What’s on your table? Market update and Easter Favorites

Easter is a time to reflect on renewal and to celebrate the spring harvest. It’s been a busy week for us, as holidays always add to another component to an already fast-paced industry. From an overall industry equipment perspective, reports note that trucks in Washington remain steady, but Idaho remains very tight. Most critically, trucks in California remain tight as the industry is finishing up the Easter pull as we all know, eating green and choosing seasonal produce favorites is a great way to compliment any holiday menu. So, let’s look at the movement of some key Easter menu favorites:

Spinach – a year round favorite and a great holiday menu addition for dips, salads, and main courses. The market in the California Valleys, Arizona, and Mexico is winding down as most shippers in these areas are finished for the season; product is transitioning to the Central Coast of California, where movement is expected to increase over the coming weeks. Trading is active with quality noted at generally good.

 

Asparagus – an awesome Easter side dish, asparagus can be roasted, grilled, baked or boiled. The market for asparagus is firm. Supplies are light to moderate out of the Salinas area; and, the market is supposed to become even stronger as Mother’s day approaches. Production in Mexico remains light.

 

Strawberries – a popular fruit from early spring to early fall. The market for strawberries remains in high demand, so much so that demand is exceeding supplies. Supplies out of California continue to build up, over all growing regions. The best quality strawberries are currently coming out of the Santa Maria area.

 

Rhubarb – a great addition to jams, pies and other desserts at Easter. From a volume standpoint, harvesting of field grown rhubarb is picking up out of the Oregon and Washington coasts. Trading remains fairly active and quality is noted at generally good.

 

Here’s hoping you get to enjoy some of these seasonal favorites this long weekend. We wish everyone a wonderful Easter with family and friends!