What's In Season In Quebec?

Quebec Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables

By Molly Watson, About.com Guide

Blueberries Photo © Molly Watson

More Canada Seasonal GuidesEveryone agrees that there is excellent food 

- including wonderful seasonal produce made all the more delicious by the 

short growing season - to be found in Quebec. Exact crop availability and 

harvest times varies year-to-year and within this large province, but this 

summary will help you know when to look for when at Quebec markets, 

particularly those around Montreal and Quebec City.You can also look up 

produce by general North American seasons (spring, summer, fall, or winter).

APPLES, July through October (cold storage until spring)

ARUGULA, May through September

ASPARAGUS, May and June

BASIL, July through September

BEETS, June through December

BLUEBERRIES, July and August

BROCCOLI, June through November

BROCCOLI RAAB, August through November

BRUSSELS SPROUTS, September through November

CABBAGE, June through October

CANTALOUPES, August and September

CARROTS, June through September (local harvest available from storage through March)

CAULIFLOWER, August through November

CELERIAC/CELERY ROOT, September through November

CELERY, August through October

CHARD, May through November

CHERRIES, July

CHICORIES, September and October

CORN, June through August

CRANBERRIES, October through December

CUCUMBERS, July through October

CURRANTS, August

EGGPLANT, July through October

ESCAROLE, September and October

FAVA BEANS, June

FENNEL, September and October

FIDDLEHEADS, April and May

GARLIC, July through October (stored year-round)

GARLIC SCAPES, May and June

GRAPES, September and October

GREEN BEANS, July through September

GREEN ONIONS, May through September

HERBS, April through September

KALE, June through November

KOHLRABI, June and July, September and October

LEEKS, August through December

LETTUCE, May through October

MELONS, July through October

MINT, spring and summer

MORELS, spring

MUSHROOMS (cultivated), year-round

MUSHROOMS (wild), spring through fall

NETTLES, spring

NEW POTATOES, May

ONIONS, July through October (stored in winter)

OREGANO, June through October

PARSLEY, May through November

PARSNIPS, April and May and again October through December

PEARS, August through December

PEA GREENS, April through June

PEAS and pea pods, July through October

PEPPERS (sweet), July through October

PLUMS, August and September

POTATOES, July through December (available from storage year-round)

PUMPKINS, September through November

RADICCHIO, September and October

RADISHES, May through September

RASPBERRIES, July though September

RHUBARD, May through July

RUTABAGAS, August through November

SCALLIONS, May through September

SHELLING BEANS, September through November

SPINACH, May through September

SPRING ONIONS, May and June

SQUASH - SUMMER, July through September

SQUASH - WINTER, August through December

STINGING NETTLES, spring

STRAWBERRIES, June

THYME, May through September

TOMATOES, July through September

TURNIPS, August through November (local harvest available from storage through the winter)

WATERMELONS, August through October

WINTER SQUASH, August through December

ZUCCHINI, July through September

ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS, June and July

Source : Molly Watson, Local Foods Guide

Cold pushes Southeast blueberry deals back

Blueberries

Cold pushes Southeast blueberry deals back

03/27/2013
Doug Ohlemeier, The Packer

PLANT CITY, Fla. — Cold weather in Florida and Georgia could slow the start of promotable volume for the region’s blueberries.

Though grower-shippers in late February predicted an earlier-than-normal start, Florida growers began harvesting only light volumes in late March.

Doug OhlemeierJeremy Burris, vice president of sales and sourcing for the Florida division of Colorful Harvest LLC inspects blueberries near Plant City, Fla., in late March. Grower-shippers were expecting to begin harvest about two weeks earlier than normal but cold weather pushed harvesting back to more normal times in early April.Grower-shippers say they don’t expect promotable volume to hit until mid-late April, as usual.

“Nothing’s really happening,” Bill Braswell, president of the Bartow-based Florida Blueberry Growers Association and owner of the Auburndale-based Polkdale Farms and Juliana Plantation, said March 26. “It’s been one cold front after another. The berries just aren’t ripening. Everyone’s picking in little dribs and drabs.”

Braswell, farm manager of Bartow-based Clear Springs Packing LLC, said a warm January helped pollination and fruit set but said cold weather since late February slowed fruit maturity.

He said growers should begin larger volume harvesting in early April.

Brian Bocock, the Grand Junction, Mich.-based vice president of product management for Naturipe Farms LLC, Naples, said April 15 should bring retailers limited opportunities for promotions but said larger volume won’t come until about a week after that.

“We had been thinking we were a solid 10-14 days earlier than normal,” Bocock said March 27. “But now it’s getting to be more and more like a normal harvest as far as timing.”

