Tutti Frutti Farm Visit

Just off the Santa Ynez river, surrounded by mountains on a slope near the ocean, Chris Caldwell of Tutti Frutti grows in an idyllic spot. “About 5 minutes off the highway,” he told us – and that’s in farmer time – as we slowly wound our way into the valley, passing other farms and vineyards. The sky was a pale blue, and the sun was strong as we exited the van, shed our Bay Area layers, and took in the breezy coastal air.

 “It all started with garlic braids,” Chris told us as we ambled toward his greenhouses, tripping over thick roots and sundried tomatoes leftover in the soft soil. After working in construction for many years, he was drawn to farming. He surprised himself with the returns on a single acre of garlic, thinking, “what if I planted 5 acres?” The rest is history.

He farmed various plots in the Carpinteria area before finding and purchasing his current 350 acres, which boasts prime conditions for farming. The soil is incredibly rich, inherited from past landowners who farmed walnuts and beans for many years – the valley has been irrigated since the 1920s, and recognized for its excellent climate. “The morning fog is stable,” he told us, and “while the temperature can freeze down to 19 degrees and soar up into the 90s, it’s usually perfect and breezy.” (As a failsafe for those cold nights: he has a thermostat hooked up to sprinklers above his greenhouses – when the temps dip too low, the water turns on to create a perfect igloo, insulating the plants inside.) 

He plants only once a year in each field, followed by cover crops for the winter like alfalfa, vetch, and beans. In fact, he told us that the soil is so healthy, he often ends up with more produce than he can sell. The result: succulent tomatoes that grow slow under the sun like a Pinot Noir, and the sweetest peas you can imagine.  

If the plants don’t topple over, that is – the high winds climb up from the ocean, and while they can be difficult to work with, Chris told us that the wind is his friend: providing a natural deterrent to pests. And he wasn’t kidding, the valley acted like a wind tunnel, blasting us as we made it to the high tunnels. 

After the winter lull, spring entails pea production in full swing, with each greenhouse carrying several rows over 1200 feet long. The plants were spotted with curly tendrils and the white flowers of future peas, and the snaps were too delicious to leave alone. We surveyed the tunnels, tasting and crunching as we went. 

Farmers never waste space, of course – each row was interplanted with various vegetables: beets, cabbage, lettuces, arugula, and more. He’s already planting winter squash, tomatoes, peppers, and lots of hot chiles. While much of his veggie production goes to local farmers markets, we were sure to check out the rest of his beautiful crop. Fresh, pest-free romaine, bulk white cauliflower with hardy greens, and we even asked about the possibility of bunched pea tendrils.

Peas are quite a labor-intensive crop to harvest, and Chris told us it takes a crew of 55 to pick them all. There’s a general awareness among his workers, he said, that employment on an organic farm is a better, fairer, and safer experience; most of them had been burned by harmful pesticides on berries or fled from crop dusters in the past. The work is still arduous, of course, but organic is “safe, clean, and alive.” Chris was happy to report that the healthy air, chemical-free production, free housing, and good wage keeps his crew coming back year after year.  

We are excited to come back year after year as well, maintaining our strong relationship with Chris Cadwell for over 30 years now, an incredibly sweet way to kick-off the California summer!  

Onion Seasonality

Onions are available year-round, but they are a seasonal item! In order to have onions to enjoy throughout the year, product must be sourced from a variety of regions and stages in the vegetable’s life cycle.

Nevada and Pacific Northwest Onion Season

Onions peak in their quality in Fall through winter when sourced from Nevada and the Pacific Northwest after they have had plenty of time to cure.

This is the onion most of us are most accustomed to. The curing gives the onion a hard, uniform, papery skin. However, as the onions reach the end of their storage season they want to grow again. Around February we may see sprouting as storage crop inventories begin to dwindle.

California Onion Season

The California season historically starts up around mid-April down south in ​Brawley/ El Centro and moves its way up north into the Bakersfield area.  The new California crop is barely cured. This means they will not have the hard exterior skin seen in peak season products from up north. The skin will likely be shaggy and flaky. There are benefits to fresh crop product! They are sweeter, far less pungent and there are no issues with sprouting.

