A must for long term shipping and great for the consumer. 5) ROMAINE TRADITION– So, not all traditions are good. This is a definite failure for an industry that is trying to regulate itself. At this writing it is our understanding that there is more than one source for the tainted lettuce and there have even been reports of recalls from Mexican product as well. Unfortunately this panic also rolls over into mesclun mixes with baby green romaine, red romaine and baby heads, which are all different products. They are grown and processed differently. Good luck explaining that to the consumer. 4) LABOR – Let’s face it. American workers are not going to do the hard work that is harvesting produce. From picking strawberries to harvesting pears, immigrant workers are the work force. As ICE gets more intense so does the retention of labor. Safety camps have been created by growers to protect their essential workers providing internal facilities for education, shopping and other essential activities where field workers will be both safe and appreciated. This will be an ongoing issue especially in California where these workers appear to be “picked” on. One dangerous solution is… 3) ROBOTICS – One of the fastest growing sectors in our industry will be coming to us in a two pronged approach, harvest and transportation. Robots now guide tractors, a pre-cursor to robotic over the road transportation. Robots can also pick strawberries, a pretty gentle operation. It won’t be long before they run processing. So the occasional frog, bug or hair will be replaced by screws, wires, and flash drives. This is going to be a huge and troublesome transition. 2) BOITIC FARMING – Still the best thing in farming we have seen. Each year it catches on a little more. The idea is stupid simple. “Take care of the soil, and the soil will take care of the plants.” This saves water, retains carbon in the ground, eliminates the use of pesticides, and yields nutrient dense produce. It is a triple win, just don’t tell DuPont. 1) CBD– When hemp was approved for domestic harvest we thought it was a major breakthrough for cannabis and trouble for the textile industry. But with CBD, the cure-all wonder drug, pharma-culture has dominated. Hundreds of thousands of acers are now being devoted to the growth and production where you can find it water, chocolate and everything in between. Like peeled carrots and shiitake mushrooms, it will find its saturation point.********
From us and ours to you and yours wishing you a safe, happy and healthy New Year
Produce Quiz On Vacation Will Return January 2, 2020
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702 Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com “like” us @ Culinary Specialty Produce on Facebook© Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015