Garlic supplies are healthy coming out of Pennsylvania. “We have a good supply of garlic out there on our farms. We only do certified organic garlic and it’s all grown here in Pennsylvania. We actually just had a grower call in this morning asking if we could help move their garlic. But our supplies are so strong that we didn’t yet need their supply,” says Emily Best of Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative in Hustontown, Pa.
Supplies of garlic are about the same as last year at this time.
Demand steady
Meanwhile demand is strong for garlic. “Our sales are very specialized—we’re a local provider so we sell to restaurants and retailers in the mid-Atlantic, Maryland, DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania,” says Best. “Our sales have been good but our prices are above average for the commodity-priced market. Our sales have been pretty typical for this time of year.” Tuscarora’s garlic is priced at approximately 30 per cent higher than that on the commodity market.
Tuscarora is also feeling that holiday demand pick up that comes with so many commodities this time of year. “We had a little boost prior to Thanksgiving as our retailers tried to make sure their shelves were full and I imagine we’ll see that happen in a couple of weeks for the holidays,” says Best, who notes that most of its product it hopes to move in December and January to avoid an excess in inventory. “January is still a good month for us—garlic sales work into people wanting to eat healthy before the holidays.”
