-
NEW!
• Opal, Smitten, Sugarbee Apples
• Cranberries
• Flame Grapefruit -
COMING SOON
• California Kiwis
• Navels & Satsumas -
BACK IN STOCK
• Cal-O Bunched Spinach
-
TIGHT INVENTORY
• Leaf Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Crimini Mushrooms
• Hot Peppers
• Roma Tomatoes -
gapping
• Covilli Pineapples
-
WINDING DOWN
• Coke Hot Peppers
• Tutti Frutti Winter Squash
• California Melons
• Figs
• Corn
• Tomatero Bell Peppers -
finished
• Okra
BUYER’S NOTES
Updated October 16, 2022
FRUIT
Nothing says the holidays are coming like Fresh Cranberries – tease them into your displays alongside Ornamental Pumpkins to get folks in the seasonal spirit. Otherwise, in fruit: Forbidden Fruit California Blueberries have outstanding flavor and volume will increase throughout October. For a value option, try Peruvian Blueberries in 6oz and Pints. With Stone Fruit over, it’s time to increase the varieties of Pears and Apples in your displays. Don’t miss the creamy Warren Pear from Frog Hollow, and out of the Pacific Northwest while supplies last: Abate Fetel , Bartlett, Comice, Concorde, D’Anjou, Golden Bosc, Red Bartlett, and Starkrimson. Shinko Asian Pears from HGO are crisp like an apple and juicy like a pear. This week will see some of our favorite Club Apple Varieties, including the unique and prized Opal, the Smitten, and the Sugarbee. Warmer nights that usual this year mean that Persimmons have been slow to achieve the full orange blush we expect, but the flavor is already on point. Larger sizes to come. And we have lots of Vitamin C on the horizon: California Kiwis, juicy Satsumas, and Navel Oranges will start to show up early next month.
Every Fair Trade purchase empowers farm workers to improve their communities by deciding as a collective how and when to invest the Fair Trade Premium.
how the fair trade premium works
How exactly does Fair Trade Premium benefit the workers?
A few extra cents paid by the consumer – the Fair Trade Premium - will allow for democratically chosen projects to become a reality in farm worker communities; whether it’s a bus for the High School students, dental services or a multipurpose room, this benefit will bring empowerment through decision making and project execution. The Premium that is added to the cost of produce goes directly in its entirety to the bank account of the Workers Association.
How can the workers use the Fair Trade Premium?
One of the most important aspects of Fair Trade is: funds are specifically designated for social, economic and environmental development projects. The workers are the ones who know what’s best for their own community and Fair Trade USA and Fair Trade International have enabled a democratic system for the community to decide how and when the Premium will be invested.
Can the grower use part of the Premiums?
Absolutely NOT. The funds CANNOT be used to invest in the company’s property or cover company’s expenses (wages, operation, supplies, etc.). Benefits are exclusively for the workers, by the workers. The grower IS responsible for covering all Fair Trade Certification and promotional expenses.
How often is the Premium paid to the Workers Association?
Through a transparent process that is traceable and audited by Fair Trade USA or Fair Trade International the grower has assumed the responsibility of paying on a monthly basis, the correct amount of Fair Trade Premium to the Workers Association bank account. Being able to track and verify the correct movements of the Premium from the moment a sale takes place until the deposit is made is a critical audit criteria.
Choosing Fairtrade means supporting standards and actions that put more power in the hands of workers themselves.
Earl’s carries Fair Trade Fair Trade fruits and vegetables year-round. Look for Fair Trade Avocados, Bananas, Melons, Pineapples, Tomatoes and more.
Coliman Banana Community Center funded by the Fair Trade Premium
Year-round Dole Fair Trade Pineapples
APPLES
Opal, Smitten, and Sugarbee Apples are all set to arrive this week! Opal will be a shorter crop this year, but should stick around for a month or more. Still waiting for our big flush of full-color Fujis. Honeycrisp developing nicely with multiple grade options. Cello & Utility Apples in good supply. Heirloom & Biodynamic Apples not quite ready yet.