It’s common for fresh onions to appear pale and even almost white. This is both a varietal difference and a result of the short cure time. When yields are down from the storage Pacific Northwest/Nevada season, there may be a gap before the new California product starts. This will be filled with fresh product from Mexico that has many of the same traits as fresh California product. 

Market Update: Storage red onions are done, and we have moved fully into new crop out of Mexico. California will start up with new crop red onions in the middle of May out of El Centro.  Storage yellow onions continue out of the Pacific Northwest a little longer. We will see some fresh crop California yellow onions this week from Heger out of El Centro and Calo starting up the last week of April. Storage sweet yellow onions from the Pacific Northwest are done and we will see a trickling of product out of Mexico this week. Stay tuned for more updates!

Homegrown Organics Stone Fruit Farm Visit

As we made our way to visit the folks at Homegrown, we noted the variability of each operation based on its proximity to the King’s River. Vern Peterson’s plot backs right up the river (which although incredibly low, creates a stable water table), and we later learned that his well was only 15ft deep.  

There we found an oasis: a running stream for grandchildren to explore, golden hues of light passing through the giant magnolia that shields his home, amidst a few hundred acres of flowering trees. It’s hard to explain in words how alive his land felt – there wasn’t an inch of exposed soil in sight, a bona fide ecosystem in which the greens themselves were greener, exuding a palpable energy as they swayed in the breeze.  

Vern is pushing the envelope of organic farming as the main stone fruit grower for Homegrown Organic Farms, our employee-owned partner that provides blueberries, citrus, stone fruit, grapes, and more. We met with Vern himself, CEO Scott Mabs, our sales rep Ryan Fronke, and a few of the marketing directors, where we spoke about the industry and its challenges (the cost peach trays went up over 70% since last year… with costs going up, will customers make choices to buy conventional in certain arenas?). We spoke about our relationship and its future: “Earl’s is part of the 5% of shoppers that buys by varietal,” Scott shared, “you provide an integral piece by building value on a piece of fruit, of sharing the story behind it.” And that’s a mission we intend to continue across the board, even as consumer desires fluctuate.  

His is the first Regenerative Organic Certified stone fruit farm in the country: a new certification affiliated with the Rodale Institute, inspected by the CCOF, created through a collaboration of scientists, policy makers, and farmers. Regenerative may seem like another buzz word without anything real behind it (i.e. natural, sustainable), but this cert entails a rigorous third-party audit. It’s a system that requires Organic as the baseline and uses measurable data to ensure the three pillars of soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. That latter aspect was a particularly inspiring element of Vern’s operation: each of his full-time employees receive a living wage and the full gamut of benefits, but it goes further than that.

Over the distant hum of cars and chirping birds he explained his participation in the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI), a certification that honors the workers producing our food. Forty hours of bi-lingual meetings between field and pack shed workers, management, and ownership created a culture that brought those oft-unheard voices into the fold. From such quick fixes as giving every worker a whistle for safety around tractors, to building an environment of increased engagement and employee retention. Breaking down those walls to help everyone understand the full picture, and work to accomplish their shared goal. Overall, the feeling was one of respect: they spoke of their drive to highlight farm workers as skilled professionals and honoring the artistry in their work: from finesse in thinning to eyeing a perfectly ripe peach with a speed most of us couldn’t dream to match.  

As we began to walk through part of his over-300 acres, Vern explained some of those skills. While there are manifold bio-chemical complexities behind a successful operation, he offered us the simple answer for how to thin: “Big puppies make big dogs.” Much of farming is an intuitive act in tandem with nature – he explained that he felt when it’d be too cold for the trees – and once the fruit is out of its jacket, it only takes a few hours at 31F to take your entire crop. After the damage is done, “it doesn’t take a degree from Stanford to tell you; the buds will be green or black”. We each inspected the tiny buds in the flowers’ centers, novice eyes searching for signs of frost damage.  

