A Word from my Produce Guru

Peter Testa is the %^$#! He and his company do everything the right way when it comes to produce and being green.
Also, he is planning (very close to being a done deal) to build one of the greenest (LEED design) facilities in the world.
Here is a sample of his market report:

It just got announced that Exxon made 41 billion dollars profit and Shell made 31 billion dollars profit, the highest profit ever recorded in their histories. You are never gong to convince me they need that money for oil exploration - that is bullshit! It’s called greed, plain and simple. For 2 years now they have had record profits while every American has paid for it in the form of higher and higher gas and diesel fuel prices. Everything you get in this country moves by truck; there is not one truck that gets better than 12 miles to the gallon, and semis get 6. You want to know why prices are going up and why you don’t have extra money in your pocket? Look no further than the local gas station and the oil companies that control them. It’s a study in supply and demand, but unfortunately for me and you, we are on the short end of the stick. If we don’t stop feeding the fuel animal and demand better fuel economy for trucks and get alternatives to gas powered vehicles we are in for bleak future if you’re in the service and food industry or any other industry that uses fuel.
The weather in most growing areas is terrible; cold rain and wind are wreaking havoc with growers. Strawberries are the main problem right now. Valentine’s Day is a big strawberry day, and supplies are light and quality will be an issue. Florida does have product, but the cold weather affected them as well, so supplies are also tight from there. If you need stem berries, we are going to get some; we just don’t know if growers will fill all of our orders. If you can, try and preorder what you need, and we will do our best to fill that order. The other issue is Raspberries; they are also getting very tight for Valentine’s Day. It might have something to do with the red appearance, but I can’t be certain. I know red makes me excited, but it usually involves a negligee on my wife -- but that’s another story. Blackberries are also a little higher, but Blueberries are a great buy all week so stick with them if you can.
If you’re in the mood, Passion Fruit is back from New Zealand, and product is excellent. We also have New Zealand Apricots and they are also excellent. Other good hand fruit for next week: White Nectarines, Plums, Peaches and Minneolas. Tangerines are also coming from Florida. We have Honey and Fall Glow available.
If you want organic product, make sure you are receiving our Organic List every Monday. Products are limited, but if you want to put an item on your menu for a special or to run for awhile, let me know and I will make sure we source that product for you. Every week our growers have product, but some time they put it in different pack sizes, so you have to be a little more flexible when you get organic product. One of the biggest issues with organic product - sometimes, not always - is that it should look like conventional product, but that is not always the case. Americans always buy with their eyes - if it looks good, then it must be good. Not always; organic product sometimes does not look as good as conventional, but you are not buying organic product for its looks. You are buying it for the way it’s grown and what it does for your body; how it looks should be down on the list. There are times when organic product looks outstanding, but remember, sometimes you look outstanding also, but put a few cocktails in you and look what happens. Cantaloupe and Honeydew have both come down for next week, but brix level is still an issue. Red and green Grapes are back to normal pricing, and quality is much better on red than green. Bananas are going up and so are Pineapples. Both markets have gotten stronger. Watermelon – both seedless and regular – is steady.
Asparagus is a good buy all next week. Peru is at its lowest level, and may stop harvesting because the market is so bad. Mexico has been shipping excellent product lately, but supply is an issue. Artichokes are still a big problem. Supply is very tight and some sizes are just not coming in. If you use artichokes, just know this is always the toughest time of year for them.
Broccoli and Cauliflower are both steady. We did see some action on cauliflower last week, but nothing came of it. Lettuce is steady, romaine is steady and romaine hearts are steady also. Cucumbers are down, Carrots are active, and Celery is steady.
The Pepper market is very active. Green peppers are expensive on both coasts. The California and Mexico product is in short supply so big prices there. The Florida product is very tight and quality is an issue. Red peppers are also going up, yellow are high and staying that way.
The Bean market is a tough situation right now. Most of the beans are not in good shape because of weather. We are mostly selling cleaned beans, which traditionally are much better quality than regular. Most of the fresh bean market is in turmoil because growers do not have good product to sell. I expect the situation to continue for a least another week or so.
Zucchini and Yellow Squash have shot back up again. Growers are having a rough time finding quality product. The wind really hurts these fields - the wind causes 90% of the crop damage and gives the yellow squash a lot of scarring on the product. Rain causes the squash to blow up and lose shelf life because it has too much water.
The Tomato market is half full. Large sizes are down a little for next week, but small sizes are tight and the market is higher on those. Quality is not an issue. We had outstanding organic tomatoes which we gave out as regular, so I hope you enjoyed the benefit. They had excellent flavor if you let them sit out; they will get a touch riper. Cherry tomatoes and grape Tomatoes are all organic and a good buy for next week.
Don’t forget to take care of your special someone or wife or husband or friend with benefits this Valentines’ Day and make it a safe one. Cabs go everywhere, so no need to drink and drive.