Market Notes
October 4, 2018
POTATO MARKET UPDATE
The digging is done in Colorado. The earliest of the potatoes have completed their five week sweat and we begin shipping them next week for east coast distribution. We are very fortunate this year to have sourced some beautiful product from Wisconsin that is ready to go so we can let our product in Colorado complete its sweat. Other than the occasional exploded potato we have no problems with lenticels or temperatures. We expect to take advantage of this northern opportunity for about three weeks. During this period we will be limited on mix and colors but we still have a small inventory that will come very close to covering us. Our Midnight Moon ™ purple/gold potatoes are trickling out a pallet here and a pallet there but we would still like to get these delicious potatoes into new markets. California is steady with product from our Tehachapi fields through October and then back to Bakersfield crop. No interruption in distribution is anticipated. Mixes and straight colors are no problem at this location. Here we can also consolidate with marbles. Red, yellow, purple and russet are available conventionally in Bakersfield, CA and organically out of Mosca, CO.
OFF-SHORE AND MORE
Asparagus are available in all sizes. Arrivals from Peru are looking great and pricing is reasonable. French beans are so inexpensive it’s silly. Snow peas and snap peas are reasonably but they product is clean with good tips and no fish-eye. Baby squash is available in all flavors and while we’ve seen cheaper, this product has legs. Peeled Carrots are in the same boat as the French beans, cheap and good quality. Yellow tomatoes have started in northern Florida and the initial pickings are slight. First pick gave us about six pallets but the deal will ramp up rapidly. Smaller sizes are accounted for but if you need some top quality 5×6 yellow tomatoes we should be able to easily cover by the end of next week. Many other growers will begin harvest before months end.
CULINARY CLOSING
Culinary Specialty Produce will be closed on Friday, October 19th. We will be in corporate meetings all day and there is no way we will be whale watching in the Pacific and train riding in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Nope, we will be hard at work all weekend. Normal hours will resume on Monday October 22nd. We did this in alignment with the PMA so while we are traveling and meeting so will many of our customers. Of course we will be on cell phones and have mobile e-mail but we won’t be at our desks until Monday. We will do our best to work ahead and cover what we can in advance. Please contact us if you have any concerns but please trust we will be reaching out to you.
NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – – WHAT AM I??
Utilized as a food by the North American Indians for thousands of years, I probably originated in the southwestern part of North America. My cultivation dates back to 900 B.C. Europeans learned of me in the 16th century and I was developed as a commercial oilseed by 19th century Russians. Today my most popular growing regions are Argentina, China, France, Russia, Spain and the United States. Summer is definitely my season, and in a way I am named after it. My thick hairy stem can be anywhere from 3 to 20 feet tall and my flower, a flat round brown disk edged with yellow petals, can grow to be 20 inches in diameter. Every part of me is useful. My seeds are edible raw, roasted, chopped, ground, or sprouted. The oil from my seeds is very popular, as it is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. This oil is used in salad and cooking oils, margarine and shortenings, and has even proven useful as a diesel fuel additive. My flowers are the source of a substance used to treat malaria, while my petals are used for making dye. Bee colonies are often placed in my fields for pollination and the production of honey. As a pharmafood I am an excellent source of potassium which promotes the reduction of sodium by means of urination. I am also considered to be an expectorant, relieving the symptoms of coughs, colds, and asthma. I am known to help poor vision. If planted accordingly, I can make a great summer fence.
Answer To Last Week’s Quiz:…CREAMER POTATO…Congrats To All Winners
Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702
Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com
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Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015