Letting the petals fall to the ground, that soil health aspect was impossible to ignore; in contrast to those barren groves carpeting the Valley, he pointed out over 12 species of weeds. There we learned a few more aspects of his orchard management, which he tries to base on the symbiotic relationships found in nature: letting the foxtail grow provides a home for thrips, a common culprit for fruit defects. He showed us the native bees that are cold resistant, and the hail nets that can protect the crop in the event of storms after the petals fall. (Not to mention the exploding boom of his hail cannon, which went off without warning and sent a few of us skyward. The idea is that the intensity of sound breaks up a brewing storm – he wasn’t convinced it works but appreciates the novelty anyway).  

He’ll plant new cover crops into those existing weeds to add further diversity, where each plant provides benefit. He’s also reduced the size of his furrows to decrease tillage and sequester more carbon. All with successful results: Vern is certain that the parts of his farm with the highest organic matter in the soil have the best fruit. With 1.8% organic matter, he expects to see over 2,400 boxes per acre.   On the way out, our conversations inevitably drifted back to water: he feels confident in the location of his farm, boasting a stable water table against the King’s River and the perfect buttery soil for stone fruit. But with 20 years of organic farming under his belt, he was adamant that it’s necessary to do better. “As farmers, we have to build our own future.” In this case, innovation looks like maintaining a living mulch (green cover crops absorb water where bare earth will create runoff), as well as a large hole in the ground for water to soak back in. Vern maintains a soft enthusiasm that’s hard to resist… As we stood around in that web of life, with vibrant colors filling the senses, you could feel it in the space, and see the future in his grandchildren playing on the property. 

Burkart Organics Stone Fruit Farm Visit

Stone fruit season is around the corner and our next stop was to Burkart Organics, an Earl’s exclusive in Dinuba. Our first breath of fresh flowers filled the senses as we met Richard Burkart and his dog. After a short introduction, we dove right in, following him to assess the damage from a recent frost. We passed recently planted saplings – persimmons and jujubes for his LA farmers markets – on the way to the pink flowers that indicate nectarines or peaches (as opposed to the white blossoms of plums and apricots). The sheer amount of beautiful flowers seemed to indicate that his trees were safe… but Richard explained that the number of blossoms doesn’t necessarily mean a full set of fruit.

Now each grower has a unique style of tree-care, but Richard explained some of the intricacies of his operation, sharing what he saw as we wandered the rows. “A long time ago it was more predictable, maybe in the ‘80s and ‘90s”, he told us. This year the rain came early, and the frost came late: we arrived somewhere between the pink bud and bloom stages of growth – soon the petals would fall, and the fruit would begin to “shed their jackets” (emerge from the tiny bud). Once shed, the fruit becomes especially vulnerable to frost, but the frost damage may have already been done. “We’ll find out at thinning time,” where his crew of 8-10 will remove budding fruits to improve the quality of what remains. 

Richard spoke of other challenges: “That’s not very much, we don’t have very much”, he said, pointing to the snow-capped mountains in the distance. For now, the trees didn’t need much – the biggest influx of water comes in the last month before harvest, to fatten up the fruit. But the lack of rain was notable to him, as was the lack of chill. He shared that the past eight years have not seen enough chill hours, which can lead to uneven blooming patterns, and the warm days create more opportunity for pest pressure. Such factors led him to divine that citrus may have a stronger chance in the Valley, a hypothesis he shared as we picked the last of his kumquats (a farmer always has something in the back pocket).  

Spending time with Richard gave us a sense that this is simply what he does; farming stone fruit brings him joy, a central part of who he is and has been. He’s trying things, such as adding swaths of compost around his new trees and testing out PH adjustments to the soil. He dug his well deeper, spending ninety grand to dig a whopping 450 feet into the ground. He’s also waiting for a grant from the government to install drip lines for water conservation. A partner with Earl’s from the start, he’s been shuffling boxes out of a truck all summer for over thirty years, and he doesn’t intend to quit any time soon!  

