Featured image: Cuyama, CA onions, courtesy of Robert Bell with Western Onion Sales, LLC
MARKET
California-Imperial Valley:
John Vlahandreas with Wada Farms reported from the Imperial Valley this week where he is selling Troy Caston Farms’ onions. “Given the current conditions in the country, we are really doing pretty well down here,” he said. “Between the pandemic and all of the protesting we’re still plugging right along. It’s a good thing we can rely on loyal customers and good friends to help move onions. One good thing about being down here is that I don’t have time to watch or listen to any news. I just come into the Caston office early, work until about 10, and do it all again the next day.” John said Caston has had a good season. “It’s been good this year for us. We have had great quality all along, and even here toward the end when the area’s had a little heat, it hasn’t had an impact because all the onions are under cover and staying cool.” He continued, “We’ll go for about another 10 days, and then I’ll head back to the office in Salem and start selling onions out of Five Points, CA. The crop there looks good. It’s been a little cooler than normal recently, but we should be in good shape.”
California-Imperial Valley/California-Bakersfield/New Mexico:
On June 3, Matt Murphy with L&M in Raleigh, NC, provided us with a great rundown of L&M’s summer onion programs. “We are just about finished up with our Calipatria shipments,” Matt said. “We’ll finish up packing by Friday, and we should have everything shipped out over the weekend.” He continued, “It’s been a very good season for us in Calipatria. Prices have been as good as we could expect, and our quality out of that area has been excellent.” Matt noted that L&M is moving on to New Mexico and is also starting up a program in Bakersfield. “The Bakersfield operation is new for us,” he said. “Basically, we are moving our harvester partners up from Calipatria, and so it should be a smooth transition. We expect to get going out of Bakersfield around June 15.” He added that L&M will start up with Billy the Kid’s operation in New Mexico on June 6. “Right out of the gate, we will be shipping all three colors out of New Mexico. The crop there looks exceptional.” Matt said L&M is excited for the summer months ahead, explaining, “We are very optimistic about our summer onion deals. We have two areas to ship from, and it looks like every week more foodservice folks are coming on. It’s all good, and we hope things just get better and better as the summer goes on.”
California San Joaquin Valley:
Maria Lopez, Director of Sales/California for Tat-On Inc., told us on June 3 that Terra Linda Farms in Huron started shipping on Monday, June 1, with its yellows. “Size is trending mostly jumbos and up,” she said, noting the “crop looks great.” Maria said Terra Linda is “off to a good start, with reds to start on Thursday.” Movement, she said, has been mostly good, with some up and down having to do with retail demand and COVID-19. “Retail doesn’t take as much,” she said, but she added, “What we’re seeing now is that more restaurants are opening up, and that is increasing demand.” She said the reopening of restaurants is “so important to lift our spirits!”
Idaho:
Rick Greener with Greener Produce in Ketchum reported to us on June 3, “I am currently moving onions out of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas/Mexico. There are really just a few left coming out of Texas and Mexico. They are almost done there. Imperial Valley is finishing, and we’re shipping onions out of Bakersfield and the Central Valley areas. New Mexico is starting up, and they are on track with average start times and average pricing.” Rick continued, “In that regard, the market is steady, but there is some variance in pricing based on quality. California had some heat last week, so there have been random issues. Overall, quality has been constantly good for summer onions.” Rick noted that foodservice is starting to open up. “It’s slowly opening up, but honestly it’s just a trickle. We’ll have to see how fast it gets up and running as the summer progresses.”
Texas Wintergarden:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in Mission said his Eagle Pass deal was wrapping up the end of this week. “We’ll be done in Eagle Pass on Friday,” David said on June 3. “It’s ending on a high note. Our intermediate varieties performed very well, and our labor has been good.” He went on to say the deal is finishing on time, yields were slightly above average. “The market was profitable all the way through,” he added. “Prices didn’t set a record but were decent, and the important factors of above-average yields and good labor were very important.”
CROP
Washington:
Matt Murphy with L&M in Raleigh, NC, told us on June 3 that the Warden crop is shaping up nicely. “Of course, we have a couple of months to go, but everything looks good there, and the plan is to start up sometime between Aug. 3 and 10,” he said. “We will know more as the crop progresses.”
John Vlahandreas with Wada Farms reported on June 3 that after he finishes selling onions out of Five Points, CA, he will start selling overwintering onions out of the Northwest. “It all goes pretty quickly in the summertime, and before you know it, you’re back up in the Northwest again,” he said. “Onions are doing great up North, and we may be able to start a little early this season. We could get going the first week in August, or it might be the last week in July. We will know more as the crop progresses.”
Colorado Western Slope:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in Mission, TX, said on June 3 his two Colorado growers are reporting the crop is “progressing normally and maybe slightly ahead.” Colorado has experienced some hot days recently, he said. “We’re still looking at Labor Day to start. So far, all the contract labor has shown up on time, and they are eager to get to work.”
Northern Colorado:
Veteran onion grower/shipper Bob Sakata was at his office (where else?!) on Wednesday, June 3, and told us Sakata Farms’ onion crop is “coming along fine.” Son Robert, now sole owner of the operation, has been in the fields, and Bob said harvest will likely begin “Labor Day at the earliest.” He said this year’s program includes yellows, whites and some reds, with distribution primarily local/regional.
