“Due to optimal weather conditions, growing circumstances for squash have been ideal this season,” says Leonardo Tarriba with Farmer’s Best. The company grows gray, yellow and Italian squash in Mexico. The so called ‘summer squash’ varieties are planted in protected greenhouses in Culiacan, on Mexico’s western coast. It takes 12 days to grow from seed to seedling. From there, the seedlings are placed in special containers and transported 10 hours north to Hermosillo, Sonora where they are planted in the fields and harvested after an average of 55 days.
Blue signature boxes
After harvest, the product is packaged in Farmer’s Best blue signature boxes and transported in temperature-controlled trucks to the company’s US warehouses in Nogales, AZ and McAllen, TX. From these locations, the product is distributed throughout the US and Canada. In addition to the Farmer’s Best label, the company also partners with the Wintergreen brand in Los Mochis, Sinaloa and the Bay Brand from Hermosillo and Guaymas, Sonora. Farmer’s Best is distributor of these brands.
Summer squash is available from early October through mid-June. Consumption levels are stable, but the Italian squash variety is the most popular out of the three varieties. “It is widely consumed due to its numerous health benefits and versatility as a vegetable. It makes for great meals that can be served raw or cooked,” said Tarriba.
Sustainability
Farmer’s Best aims to be a good steward and ‘green’ production is a standard practice during all growing operations. This includes re-using, re-purposing and recycling all possible materials and maintaining water treatment plants to return the cleanest possible water to the environment. In addition, the company values all its growers in Mexico through socially responsible programs and fair wages. We also recently installed solar energy systems for energy preservation among our US distribution centers,” said Tarriba. “Our sustainability practices create an environment where all of our fruits and vegetables are produced with the highest standards of food safety, quality, reliability and sustainability.”
