Market Report for May

Our produce company sends me a market report explaining current produce quality and shortages. This should also help explain current grocery store prices. (co-op prices will always be cheaper than grocery store prices, but it's fun to know why certain produce is pricey and other produce is hard to find)
Here is a run down for the produce that affects our current order:

MARKET ALERT!
There is a severe carrot shortage as major carrot fields in California experienced major flooding recently. The shortage will continue through May and prices won't drop until June. The shortage has driven prices skyward as production is down by more than 50%.  The shortage has affected all carrot prices including jumbo, juicing, and all packaged carrots including carrot sticks.

Green and colored Pepper season will not begin until late may. Expect prices to remain high.

Lettuce prices including green leaf, romaine, and iceburg are high due to heavy rainfall in the winter and early spring. Iceburg lettuce quality is dwindling as the season in the Huron valley is coming to a close. (Once the season closes in a certain area, the produce companies switch to a different area where the climate is different with different growing times). Prices are currently high to extreme high but the quality is good.

The tomato shortage is slowly declining. (remember last month when fast food places were out?) Prices remain high but quality is good. Expect to see prices continue to drop throughout the coming months.

CURRENT QUALITY OF PRODUCE
On a scale of Fair, Good, or Excellent.
This list is HUGE so I'm only going to tell you the extemes (excellent- meaning taste, shape, color, and texture are the best you can get and the price is usually low, and Fair- meaning taste can be bland, and may be unripe, sour, or slightly wilty. There will never be Poor produce as that doesn't sell. It get's scrapped. If it isn't listed, consider the condition, "Good". Good- means taste, shape, color, and texture is average. great for eating or cooking, your typical average, grocery store produce.

EXCELLENT
Broccoli
Seedless Watermelon
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Asparagus

FAIR
Iceburg Lettuce
Celery
Grapes