AVOCADOS
It’s an Equal Exchange game, with small amounts of choice product from Traceland. Fair Trade is the way to go this month and beyond!
BANANAS
The dry season in Mexico means you won’t be seeing paraffin wraps on the crowns (used to prevent crown rot) – but we will continue to see the wrap on fruit from Ecuador. It’s Fair Trade Month! Now is the time to promote bananas and the folks who grow them! Read more about it on our blog.
BERRIES
Blackberries: Small amounts of Mexican fruit to supplement Tomatero, as production starts to slow.
Blueberries: Forbidden is ramping up! Peruvian Fruit will go through October depending on quality. Then we’ll move into Mexican fruit as Peru hits their hot season.
Strawberries: Tomatero back into good supply!
Raspberries: Solid quality & supply from Fresh Kampo, MX
Cranberries: landed last week!
citrus
Grapefruit: Flame Grapefruits this week, pink and juicy!
Valencias: CA supply is coming to a rapid close – prices will start to creep up as we move into Mexican supply in early November. We may see a gap, but the season is expected to rock & roll with good supply and good sizing.
Navels: Slated to start early November – sugar levels are starting to hit some high brix! Growers are waiting for as much orange flush as possible before picking so that the fruit does not revert to green.
California Lemons: California Market is ramping up very quickly, and steady supply out of Mexico means the price is coming down. Lots of opportunities to carry Organic Lemons, which could come in below conventional prices.
Mandarins: Also starting early November, or potentially even sooner! Keep your eyes & ears posted!
grapes
Excellent quality and supply from Air Chief through the holidays. The loose pack is an export-grade, very high quality grape – try them out for a beautiful display option!
fall
Last of the Quince! Don’t forget about Jujubes in all the Persimmon-Pomegranate hubbub. First Hachiya Persimmons arrived last week. Warm days and nights across growing regions is creating conditions for a slow start on Persimmons – while the fruit is eating well, the skin is taking longer to achieve the full orange color we expect.
figs
Figs are coming to an end: Maywood’s production has slowed, though quality is still great. Brown Turkeys from AJM are currently firmer (with strong shelf life) – a different eating experience from the jammy Maywood figs.
kiwi
California Kiwis are slated to start at the end of October from Family Farms.
melons
California Melons are all but done, with MX beginning to trickle in.
pears
Into the Shinko variety for Asian Pears – crisp, rich, and sweet! Get your unique pear varietals while you can – it’ll be a Bosc/Bartlett/D’Anjou party soon enough.
stone fruit
It was an excellent season – thank you for supporting our growers on the late season fruit!
tropicals
Pineapple Guavas (Feijoas) shooting for mid-November. California Keitts are reaching the middle of the season, which can lead to some sporadic sizing availability. Coconuts will likely see a gap until mid-November.
VEGETABLES
We’re facing some significant tight inventories. The INSV virus is affecting just about all lettuce growers, leading to high prices that could last through the holidays. Green & Red Butter are in the best shape while Green & Red Leaf are extremely tight. Romaine sources are in better shape for now, though Romaine Hearts carry a high price as well. It’s a tough time of year for Broccoli: with stressed fields & quality issues, Crowns are all but unavailable, with limited Bunches to fill the demand. Extreme weather in Mexico took a toll on Green Onion supplies, and a heavier reliance on California growers means prices remain high. Canadian Crimini Mushroom shippers continue to recover from the heat wave a few weeks back, while demand is picking up with colder weather here in California. Expect supplies to be tight through the holidays. Roma Tomatoes are very tight as the bulk of production transitions to Sonora – lean on Cluster and Slicer Tomatoes to fill your needs. In better news, we have our sights set on Thanksgiving! Gorgeous Roots are rolling in from Ralph’s and Montecucco: think Parsnips, Turnips, Beets & Carrots, with Rutabaga on the way. Onions and Potatoes are showing excellent quality & a great supply means competitive pricing through the end of the year. Set it and forget it! Get your customers excited about Sweet Potato and Hard Squash varieties by downloading Earl’s Guides.
asparagus
Keeping it tight with an eye on quality, but supply is steady.
bunched beets
Pristine bunches from Ralph’s, and bags from Montecucco. Some bunches from Sun Valley still available as well!
green beans
Small amounts of Specialty Beans still available but keeping it tight. We expect a smooth transition to Covilli in early November!
