California Stone Fruit Season Starts With Promises of a Sweet Summer!
The first varieties of stone fruit have begun to arrive from our grower partners in California. While the Northwest remains decidedly in the clutch of springtime’s cool temps and intermittent showers, these juicy gems are a delicious reminder that warmer days are on the way!
Learn what to expect in this stone fruit forecast!
Stock Up for Cinco & Mother’s Day, Too!
May brings more celebratory meals, this time calling for food with a latin flare and something lovely for mothers and maternal figures. With Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day falling just days apart, produce departments will be buzzing with shoppers including plenty of additions to their weekly grocery haul. Be prepared with OGC’s Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day checklists!
Ruby Red Rhubarb from Montecucco Farms
With a history of family farming in the region that spans a century, Montecucco Farms is a familiar name in Oregon and across the West Coast. Known for their exceptional organic rhubarb, a legion of fans look to Montecucco Farms each spring to satisfy cravings for this tart and tempting seasonal crop.
Rhubarb season is on, with crews harvesting tasty stalks from the farm’s picturesque field adjacent to the lovely Willamette River.
Eaters Are Loving Gem Avocado!
The first cases of organic Gem avocado made their way up to the Pacific Northwest this week, and feedback from avocado enthusiasts across the region is that Gem is a hit! Large, nutty and delicious, Gem is a California-grown treasure.
Satisfy Fruit Cravings with Intriguing Import Pears
While eaters wait for May harvests in Mexico and California to bring sweet cantaloupe and honeydew melons, juicy grapes, first-of-the-season golden apricots and plump red cherries, it's a great time to focus on the import pear category. Lure shoppers with interesting varieties from Argentina. Look to these three organic pears' alluring shapes and colors to add visual appeal to displays and phenomenal flavor to shoppers’ cheese plates and baked goods!
Available Now! Colorful & Crunchy Radishes From NW Growers
A simple sautée, a pull through good butter, or snacked on straight from the bunch, organic Northwest-grown radishes are a splendid springtime delight and there’s a lot to explore in this seasonal category!
Go Big on Sublime Citrus Now! Slimmed Down Sets Showcasing Staples Are Up Next!
With just a few short weeks of availability left on many citrus varieties, now’s the time to go all out on stunning displays featuring Navel, Cara Cara, Blood oranges and late-season mandarins such as Gold Nugget, Murcott and Pixie. As the diversity of citrus offerings wane over the next month, plan to transition to slimmed-down citrus sets featuring delicious staple varieties.
Calçot: Not Quite a Leek, Nor a Green Onion. Definitely Delicious.
Catalans know this alluring allium as a harbinger of spring and good times shared over plates of grilled food. Now, your shoppers can now enjoy this special scallion variety that is described as similar to a leek, larger than a green onion and milder in flavor than both.
Spring Outlook From OGC’s Expert Team of Buyers
OGC’s dedicated buying team shares commodity updates for what’s happening now, and what’s to come this season. Use their notes to anticipate challenges, lean into promotable items and plan your sets over the next few months!
Shake Off Winter with Northwest-Grown Raab
With spring officially arriving in just a matter of days, eaters are turning their attention to the light, bright and tender treats this season offers. One quintessential crop that excites both growers and eaters is raab.
Prepare for Paddy’s Day!
While the meat counter and beverage aisle will be busy turning essentials like beef and beer, the produce department holds equal responsibility in ensuring shoppers’ St. Patrick’s Day festivities are delicious. From organic cabbage to potatoes and even an array of roots and greens, be sure that you’re ready for the big push ahead of this food-heavy holiday!
Prepare for St. Patrick’s Day with this checklist of products and suggested promotions.
T’Orange Citron: Lots of Bang for Your Buck!
Watch this quick video to learn from OGC Account Representative Monique Kirby why T’Orange citron is a cost-effective way to build out your citrus display or bring plenty of tasty lemon flavor into your bar or kitchen.
Rainbow Valley Orchards: Working To Make Organic Easy
With groves in all three citrus districts in California and Mexico, Rainbow Valley Orchards proudly boasts a year-round supply of organic citrus and subtropical fruit. More than just a reliable source of high-quality produce, this grower-marketer is working to reduce barriers to choosing organic, whether for farmers or the end consumer.
Learn more about this long-term partner helping OGC bring organic citrus to eager eaters in the Pacific Northwest!
Show Us Your Peak Season Citrus Display! (Yes, There Are Prizes!)
Show us your citrus merchandising, and you could win a little something to treat your team.
Enter to win by February 20th!
Ladybug Brand Potatoes Offer Outstanding Quality & Sustainable Packaging
Shoppers seeking high-quality organic potatoes without the plastic packaging will be thrilled to meet Ladybug Brand potatoes!
Available in 100% compostable 3 lb. kraft paper bags, these cheery totes deliver all the taste with less waste. Plus, the convenience of a grab and go package!
Lunar New Year
Celebrate the Year of the Tiger with Citrus for Luck!
February 1st marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year and slinking in alongside it, the Water Tiger. Associated with bravery, confidence and strength, the cunning tiger’s appearance feels especially auspicious at this moment.
Revelers looking to ring in a fierce new year will look to citrus and other traditional dishes to bring luck, so be sure those displays are looking exceptionally opulent to entice eaters!