As Winter approaches, Arizona is starting to see their share of seasonal crops coming into production. Organic kale is one of those crops and growers are seeing a positive start to the season, with warmer weather contributing to vigorous growth.
"For Duncan Family Farms, our winter season for organic Kale runs from October through April here in Arizona," said Patty Emmert, of Duncan Family Farms. "We are currently growing baby kale and full size green curly and full size lacinato. With warmer daytime temperatures we are seeing our crops grow a little faster and product quality is coming in strong. Our current yields are strong and quality is great on all of our kales. We expect that our quality will remain strong here in Goodyear, Arizona, due to no bug pressure."
Market and demand holding steady
Demand for organic kale is holding steady at the moment. Prices are also steady, and growers are not expecting these to change significantly as the season progresses. "Demand for kale seems to be pretty stable," Emmert said. "Currently, we are not seeing any significant spikes either in increased or decreased demand. "Most of our kale is sold via contract but we are seeing the market for 24 ct Organic range anywhere from $15.00 to $20.00 FOB and with demand looking fairly stable, we do not anticipate much change in the market at this point."
Organic culinary herbs enter production
Duncan Family Farms has also expanded into culinary herbs. Emmert said the program launched recently and at this stage, the company only produce contract volumes. She also said they offer a full range of organic herbs. "Our newest product on our farm here in Goodyear is a full portfolio of organic culinary herbs, she said. "Currently, our herb program is grown for contract volumes only. However, we do plan on offering food service and retail packs in the near future."
