market reports

How do you get ready for summer? What part of your body do you work on to make sure you look fabulous? Now of course the difference between men and women comes into play here. Most men will not try and work on anything, because we are perfect the way we are. And if you are married, you always have the fall back comment, “you married me, not my body.” Men, I will tell you if you are married longer than a few years and you have added a significant amount of weight that line is not going to work; and if she is still the same as she was when you married her, not only is that line not going to work, she is going to find a new hubby if you don’t get off your ass and work out.

For women, what part they want to work on for summer cannot be answered in one market report, so I will enlist in the help of all of my female friends and ask them what it would be. Just send me an email -I will total the results and put them in the market report later.

The weather is screwing up things in California and other parts of the growing areas. Rain and hail hit the growing areas this week and the result is not good. Rain causes all kinds of problems with production and growth rates on every item. For Berries it is extremely devastating because it shortens shelf line and cuts down on transportation. The Berry situation is not going to be good all next week and when you add that it hasn’t been good the last 4 weeks, you get a sense of the problem.

Hail is ten times worse than rain. Hail just wrecks stuff and that’s what it did. Most of the big shippers are trying to lessen the damage by trimming off leaves but it may be too little too late. The price of Row Crops will definitely be going up. Beans are much higher, Cucs are higher, and Asparagus is going up on all sizes. Red Cabbage took a jump and Green Onions are higher. Parsley, both Italian and Regular are higher. Broc is steady but Rapini is still very high priced.

Speaking of high priced, I would pass on Acorn, Butternut, and Spaghetti Squash if I were you. Prices are over $50 on two of the three and not going down anytime soon. Zucchini and Yellow Squash are down so that’s good news if you have those on the menu. Corn is down. Fennel is higher and getting 18ct Fennel is proving to be quite challenging. Spinach prices are moving up, but local is about to start so that will help with pricing. Peppers are moving higher next week. Reds are shooting up in price and supply has gotten very tight. Yellow are high already so no relief here either. Eggplant has also gone up- Regular Eggplant is over twenty dollars and Japanese Eggplant is still over fifty.

If you are a Mustard Green, Turnip Green, and Collard Green lover you are a happy camper. Your prices are down and quality is up. If you like Escarole you are not happy, your price is up- and depending on if you are having Beans with your Escarole you could save money on gas, because you will have plenty. Beets, Parsnips, and Horseradish are all steady.

Box Potatoes moved up again last week but so did all the Red Potatoes and Yukon Gold Potatoes. You could say it was Potato price up week. Kennebec Potatoes are about to start new crop so we should see stability in that market. Now Fingerlings are starting in new growing areas and crop has been steady for most of the winter/ spring season, which has helped everyone. Don’t forget the Pee Wees, they are a great side for any high end plate.

Tomato prices have been stable for a few weeks and that’s a good thing for the summer because you have a huge selection of Tomatoes to choose from. Of course you have all the regular stuff 6x7, 5x6, and 6x6 sizes that come in 20# and 25# boxes. You also have 4x5 repacks, 4x5 Vine Ripes, and single layer 16x18ct Beefsteaks which are either Hydro grown or field packed. Also we have Organic Tomatoes in Plums and some sizes. We stock Yellow Teardrops, Yellow Grapes, Yellow Tomatoes on the Vine, and Regular size Yellow Tomatoes. Kumato Tomatoes, Campari Tomatoes, On the Vine Tomatoes, Dessert Glory Cherry Tomatoes, Regular Organic Cherry Tomatoes, Grape Tomatoes, Hydro 28ct Tomatoes, and just about any damn Tomato you want. Summer is when you feature Tomatoes (oh I forgot Heirloom Tomatoes) Its the best time. If you are doing a Caprese Salad with fresh Mozz and oil and you buy repack 4x5 Tomatoes, change your spec and buy VR 4x5; your customers will notice how much better they taste. And if you can, use Kumatos or Heirlooms and really give them the best eating Tomato when available. If you want to know what my all time favorite is, that would be a Kentucky Beefsteak- it’s the best bar none but only available for a short time and not for a few months yet.

Mexico shipped in some Peaches and they are pretty good. California is supposed to start tree fruit very shortly but I have not seen it yet, we are waiting patiently. The season is winding down on Citrus but we still have Organic product available and have more coming in this week. Call Customer Service for availability. I know everyone is waiting for Fingerlimes. They are coming about the middle of May and will really crank in June; So if you put them on the menu, wait till June and you wont have a problem.

Strawberries are still an issue with availability and quality. Raspberries are still very tight and very high priced. Blues are higher and new crop is jut getting started. Blackberries are just starting from Mexico again.

Avocados have taken a jump up- demand is exceeding supply and summer can only mean more demand. Kumquats are going strong- good supply and quality is excellent. Great supply of Apples and Pears are still around.

Mangos are a great summer item and Mango production has doubled in the last few years, which has helped fuel their growth. Mangos are mostly sourced from Mexico and come in different varieties. If you want an excellent eating Mango, try a Champagne, it is a great tasting Mango. Grapefruit is still running good and Oranges are perfect.