Hail that struck Georgia’s southern highbush crop March 30-31 caused isolated damage but shouldn’t hurt the state’s overall crop volume, Bocock said.

The cold weather, however, should push Georgia’s start from early April to after April 8, he said.

Georgia should increase production in late April before volume declines a little in mid- to late May, ahead of the start of its rabbit eye crop, Bocock said.

Wish Farms plans to harvest small volumes around March 29.

J.C. Clinard, senior vice president, said the grower-shipper plans to supply volume to some of its retail customers who are scheduling late April promotions.

In late March, Clinard said opening season prices were similar to last year’s.

On March 26, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported flats of 12 6-ounce cups with lids large selling for $30-36.00, mostly $32-34.50 with prior commitments at $26.

Noting light supply and strong demand for central and north Florida berries, the USDA reported flats of 12 4.4-ounce cups with lids medium-large fetching $24-28 with prior commitments at $22.

“The recent weather we’ve had has been like no other,” Clinard said. “The big quote around here this season is that Mother Nature substituted March for January this year and January for March. It’s really like no other crop we’ve seen in the past but we think the crop size should be good. The cool weather isn’t hurting anything and we expect a normal harvest through April.”

In late March, Colorful Harvest LLC, Salinas, Calif., also began harvesting small volumes from its Florida acreage.

Doug Ranno, chief operating officer and managing partner, said quality looks high.

“The cold weather will mean blueberry promotions will come a little later,” Ranno said March 26. “It will be a fight for volume at the beginning of the deal. Retailers need to be ready to promote during the first sign of warmer weather.”

Florida growers plan to harvest a record 25 million pounds from 5,000 acres, up from the 18.5 million pounds growers harvested from 4,500 acres last season, Braswell said.

Florida normally harvests through mid- to late May.

To learn more about this article, click HERE. 

Source: http://www.thepacker.com

Discover the Potato Board retail program

Potato board stresses health, convenience, nutrition messages

03/15/2013 3:19:05 PM
Tara Schupner

click image to zoomTara SchupnerBree Liscinsky, Nielsen Perishables Group account manager, and Don Ladhoff, U.S. Potato Board retail program consultant present the USPB's retail outreach efforts during a domestic marketing session at the board's annual meeting March 14 in Colorado Springs.COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Even as it faces a medley of challenges, including the loss of longtime president Tim O’Connor and declining domestic consumption, the U.S. Potato Board is charging full steam ahead with its international outreach and domestic marketing efforts.

President and chief executive officer Tim O’Connor, who is departing the USPB for a new marketing group, Avocados from Mexico, set the tone early at the board’s 40th annual meeting March 14-15 by balancing cautious optimism with bluntness.

“I’m not going to filter this. I’m going to say it as I see it,” he said. “Fries and chips … those are on the hot list for causes of obesity. Every day, there are people who are blaming your products.”

After O’Connor’s presentation, board staff and consultants used breakout sessions — a new format this year — to brief attendees on the board’s efforts in public relations, retail programs, foodservice outreach, consumer advertising and marketing research.

Flavor, freshness, convenience

In each session, presenters stressed the importance of an integrated approach centering around the board’s hypothetical target consumer “Linda,” the wife and mother who makes the decisions about what to buy and cook for her family. Those decisions have changed over the years. Consequently, in order to get “Linda” to cook potatoes more often, the board’s campaign has to not only promote the nutritional qualities of potatoes, but also market quick and easy ways to cook them — a message emphasized across most of the breakout sessions.

“There is an opportunity to be more overt with our healthful messaging, especially among Lindas,” said Kate Thomson, senior research manager with the Sterling-Rice Group. “But health is not the only driver — we need to continue featuring flavor, freshness and convenience as well.”

“Awareness about the nutritional benefits of potatoes is still a struggle, and we’re keeping it at the foremost of our communications,” said Meredith Myers, USPB public relations manager.

The board’s investments in marketing and public relations efforts are well worth the money, Timothy Richards, a researcher at Arizona State University, said during a Friday presentation on the results of a five-year evaluation of the USPB, required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“With the development of other types of food, potatoes are always competing for ‘stomach share,’” Richards said, but the USPB programs are highly successful, with a more than 500% return on investment.

click image to zoomTara SchupnerBetween meetings and presentations, attendees at the U.S. Potato Board's annual meeting spent time networking, including Pete Ewing (from left), of Ewing Farms Inc., Big Lake, Minn.; Tom Wingard, of Wingard Farms, Elk River, Minn.; Mike Carter, USPB co-chairman of the domestic marketing committee, Rosholt, Wis.; and Duane Maatz, of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association.In particular, the board’s retail and foodservice campaigns are garnering big bangs for their bucks, with retail programs producing a return of nearly $5 for each dollar the board spends and foodservice programs nearly $12.50 per dollar, Richards said.

