Tutti Frutti Farm Visit
Earl's Organic Produce
by Susan
2y ago
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. Chris Cadwell,daughter Clara and grandson  “It all started with garlic braids,” Chris told us as we ambled toward his greenhouses, tripping over thick roots and sun ..read more
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Homegrown Organics Stone Fruit Farm Visit
Earl's Organic Produce
by Susan
2y ago
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 ..read more
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Earl’s Buyer’s Notes March 27, 2022
Earl's Organic Produce
by Susan
2y ago
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 Blueberri ..read more
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Spring Central Valley Tour-First Stop Ana’s Organics
Earl's Organic Produce
by Alec
2y ago
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 surroun ..read more
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Earl’s Buyer’s Notes March 13, 2022
Earl's Organic Produce
by Susan
2y ago
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 fo ..read more
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Earl’s Buyer’s Notes March 6, 2022
Earl's Organic Produce
by Susan
2y ago
The California Avocado crop got off to an early start in February out of San Diego County, and harvest will continue to ramp up in March. In December, California received significant rainfall totals that helped push sizing for the early harvest. Still, with no rain in January and just one rainfall event in late February, we need a lot of precipitation in March for the crop to continue sizing up. The maturity level of the fruit and oil content will continue to increase in March with peak flavor in April/May out of San Diego County. Zutanos are winding down and Bacon avocados are back for a brie ..read more
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Warm Weather in the Desert Growing Regions Attracts Aphids
Earl's Organic Produce
by Susan
2y ago
High temperatures and humidity for an extended period of time create the perfect conditions for aphids and mildew quality issues. This week temperatures in the California desert regions moved into the 70’s and low 80’s and all desert vendors are seeing increasing mildew and aphid pressure on warm veg items including Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale and Lettuce. We are seeing lettuce hit especially hard and most growers have stopped harvesting head lettuce. Aphids love the heat and humidity and it is almost impossible to control organically. We see this happen with organic produce every year when it get ..read more
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Local CVP Asparagus Is Back!
Earl's Organic Produce
by Susan
2y ago
Asparagus is fantastic eaten raw, steamed and grilled. California Coastal View Produce asparagus is an Earl’s exclusive! Grown in Gonzales in the Salinas Valley, CVP local asparagus can be enjoyed through the 4th of July! Enjoy peeled raw in a salad or topped on a pizza ..read more
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California Family Farms Kiwis
Earl's Organic Produce
by Susan
2y ago
California Family Farms kiwis are grown in the Central San Joaquin Valley and harvested riper for a sweeter than the average kiwi.  The higher brix content makes for incredibly flavorful kiwis and helps keep the integrity of the fruit in storage. The season is forecast to go through February. Meet the farmers from Family Farms Kiwis! Green Knoll Farm Mark and Cindy Nielson were originally from the Bay Area, where Mark built greenhouses and installed skylights.  They decided to move out to the country and in 1981 bought the property south of Gridley, California that they call Green Kn ..read more
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Earl’s Buyer’s Notes January 30, 2022
Earl's Organic Produce
by Susan
2y ago
Honeycrisp are becoming increasingly difficult to find.  Enjoy delicious California Pink Lady and Fuji apples from Cuyama as they start to wind down.  Mexican avocados are at the peak of flavor, however the season is winding down as we approach Super Bowl Sunday, February 13th. California Hass avocados have started up in a small way. Learn more under Avocados. California Citrus season is well under way.  Earl’s visited Rainbow Valley Orchards in Fallbrook and toured their lemon, navel and tango orchards. Read the blog, download the Winter Citrus Seasonal Guide and don’t miss a b ..read more
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