A warm fall has led to a healthy supply of Swiss Chard. “The market overall continues to be a bit soft. A contributing factor is the warmer weather coupled with more organic growers entering the marketplace, so there’s a lot of product out there,” says Patty Emmert of Duncan Family Farms in Buckeye, AZ. “With the weather cooling down we should start seeing things shift a bit and the market getting better. “Produce is always changing and navigating those twist and turns is what keeps it fun and challenging.”
Weather is increasingly becoming a key issue says Emmert. “In the past we’ve managed weather patterns. Now it seems like it’s becoming less predictable and we find ourselves managing more weather events,” she says. “The last few years it feels as though this trend is becoming more the norm and not the exception.”
Diversification is key
Diversifying the growing regions has helped Duncan. “We have growing operations in Arizona and California with new ground opening up in the summer of 2017 in southern Oregon and upstate New York,” she says. “Having these various growing regions allows us to supply our customers year round with great quality produce.”
More players in Chard
That diversity can help offset the increasing competition. “We’ve been growing organic produce for a long time and over the last few years we’ve seen a lot more growers transitioning ground for organic production,” she says. “And with increased competition, coupled with warmer weather patterns at certain times during the year, brings on a surplus which impacts pricing for all of us. Fortunately, organic produce is still in strong demand and does not seem to be slowing down anytime in the near future.”
