California's organic lettuce supply is seeing steady movement. "That said, there are times with romaine where we've been a bit short," says Ashley Berlinger, business development manager/sales representative with Creekside Organics, which planted romaine, iceberg, red leaf, and green leaf lettuce this year. "We will start in Brawley, California after transitioning from both Capay and Salinas in a few weeks. We should be fully transitioned by the first week of December."
The first picks of this crop took place in October. "That has helped us avoid aphid pressure and we have better sizing. It has helped us get ahead of the gap from transitioning a bit," says Berlinger.
Creekside Organics has greater supply this year on organic lettuce though the industry is overall more limited on organic lettuce supply. "Now with the "bomb cyclone" last week, it will be interesting to see what happens with the rain and if supplies get tighter going into the desert season," she adds.
More calls for organic lettuce
As for the demand for organic lettuce, it is stronger than last year. "Hopefully people are cooking more again and planning more for Thanksgiving. It seems to be different than last year–we're definitely getting more calls," says Berlinger.
Meanwhile, pricing on organic lettuce is steady. "While a lot of people have contracts, outside buying there are mid to high $30s FOBs some weeks, depending on how short supply is," says Berlinger. "A lot of contracts are steady in the $20 range. Green and red leaf are in the mid to high $20s. Once you get into the high $30s and $40s on organic red and green leaf, movement kind of stalls so it's about finding that balance of the best return for the grower but keeping the movement going."
For more information:
Ashley Berlinger
Creekside Organics
Tel.: +1 (661) 859-0346
https://www.creeksideorganics.net/