Winter Local: Supermarkets Offer Cold Crops
“Growers are using new varieties, new pest management, too, which helps stretch the season. Ten years ago we sold 8,000 to 10,000 cases of local strawberries in a season. Now, we sell seven or eight times that.” — Joe Watson, produce director, Rouses
January 7, 2013
As winter sets in, retailers and their suppliers are keeping local produce on their shelves, thanks in part to improved growing procedures, heartier seeds, new varietals and even improved storage facilities, industry sources told SN.
Some regions’ climates provide fresh produce into winter. Strawberries, for instance, are being harvested right now in Louisiana. And brussels sprouts sold on their stalks create displays at Rouses Supermarkets that cry out “fresh” and “local,” but the Thibodaux, La.-based chain doesn’t let it go at that.