Gold Coast Packing's Crystal Chavez Details Cauliflower's Popularity and its Year-Round Availability
SANTA MARIA, CA - Rice, pizza crust, bagels, and more—is there a carb out there that cauliflower can’t replace? Aside from serving as a crunchy, tasty snack all by itself, cauliflower has taken hold among consumers as an enormously versatile veggie, and the forward momentum of the cauli-train won’t be slowing down anytime soon. With demand at an all-time high, the supply-side has its work cut out for itself to satiate consumer cravings. As cauliflower expert Gold Coast Packing continues its year-round growing operations, Crystal Chavez, Marketing Coordinator, detailed the ins and outs that come with this exciting category. And even though the grower experienced some rough waters early on, there is expected to be smooth sailing ahead.
“This year we have had slight issues with cauliflower due to early rainfall. We got wet weather in Santa Maria earlier than we did last year, and that caused some issues with harvesting and with our planting schedules. Due to the delays, we will see some gaps in our spring harvest,” Crystal shared with me.
While Gold Coast grows cauliflower year-round, at the moment, it is harvesting and planting the vegetable in the grower’s Santa Maria fields—where Gold Coast grows 100 percent of its cauliflower. At the moment, the market is a little tight and supply is light, but in a category experiencing an increase in both price and demand, Gold Coast is ready to meet and exceed the demands of its customers, with heavier volumes in the next few weeks.
Suppliers can expect the popularity of cauliflower to continue, because it is a tasty vegetable option that has endless uses. And if there’s one thing consumers love, it’s versatility.
“Cauliflower is still a very on-trend vegetable,” Crystal said. “Some believe that cauliflower has had its time in the spotlight, but it is here to stay! Innovation is helping bring new presentations for cauliflower from carb substitutes to a center of the plate favorite.”
For more news on the hottest categories spicing up the produce aisle, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
