PMA Foodservice Conference

July 30, 2009 2 Comments

PMA Foodservice Conference & Exposition Monterey, California USA July 24-26, 2009 The One Place where Fresh Produce, Foodservice, and a Tough Economy add up to Flavorful Opportunities. – The Foodservice Conference & Expo (FSC), introduced by PMA in 1982, is a three-day learning and networking experience designed to bring foodservice professionals across the supply chain …

Cooks Confab: Craft Beer

July 27, 2009 0 Comments

Here’s an invitation direct from the Cooks Confab: We’re excited about our event in August! Masterbrewers from the preeminent craft breweries of San Diego, Hell the States for that matter, have selected one of their favorite beers and our Cooks Confab Chefs will pair food with it (more beers will be featured at the bars). Each brewery …

FARMERS MARKET REPORT: WEEK OF JULY 26, 2009

July 26, 2009 0 Comments

The market was fast, hot, ripe and brimming with summer. Pudwill Farms stood out with its array of berries, currants, wild strawberries and figs – dozens of flats stacked high waiting for their new homes. Melons were everywhere I turned. I could have sampled my way through the market on different melon varieties alone (and I did!)…McGrath Farms proudly showcased their first harvest of cranberry beans while Maryann and her son Mark at Coastal Organics were the champions of heirloom tomatoes, selling a dizzying number of gorgeous varieties from cherry-sized to full one pounders. Their squashes may still be on the vine but tomatoes were beyond prolific and delicious. On the prowl for some sweet and mild pepper varieties, I found pimentos, lipsticks, hungarians and PADRONS!! The citrus was fading into the background while stone fruits were stealing the show. You could not walk 15 feet without seeing, smelling or tasting a peach, nectarine or a plum.
Yes, the farmers market was almost overwhelming to all of the senses. And as nothing is ever always as it appears, everything had to be touched and tasted, narrowing the field down to the tastebuds’ final thoughts. Decisions became more clear after a few rounds and dozens of fruit later. Below, I believe is the best of the best, coming from the proud farmers and their fertile soil that enriched crops that are worthy of grand display and the grandest of feasts. These farms are steeped in tradition and creation, balancing burden and skill with craft and ingenuity to stay ahead of the agricultural curve. The results do not demand respect, they command it.

FARMERS MARKET REPORT: WEEK OF JULY 19, 2009

July 17, 2009 0 Comments

GOING LOCAL~ Specialty Produce has been at the forefront of supporting local, sustainable and organic California farmers.  Its decades of business has thrived upon the bounty of produce provided by the small, medium and larger farms of our prolific producing state.  We are paying that forward with the addition of several new local farms in …

Demolition Derby!!

July 14, 2009 0 Comments

Our friend Joe of Dion International entered in this year’s Demolition Derby at the San Diego County Fair! He always supports us – can you see the logo on the rear above the tire? HE ROCKS!

FARMERS' MARKET REPORT: WEEK OF JULY 12, 2009

July 12, 2009 0 Comments

There is a company that is dominating our agricultural landscape like no other, in a myriad of ways with a scope so wide it is staggering. It has a near-monopoly on herbicides and seeds. It owns almost 100% of the market share of genetically modified seeds. It is the largest conventional seed company and it is the number one selling herbicide company in the world. It is a biotechnology corporation conveniently predicated on agriculture. The company is Monsanto and

Photos from the Farmers' Market Sustainability Dinner @ 1500 Ocean

July 9, 2009 0 Comments

FARMERS MARKET SUSTAINABILITY DINNER Tuesday, June 30 Local and regional farmers and artisans will set up an exclusive ‘farmers market’ experience on The Del’s oceanfront Windsor Lawn. Guests will drift from one stand to the next, sampling fresh ingredients and learning more about eco-friendly food production. Then, Chef Sinnott will team up with Executive Chef …

FARMERS MARKET REPORT: WEEK OF JULY 5, 2009

July 3, 2009 0 Comments

© 2007 Melissa Mayer RED WHITE AND BLUE July 4, 1776: “…We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish …

FARMERS' MARKET REPORT: WEEK OF JUNE 28, 2009

June 28, 2009 0 Comments

99 percent of the U.S. corn crop is actually maize (or field corn), not the sweet corn that we are accustomed to. Of the annual production of corn produced, 333 billion pounds of it is dedicated to feed corn. 179 billion pounds are diverted (and government mandated) to ethanol. 28 billion pounds are dedicated to high fructose corn syrup, while only 11 billion pounds end up in our cereals.
Commodity speculation and fuel costs have driven up prices. The world relies far too heavily on far too few crops (supply v. demand). Farm subsidies are given to big business farmers while the poor farmers, especially in developing nations struggle daily, never seeing a subsidy for their crops. Countries have began hoarding in fear of shortages while also attempting to combat food prices which effectually spikes future prices. Those countries so dependent on imports who have insufficient or infertile land conditions are generally the poorest countries who are unable to develop proper farming infrastructure.
What does this all mean? We need a 21st century solution to a growing problem of supply and demand, imbalance in farm subsidies and imbalance of trade. Food diversification, farming incentives, smarter globally-minded policies and a clear understanding that communities can feed communities are some practices that could lead to a solution. We are on the edge, either on the brink or at a turning point in the global food landscape. We can choose to ignore the realities or we can choose to be a part of the solution.

FARMERS' MARKET REPORT: WEEK OF JUNE 21, 2009

June 21, 2009 0 Comments

SLOWING DOWN: I write this week’s report appropriately on the first day of summer, proclaiming on this longest day of the year that the sun and earth are in harmony. They have aligned to bring nature’s most edible bounty to our kitchens. I have included a video market tour to give you a true visual …