Earl’s Buyer’s Notes March 27, 2022

As the season shifts, look for varied sizing across multiple classes. In Apples, we have multiple Honeycrisp offerings for price flexibility, as well as 113-count Fujis and Pink Ladys for a value option.  Citrus is winding down – Cara Cara’s are still trickling in but should peter out shortly, and we’ll begin to see some California Valencias to offset late-season Navels. Ask your sales rep about smaller Grapefruit and large Lemons and Navels – the growers appreciate our help moving these less-standard options! Mexican Berries will see a flush over the next few weeks, and Coastal Blueberries are stable. The heat has many looking for Watermelons (which we have, from Mexico), but we’re swimming in tropicals! Fair Trade Pineapples are juicy, Dragonfruit is gorgeous (though limited), and Coconuts and Papayas are back. Crespo Mangos are taking the Bay Area by storm! Thank you for your partnership in promoting this awesome fruit – together we’re surely boosting Vitamin-C for all.

At this point in the season, the market will transition out of storage crops. This is where the often-overlooked seasonality of Potatoes, Garlic, and Onions comes into play – we’re staying on top of it, but expect a certain degree of sprouting as they try to grow again. We’ll be sourcing Garlic from Argentina for the summer, and Onions from Mexico for a few weeks. Shallots will gap for most of the summer. Covilli is winding down early this year, mid-late April. A poor market early on, along with colder weather, created the conditions for the current shortages (i.e. Hot Peppers). But Spring has sprung. In our buyer’s words: “we’ll soon have peas coming out of our ears!” Tutti Frutti is coming on strong with crunchy Snaps and the sweet favorite, English Peas. Spring Onions from Organic Treat look sharp! Get the last of Mexican Asparagus before we move into local Coastal View Produce full time. With Cal-O operational in Salinas, we should finally be back into a healthy supply of Lettuces, as well as Bunched Gold Beets, Baby Broccoli, Baby Bok Choy, and Bunched Spinach (all hit by the aphid aggression of 2022). Keep selling those crisp and beautiful Little Gems in the meantime. We are keeping tabs on Cauliflower fromJosie’s as other labels tighten up –  rest assured that you will receive the best we can find! Expect a tight inventory on Gourmet Mushrooms, as Mycopia wrestles with production challenges (not enough space to inoculate, in the face of high demand!).  Bell Peppers, Hot Peppers, Cucumbers and Tomatoes are tightening up out of Mexico due to cooler weather slowing down production and growers waiting for new sets to come on. Expect prices to rise this week. Don’t miss a beet. Download the Weekly Buyer’s Notes here.

Spring Central Valley Farm Visits-First Stop Anna’s Organics

Driving through the Central Valley in the Spring produces a powerful feeling. Through the endless groves of almonds, citrus, and stone fruit, past the dairy operations and next to the grazing cattle… it’s the most agriculturally productive part of our country, and yet it’s hard to ignore how tired the soil looks – cracked and dry, without a single weed in sight, under row after row of flowering trees.  

But our growers are different. While they all spoke of water realities, touring their stone fruit groves revealed stark and hopeful examples of organic farming in the Valley: trees surrounded by lush greenery, healthy ecosystems humming with life, and dedicated stewards of the land. As well as, of course, what is sure to be the best tasting fruit around! 

We first met with Anna’s Organics, a new grower partner located near Chowchilla, CA. With about 60 acres smack in the middle of conventional fruit groves, we were greeted by a hand-painted sign: “Organic farm, do not spray”, a necessary reminder as a blaring crop duster circled the fields next door. The plane made dramatic turns, drawing our attention as it drowned out our conversations with noise. When we asked, they ensured us that local patrols work to enforce buffer zones and protect the organic production from chemicals. But the scenario provided a palpable frame for what organic growers in the Valley can be up against.  

Outside of their small pack-shed we met Manuel, father and principal grower, Luis, his son who takes care of sales, Anna, his daughter in charge of business and organic compliance, and their mother: quality control, and operations. It’s a true family-run business!  

Manuel has been farming since he was 12 years old and farming organically for 12 years. With their access to irrigation water in addition to well water, the climate in the Valley and cheaper rent gives them an advantage. The scorching heat of the summer pares production down to exclusively cherry tomatoes, but with another 30 acres prime for production, there’s ample room for growth.  

