The 2020 growing season was tough for nut growers and this year has been even more of a challenge. NPR reported the aquifer in Madera county California dropped 60 feet in just three months. Wells are going dry at an alarming rate with many just collapsing. One almond grower dug a deeper well only to find the water too salty for use on his trees. As you know if you have been with Totally Ready for very long we export nuts and dried fruits. Our growers are warning prices will have to rise dramatically for them to continue to farm. As a reminder 95% of all almonds grown in the world are grown in California.
While we are talking nuts right now be aware more than half of the country’s fruit, nuts, and vegetables come from California. Did you know that 90% or more of all the almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwi, persimmons, pistachios, prunes, raisins, strawberries, and
walnuts consumed in the United States are grown in California, as well as 100% of the olives and 21% of the milk and cream? Not only just nuts and berries, but also most other fruit and vegetable varieties are grown by the truckload in California. You may think you don’t eat some of these, but do you use their byproducts such as olive oil? Many are used as ingredients in other foods we consume, such as ketchup and cereals. Higher prices
on these crops will result in higher prices on any product using California-
grown crops for ingredients.
If you love nuts and nut butters now is the time to purchase them. What about blueberries? They are not a huge market in California however our suppliers are telling us blueberry prices will rise at the wholesale level 40%! Yes 40% this year. If blueberries are a part of your anti-inflamation diet now is the time to stock up. I bought three huge bags of frozen berries yesterday and went out and babied my blueberry plants.
If you have not already planted fruit trees and berry bushes planting season is almost here. Budget now and do it!