Broccoli
The market is still extremely tight – prices are high due to lack of supply. Securing all the product possible from Josie’s and other growers. Crowns are all but unavailable.
sweet baby Broccoli
Consistent supply from Lakeside, supplementing from Josie’s and JAS farms with great quality. Tomatero gapping for the time being, tends to be available in cycles.
cabbage
Gorgeous Cabbage from Anna’s Organics to supplement Cal-Organic!
carrots
Nantes, Rainbow, and Bunched Carrots available at an excellent price point from Lakeside, with Ralph’s from the Pacific Northwest as a beautiful, premium option. Limited supply of Bulk Carrots from Cal-Organic, and we’ll be supplementing with Bolthouse through the holidays.
romanesco
Steady supply from Lakeside this week, alongside Sun Valley!
celery
Sizing up in the Tomatero fields – plenty of supply from Josie’s in the meantime with promotional pricing available.
cucumbers
Pricing has come down on Slicers, though Euros are still very high with a slow start to availability. Wilgenburg is tight on Persian Cukes, though expected to go through November.
eggplant
Several more weeks of Lakeside Eggplant, while Anna’s plants are seeing slower production as daylight hours decrease.
lettuce
The INSV virus is still taking a huge toll on the leaf lettuce supply from all growers – expect high prices and limited availability through the holidays. Green & Red Butter are in the best shape while Green & Red Leaf are extremely tight. Romaine sources are in better shape for now, though Romaine Hearts carry a high price.
Organic Girl Arugula & Spinach tight last week, stay tuned this week.
mushrooms
As is often the case, Criminis will remain tight through the holidays. Canadian shippers continue to recover from the heat a few weeks back, while demand is picking up with colder weather here in California. Wild Mushrooms are still MIA this year due to severe drought conditions in the PNW and California. Download Earl’s Mushroom guides.
bell peppers
Tomatero is done, looking at Tutti Frutti Green Bells to start up. Mostly relying on local & Canadian supply.
Hot Peppers are fairly limited, with Covilli slated to start up with their pepper program soon!
onions
Peri & Son’s compostable Earth Bags for onions looking to start the end of this month! A great, environment-smart solution for our bagged onion customers.
Extreme weather patterns in Mexico (hurricanes) caused a very limited supply of Green Onions, putting a strain on California’s growers. Prices set to remain high for now.
potatoes
Last week of Bouchey early season Russets (light cure) – then we will be moving into Nature’s Pride label. Look for some content from our recent farm visit on our social media once these potatoes arrive! Their brand new sorting, storage, and cooling facilities are set to spell an excellent potato season into the holidays.
Holiday supplies may be tight on Fingerling Potatoes, but we have a strong relationship with our growers and will secure all we can.
summer squash
Local supply wrapping up from JAS and Tomatero. Covilli set to start end of this month.
spinach
Cal-O Bunched Spinach back in the house, just in time as Ocean Mist & Lakeside tighten up.
sweet potatoes
Holiday pricing is on the way, starting early November!
radishes
Watermelon Radishes landed last week in limited supply from Anna’s Organics.
tomatoes
Tutti Frutti Heirloom quality still superb, with the seasonal expectation of increased pricing as the season goes on.
Romas are extremely tight, may continue to be tight until supply out of the Sonoran desert ramps up in the next month or so. Plenty of Clusters & 1L Tomatoes in the meantime.
winter squash
Tutti Frutti winding down on Hard Squash, with Dwelley supplies remaining strong.
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