Anna’s Organics was referred to Earl’s by Kitchen Table Advisors (KTA), a non-profit organization that supports the economic success of farmers, providing personalized business development, contacts in the industry, and more. Angie accompanied us on the tour, translating from Spanish, and showing us what KTA does in action. We walked the fields, which were laden with roots and their overgrown tops at this time of year.

Manuel assured us that he could essentially grow anything the climate would allow: Angie asked about the Spanish names of various vegetables, to which he would reply with an affirmative “claro que si.” Tell me what you want and I’ll sow the seeds. Manuel would periodically reach down for a sample – the daikon was fresh and spicy, the raw rutabagas (which none of us had tasted before) were surprisingly sweet, mild, and delicious. 

Next up was a visit to Burkart Organic Farms in Dinuba, an Earl’s Exclusive. Read all the details in our next blog.

Coastal View Produce California Organic Asparagus

California Organic Asparagus from Coastal View Produce in the Salinas Valley is a sure sign Spring is here!  As the first golden rays light up the morning sky -on any given morning- you will find Ron Mondo out in the fields, meeting with supervisors and field operations managers. His is not a 9-5 job. Ron Mondo is a second generation farmer who grew up in Santa Cruz, California. Ron’s grandparents migrated from the Piedmont region of Italy known for its agricultural and wine production.  Growing up in Santa Cruz, Ron was surrounded by sunny beaches and the bountiful agricultural land of the Watsonville valley.  Ron learned all about being an environmental steward and protecting the land for the next generations from his father, the late John Mondo.

“One of my earliest and fondest memories, is riding in the truck with my father. We would go out and inspect the fruits of his labor. As I grew older, during the summer months, I worked in those exact same fields, learning all the basics of farming and techniques handed down from generation to generation”, states Ron Mondo.

In 2000, Ron partnered up with the Ippolito family and established Ippolito International on the west coast. In 2018, Ron took over the reins of Coastal View Produce from a longtime family friend, the Violini family, and ventured into the asparagus market.  For over 35 years Coastal View Produce has been growing high-quality, organic asparagus in between the Santa Lucia and Gabilan mountain ranges in the heart of the Salinas Valley.  The Mediterranean climate and fertile soil make it an ideal growing region for asparagus. The weather is never too hot or too cold, staying around 65-75 degrees.  Ron and his team are busy insuring the asparagus crop is tended to daily. Ron’s team is busy inspecting, harvesting, packing and shipping asparagus from sunup to sundown.  With over 170 acres of organic asparagus Coastal View Farms is committed to growing the asparagus category.

Coastal View Produce relies on a practical, yet holistic approach to keeping their farm sustainable.  This involves respecting the farmland’s surrounding ecosystems and unique biodiversities; managing inputs, including water, energy, and packaging materials conservatively while seeking to maximize the production outputs as efficiently as possible. This includes analyzing soils regularly and amending and fertilizing as needed; and using an integrated pest management system to limit what is applied to crops. 

Weather dependent, the season starts up in February and runs through July 4^th.

Earl’s Buyer’s Notes March 20, 2022

Club Apples are winding down quickly this year, say farewell to the Cosmic Crisp and Sugar Bee until next year! We will continue to seek out the best product available on your staple apples: Honeycrisp are available on the tight side, but Fujis and larger Pink Ladys are rockin’. Rincon is in full swing with Avocados, look for them on the weekly specials. Get your citrus while you can: Cara Cara’s and Tangos will be strong for another week, but look to the 72ct Navel for best supply, and Gold Nuggets for your late-season Mandarin. In Berry world this week: a mix of Mexican and California product – try out the Homegrown Blueberry for a good value coastal-grown CA option. Crespo Mangos are stunning and high quality, build out your display with a great deal: the Tommy Atkins 21-23ct case will save about 50 cents per piece on a typical 8ct size. Look for a few fun options to fill up those holes in your display – Italian Kiwis and import Red Bartletts!  

It’s time to build up your Asparagus display! The Mexican Queen Victoria deal will provide a great value, and the local Coastal View Produce product is fresh as can be with steadier harvests. The Spring transitions are affecting multiple commodities – we hope to land fresh Lettuces, Bunched Spinach and Baby Bok Choy this week! Baby Broccoli supply is limited.  We are also seeing some aphid pressure and quality issues on Broccoli & Cauliflower – look for 16ct & even 20ct for the best option as prices increase. Persian Cukes will be in great supply over the next few weeks.  

