Just as summer cauliflower production in Salinas was moving along steadily, a spell of cooler weather has slowed things down a bit. Overall though, conditions remain good with the crop coming out of a challenging period for the year. The Salinas season is expected to continue through to the middle of October depending on the weather.

"The weather has been cooperative until last week," said Luke Patruno of organic grower Deardorff Family Farms. "Temperatures became cooler and we have seen lighter supplies which are expected to continue through next week. We are just coming out of a period when there was more bug pressure, resulting in greater efforts to control them. This is typical during the period from end of July and into August before it eases by September.

Small bump for markets
The lighter supplies provided some uplift for the markets which had been reasonably steady. Growers are experiencing average demand for this time of year, and are not seeing any surprises.

"The markets have been moderate up to this point," Patruno noted. "There has been a bit of a jump this week as the lighter supplies start taking effect. Prices are up to the low to mid $20s and will likely continue at this level for at least the next week. Demand is pretty steady and as expected for this time of year. Product is coming out of numerous regions right now including Michigan, New Jersey and Canada."

Colored cauliflower a niche market
Deardorff Family Farms is one of the growers of the colored cauliflower varieties, such as purple and orange. The fact that they are an organic grower when it comes to cauliflower gives them an edge on this particular market. Patruno explained however, that the market for the colored varieties remains niche with a relatively small following.

"The purple and orange cauliflower are more of a niche item," he said. "There are very few people that actually use it. Its more for the visual appeal and we do see some restaurants use it and a few retailers stock it as well. Organic cauliflower in general is staying consistent with growth trends for this category."

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