California is Freezing (and so is the Broccoli)

All of our produce suppliers have sent us some important information that we want to share with you about weather conditions and their expected impact on fruits and veggies in the coming weeks.

Mexico and California, major sources of fresh produce during the winter, have both experienced very cold weather, including frosts. These very cold temperatures are slowing the growth of many items, resulting in lower stock and higher prices. Please note that this is not something isolated to just us or to just organic food: virtually all fruit and vegetables will be affected, except for local root vegetables.

We have been told to expect product shortages and price increases on almost everything, but the following items will be particularly challenging:

- Lettuce
- Baby greens
- Broccoli (the wholesale price tripled this week)
- Cauliflower
- Potatoes (except local ones, for as long as the stored BC potatoes last)
- Cooking greens
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers

As of Thursday, January 10th, the cold weather has not endured long enough to impact citrus fruit, however, that may just be a matter of time. If the deep freezes forecast occur, Northern California's oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes could be slowed.

We will probably all find the next couple of weeks a bit challenging in terms of variety, but we will be working with our suppliers to get the best prices possible and keep our bins as abundant as we can. This might be an excellent time to break out your favourite root vegetable recipes, though - please email us if you have a great one, as we'd love to share it on our blog and in our newsletter.

To send us a recipe, or if you have any questions or concerns, please call us at 604-708-2345 (or 250-704-0660 in Victoria) or email info@greenearthorganics.com.