Farm Fresh doubles Napa deal
Farm Fresh doubles Napa deal
Farm Fresh Produce Inc. is doubling its Napa cabbage production this spring, said company owner Steven Ceccarelli.
Ceccarelli “doubled up” his Napa acreage this year to 60 acres. It will be the second consecutive year that the firm has doubled this production.
Like the entire East Coast, Ceccarelli’s operation, based in Faison, NC, suffered a long, cold winter, which somewhat delayed spring planting. His normal harvest date is around May 6-7.
“We will start a couple days late, about the weekend of May 9-10. But if the weather turns around, we could make up for the lost days,” he told The Produce News on April 16.
This will be Farm Fresh’s second year to use the “Farm Fresh” brand name on its Napa cabbage.
“I’m very happy” about the results of using the brand in 2013, he noted. “We have competitors that grow Napa, and we wanted to differentiate ourselves. Last year Napa was very short” and Farm Fresh took advantage of a strong marketing position to introduce the brand. “It will be good” this season “because the buyers will be less hesitant to buy when they know what quality to expect.”
He said Eastern cabbage has a $10-12 freight advantage over product from California.
Ceccarelli noted that when the early Florida cabbage deal ends, the Napa harvest typically moves into Georgia. But Farm Fresh can compete from its North Carolina operation. “It’s worked well to have Napa in North Carolina.”
Farm Fresh grows and distributes a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The early spring program involves production of not only Napa cabbage, but also flat cabbage, to be followed by bell peppers.