In the face of heavy allocations from Bunny Luv, Earthbound Table Carrots are a perfect substitute for cliptops.   We’re seeing the first land of local Slicer Tomatoes from Wilgenburg and Peas from Tutti Frutti – expect a price spread compared to Mexican product, made up for with stellar freshness and label recognition!   Don’t miss a beet. Download the Weekly Buyer’s Notes here.

Earl’s Buyer’s Notes March 13, 2022

Citrus is winding down faster than usual this year, with each commodity seeing a shorter season. Our committed partners have reserved product for us (and in turn, you!). Cara Cara’s will dry up in the next few weeks, but look for late season Powell navels from Rainbow Valley Orchards to get us through April, as well as delicious Gold Nugget mandarins from Hyde. California Hass avocados are heading into better supply with plenty of product from Rincon. Prices should begin to drop over the next few weeks – there’s great value in the smaller avocados in the meantime!  Kent mangos are done for the season, but the Crespo Mango deal is taking off with improved quality each week. Scarcity in domestic storage apples is leading to steady price increases across the class… but Cascade will keep us covered as best they can through the Spring. The end of local pear season is near, but import Bartletts are making waves. Remember, early fruit takes longer to ripen. Stone fruit trees in the valley are covered with gorgeous blossoms – stay tuned for a recap of our recent farm visits with Homegrown, Burkart, and the DE Bolt family! 

We’re moving into Spring, which spells lots of transitions for our farm partners! A few highlights: Lettuces out of the desert have all but halted production after a few weeks of intense pest pressure – just in time for our coastal, Watsonville, and Salinas partners to ramp up production. Look for Sunrise and Tomatero product, though supplies may be limited. Covilli is beginning to wind down after an awesome growing season – brussels sprouts and tomatoes will be the last ones standing. Asparagus is see-sawing from Mexico to the local deal. Peas will be local, onions will be sourced from Mexico, and potatoes from Nevada… lots of movement, but lots of excitement on the way. Carrots are a hot ticket this week. Sunrise bunched carrots back in a small way. We are in the process of finding an additional source for bagged retail jumbo, table and cliptop carrots after news of extended prorates from Bunny Luv. Don’t miss a beet. Download this week’s buyer’s notes here.

Spring Transition

During the winter months many growers move their operations from the Salinas and San Joaquin Valleys down to Yuma, Arizona and the California desert, think Coachella Valley just south of Palm Springs down through the Imperial Valley to El Centro at the border of Mexico. As the weather warms up in March the growing areas move north from Mexico and the California desert to the Salinas Valley for cooler weather summer veg (Lettuce, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Celery) and to Fresno for warmer crops (Peppers, Corn, Tomatoes, Beans and Eggplant).

We will see some overlap during the transition as growers finish up in Yuma and the desert and simultaneously start production in the Salinas and San Joaquin Valleys. During the transition we can expect to see times when supply is low or gapping as growers move to the new area.  Inclement weather, hotter days, and the end of the season in the desert can result in produce showing more defects and issues than usual. Temperatures in the desert are now reaching into the mid 80’s and historically are in the 100s by June.  

The lettuce market is especially volatile with escalated pricing due to quality concerns, lower yields, and high demand. Brian Peixoto Sales Manager for Lakeside Organics reports “currently, there is no leaf available on the West Coast. Everyone, both conventional and organic, has pulled the pin amid aphid and weather issues.  In California, Salinas and Watsonville are slow to start, and we are looking at a seasonal start at the end of March. The Central Valley will probably start sooner. Being organic, there’s not much we can do until we harvest March 28 up north on new blocks and ranches. Because of the warmer weather and aphid pressure, most growers are in the same situation.” Excerpt from andknowuknow Read the full story  https://bit.ly/volatilelettucemarket

We can expect a more stable supply and volume of wet veg, especially leafy greens, as the transition back to the cooler areas of the Salinas and San Joaquin Valleys is completed.

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