Daily Fresh spring program mainly cukes, squash, grapes
Daily Fresh spring program mainly cukes, squash, grapes
Daily Fresh Distributing Inc. in Nogales, AZ, now in its second year in business, will have primarily cucumbers, green and yellow squash and fresh grapes for its spring program this year, according to Paul Bachelier, who started the company in September 2011 after 18 years with Omega Produce Co.
The company had expected to also have green and red bell peppers through mid-March, but “we lost all our bells” due to a freeze in mid-January, he said.
Daily Fresh lost some squash in the freeze as well, but the impact was not significant, as “we were on our way out” when the freeze came, he said.
The company started picking squash the last week in September and continued into January. “We usually have about a two- to three-week gap right after the last weekend in January until we start the spring deal again the end of February,” he said.
“We are going to start with the spring squash here, which will be green and yellow squash, by the end of this month,” he said Feb. 8.
“We will have cucumbers from the middle of March,” Mr. Bachelier continued.
Paul Bachelier of Daily Fresh Distributing.By the time the company gets going good on cucumbers and squash in the spring, its bell pepper program is typically about wrapped up for the season. The freeze brought the pepper program to an earlier end than expected, but “the bell peppers have worked good for us in the past,” he said.
On the grapes, it was still early to tell how they will do, but so far, “everything is coming along very nice,” he said.
Daily Fresh’s spring commodities are grown in the coastal area west of Hermosillo. Acreage is similar to last year, Mr. Bachelier said. The cucumbers are being grown in protective structures, and the squash is “all open-field.” The products are being packed in the “El Panuelo” label.
Lilly Montaño, who was previously with IPR Fresh, joined the company last fall in sales and procurement. She “has been doing a really good job for us,” Mr. Bachelier said.