Exports of U.S. potatoes also continue to be a bright spot in the industry, with the volume of potatoes leaving the country doubling from 2000 to 2012.

Fresh potatoes recently gained access to Thailand and Vietnam, and more than 30 retail promotion programs in other countries have increased sales of U.S. fresh potatoes by more than 200%, international marketing co-chairmen Rob Davis and Ritchey Toevs told attendees.

Sacrifice advice

However, Jerry Wright, president and CEO of United Potato Growers of America, brought things full circle on March 15 with a warning to members about the need for growers in all sectors (including frozen and dehydrated) to work together instead of encroaching on other sectors.

“Domestic consumption of fresh potatoes is declining … but production is increasing. Growers need to act responsibly in each sector to grow only what they’ve contracted to grow, he said. “Growers often say, ‘I’m not the problem.’ But you are. You’re the problem.”

Growers overproducing and then selling their excess into other sectors is hurting the industry as a whole, Wright said.

“Don’t produce extra potatoes and plan to sell them into other sectors. This is our industry’s problem, and we need to work together to fix it,” he said. “We need to unify behind common strategies and sacrifice together — everyone has to sacrifice our profits, sacrifice our autonomy, sacrifice our pride, and sacrifice our independence and freedom.”

Outgoing chairman Sid Staunton wrapped up his tenure on a positive note before turning over leadership to new chairman Rob Davis.

“We’re on the right path,” Staunton said. “We have many challenges, but with the right people, we can really change things.”

Staunton said he anticipates the search for a new CEO will take about 12 to 16 weeks.

O’Connor was also optimistic, saying he believes he leaves the USPB in good shape.

“We still have three years left on our Long Range Plan,” he said. “It’s already delivering meaningful results, and the new CEO will be able to come in and continue with those goals.”

Davis made it clear he plans to pick up where O’Connor and Staunton are leaving off.

The board’s administrative committee plans to meet Aug. 6 in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, The next annual meeting is set for March 12-13, 2014, again in Colorado Springs.

To learn more about this article, click HERE.

 Source: http://www.thepacker.com 

Fresno Food Expo, a successful Exhibition !

Packer Daily

Food expo highlights San Joaquin Valley ag products

03/15/2013 3:55:23 PM
By Vicky Boyd

FRESNO, Calif. — Since the inaugural show in 2011, the number of buyers and exhibitors at the Fresno Food Expo has more than doubled.

But show organizers and exhibitors said they believe that moving it next year from mid-March to July 24, which coincides with peak production of many San Joaquin Valley fresh commodities, can only enhance the event’s draw.

“The July date would allow another side of the industry to participate more,” said Stephen Paul, sales category manager for Porterville, Calif.-based Homegrown Organic Farms and a founding member of the expo board. “It will expand the availability of items, and I think it will play well.”

Moving the date also will reduce conflicts with similar national and regional shows, he said.

The March 14 expo featured more than 100 exhibitors that showed off a blend of processed products, such as jams, cheeses and meats; minimally processed products, such as peeled baby carrots; fresh produce, such as citrus and grapes; and dried fruit and nuts.

All of the participating companies were from the eight-county San Joaquin Valley.

Vicky BoydBruce Pack (left), a buyer for Sylmar, Calif.-based Vallarta Supermarkets, talks with James Metcalf, senior marketing director for Tres Amigos De Pasa raisin snacks, Kerman, Calif., about package sizes, retail displays and pallet load sizes.The expo was open to more than 600 wholesale and retail buyers and other business representatives during five hours mid-day to allow exhibitors time to conduct business. Then the doors were opened to the public in the evening for more of a food tasting event.

Paul said he envisioned the show helping to create a regional identity tied to agriculture, much like the Napa Valley has done with wine.

“We need to put a brand on what we do here, and it’s more difficult because we grow so many different things,” he said.

To help support one of the expo’s underlying goals — to enhance the local agricultural economy — event organizers had a one-day export seminar Jan. 15.

Representatives from China, Canada and Mexico discussed procedures for shipping produce into their countries.

Denver Schutz and Justin Nunes from Gerawan Farming Inc. attended the session, and both said they found it helpful, but for different reasons.

Schutz, technical services manager, said it was a good refresher of the export process.

Nunes, who recently joined Gerawan in sales, said the session was a great introduction.

