MR. GREENS "FRESH TIPS"
June 1, 2001
Our last PRODUCE MAN PUZZZZLE dealt with Spring Cantaloupe: How did Cantaloupe get its name? Most melons originated in the hot, dry regions of the Mediterranean. In old Persia. That's what we call Iran today. As trade routes moved north, many of these odd melons moved north. Monks in Italy are thought to be the first to cultivate some of these melon, including the old muskmelon, what we call a Cantaloupe today. If you look at an atlas, find Rome. Then travel just a little north to a town at the edge of the foothills. In this tiny town, hundreds of years ago, monks were cultivating this melon out behind the monastery. This town is still called today…Cantalupo, Italy. This week's PUZZZZLE deals with melons: Which melon is not really a melon, but actually is a berry? See next week's "Fresh Tips" for the answer.
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POTATOES: Things are heating up in the fields of potatoes. In the end,
many potato farmers will be out of business, and next year's prices may
be higher. For the rest of this season, it's just a matter of how long we
can make last year's crop stretch. Wisconsin supplies are down to just a
few suppliers. Colorado is ending too. So is Nebraska. Oregon, Washington
and Idaho are getting down to their final storage sheds. Had that has sent
spud prices soaring. Not only are potato supplies getting low, but the potatoes
left in storage are going through a heavy pack out. In normal conditions,
a packer may have to go through 125 - 150 potatoes to fill a carton with
100 potatoes. But now, some packers are having to go through 300 potatoes
to find 100 to fill the carton. Many northwest growers are saying they are
seeing pack outs as low as 40%. That simply means that for every 100 pounds
of potatoes sorted, they only get 40 pounds worth selling. The rest is dumped.
That's one of the reasons for the much higher prices right now. Lower supplies,
and less quality supplies. Expect to see soaring spud prices throughout
the summer, until new crops start up in Bakersfield, California some time
in July. Growers there say their new crop of Norkotah Russets may be a few
weeks later than normal. A cooler than normal Spring 
slowed
seed germination and early plant growth. The larger problem in the potato
fields may have even more severe affects on spud supplies. First is water.
Actually, the lack of water. The northwest has been in a long, drought.
Electricity supplies are very low in the West mainly because a lack of rainfall
in the Northwest. Those normal heavy rains, fill reservoirs and turn turbines
and power generators for electricity. That water is also used for irrigation.
Without proper irrigation, insect populations will feast on weakened plants.
Plant and turber growth will be stunted. Yields per acre will be way down.
Storage quality would suffer as well. The water situation is so bad that
the federal government has cut off water supply for agriculture in the Klamath
Basin, along the California/Oregon border. There will be no water to irrigate
potato fields, so about 90% of the potato growers in the Klamath Basin will
not be planting potatoes this year. The Klamath Basin is not a huge potato
supplier for most of the U.S., but they do supply a great percentage of
the spuds for California. Without the Klamath Basin supplies, California
buyers will have to look further into the Northwest for supplies, and that
will mean higher transportation costs, leading to higher spud prices. Another
long-term problem is that many potato farmers are simply closing their doors.
Very depressed potato prices over the past several years is causing many
farmers to go broke. The farmers have simply gotten too good. They are producing
more potatoes per acre than ever. Their yields per acre are unbelievable.
In 1999, the U.S. harvested about 433 billion pounds of potatoes. Within
three years, even with less acreage, they expect to close in on 500 billion
pounds. High tech growing practices is helping to produce more on fewer
acres. By producing more spuds per acre, they've ended up with a spud surplus.
Consumers aren't eating more potatoes, so prices have been low. Too low
for many growers to stay in business. For many growers and packers, this
is their final season. It's too early to know how much of an impact this
will have. With NAFTA, there are more Canadian potatoes coming into the
United States. Imports have about doubled just in the past few years. That
could help moderate spud prices. Even so, even if prices were high, the
potato is still the most cost effective item in your kitchen.