Wet vegetable crops started last week in Fresno, California. “The crop is looking really nice. After starting last week, we just stepped into a new planting this week,” says Jay Angulo of Baloian Farms. “It’s on par with some of the best crops we’ve had in Fresno for a couple of years.”
Those Fresno crops include romaine, red leaf, green leaf, and butter lettuce. Baloian Farms also has spinach and romaine hearts from its Baja, Mexico crop, and Bok Choy is also being harvested.
The season started in this growing region on time, and Angulo attributes the good look of the crop to a consistent growing season. “For the most part, the weather has been pretty steady here this summer. It hasn’t been too hot in August and September, and it’s helped us get a good start on volume right off the bat,” he says.
Coachella production ahead
The lettuce season out of Fresno is a shorter one and will go until around Thanksgiving. After that, production transitions to Thermal in the Coachella Valley.
As for demand, it’s highly anticipated by Baloian Farms’ customer base. “We have a lot of demand from our customer base, and we’re getting more customers in this week that weren’t there last week,” says Angulo. As for overall demand, it’s moving well--but not great. The markets are also slightly depressed, though demand is anticipated to strengthen. “Maybe in that third week of November, around the week of the 13th, demand will pick up because of Thanksgiving,” he says.
Meanwhile, pricing compared to last year at this time--a season that saw a number of challenges--looks very different this year. “Last year, you had historical prices at this time, and this year, it’s on the lower end of the price range for these crops right now,” Angulo says.
For more information:
Jay Angulo
Baloian Farms
Tel.: +1 (559) 485-9200
[email protected]
www.baloianfarms.com