“It gave me an opportunity to get a feel for what exporting produce is all about when it comes to rules, and regulations,” he said. “It was excellent learning how to deal with outside customers, how they are reshaping their programs and quality control. And also their distribution is getting up there with cold storage and reefers, so we can more efficiently transport commodities.”

This year also was the first time that buyers from China, Canada and Mexico attended the expo as well as toured some of the nearby packing facilities, said Candy Hansen-Gage, director of the Center for International Trade Development, Clovis.

Fowler-based National Raisin Co., which packs under the Champion label, hosted a tour stop through its processing facility, said David Miller, global accounts manager.

“They were surprised how sophisticated we were and the degree and attention we have for quality,” he said. “And all of the labs — the USDA, our own R&D and quality control — they didn’t realize there was so much sophistication to providing such a safe product.”

Hank Shen, fresh food general merchandising manager for Ole’ Supermarket who was one of 15 buyers from China, said he’s always looking for unusual or unique varieties of fresh, frozen or dried fruit.

What caught his eye were finger limes from Phillips Farms, Visalia, Calif., and dried fruit from BellaViva Orchards, Denair, Calif.

“Chinese shoppers prefer something high in moisture levels and also very sweet,” Shen said through translator Yan Zhang.

To learn more about this article click HERE.

Source: Packer Daily

US farmers may stop planting GMs after poor global yields

Photo: Farmers Weekly

Some US farmers are considering returning to conventional seed after increased pest resistance and crop failures meant GM crops saw smaller yields globally than their non-GM counterparts.

Farmers in the USA pay about an extra $100 per acre for GM seed, and many are questioning whether they will continue to see benefits from using GMs.

“It’s all about cost benefit analysis,” said economist Dan Basse, president of American agricultural research company AgResource.

“Farmers are paying extra for the technology but have seen yields which are no better than 10 years ago. They’re starting to wonder why they’re spending extra money on the technology.”

One of the biggest problems the USA has seen with GM seed is resistance. While it was expected to be 40 years before resistance began to develop pests such as corn rootworm have formed a resistance to GM crops in as few as 14 years.

“Some of these bugs will eat the plant and it will make them sick, but not kill them. It starts off in pockets of the country but then becomes more widespread.

“We’re looking at going back to cultivation to control it,” said Mr Basse. “I now use insecticides again.”

One of the issues if farmers do move back towards non-GMs will be the availability of seed, he said, as around 87% of US farmers plant genetically modified seed.

The top performing countries by crop yield last year were in Asia, in particular China, where farmers do not use GM seed.

Robyn Vinter, February 6 2013. Source: Farmers Weekly

Should we buy organic local grow, and at what price ?

Study: Price rules even as organic, local grow

12/27/2012 11:03:01 AM

Mike Hornick, The Packer.

Demand for organic and local farm products ranks high among retail shoppers, but a new study finds most are more willing to pay premiums elsewhere in the store.

The annual PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP study, “Experience Radar 2013: Lessons from the U.S. Grocery Industry,” reflects about 6,000 consumer responses. Six more industries — including pharmaceuticals, airlines and retail banking — were also examined.

The grocery research looked at four shopper types. Combined, they were willing to pay a 4% premium for local and organic product.

That’s compared to 9% for recyclable packaging; 10% for loyalty discount programs; 11% for staff knowledge; and 14% for checkout service.

But in order of demand, local and organic was second only to checkout. For example, 46% overall want organic products.

Nonetheless two of the shopper types were ready to back such preferences with premiums of up to 27% on local and organic and up to 30% on recyclable packaging.

The study represents the types as characters. Experiential Erica is a high-income, health-conscious parent. Mindful Maria is young, urban, ecologically minded and a convenience seeker. They’re driving the local, organic and packaging trends.

But PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP also finds price and convenience remain the top purchase influences on shoppers overall, 37% and 28% respectively. The other shopper types suggest the importance of price. Frugal Fred is middle-aged, low- to mid-income and a bargain hunter. Traditional Terri is in or near retirement with conservative, consistent buying patterns.

The study aims at categorizing shoppers not just by demographics, but by valued features and behavior patterns.

Recommendations and suggestions include informing customers of checkout wait times and best shopping hours; offering checkout via smartphone apps; personalizing loyalty programs; providing ready-to-eat offerings beyond standard deli fare; and creating an emotional connection with shoppers through local, green and organic items.

Though checkout has potential for increasing automation, the study finds three out of four shoppers still want staff help.

To learn more click here.

Source : The Packer, Mike Hornick, 12/27/2012 11:03:01 AM