BAKERSFIELD, CA - You may just hear me belting out holiday tunes this season, especially when I’ve got good reason to be festive. After chatting with Grimmway Farms’ Lisa McNeece, you’ll know why I’ve been belting out “Rocking Around the Carrot Tree.” The fresh produce whiz has more than a few insights up her sleeves as we make way for the season, including why carrots should be on every holiday table.

“Carrots are a mainstay during the holidays,” Lisa, Vice President of Foodservice and Industrial Sales, shares with me. “They serve an important role in meals, on menus, and in school lunches year-round, but they truly shine during the holiday season as shoppers aren’t afraid to stock up on carrots from now through New Year’s. A hearty, versatile veggie packed with nutrition, consumers can rely on carrots for their long shelf-life and crisp, fresh flavor.”

Suitable for traditional side dishes, roasts, and soups, you can slice, dice, and shred carrots any way you like to make creative desserts and salads. Talk about versatility!

“We’re pleased to meet heightened demand through November and December, and we’re excited to see an increase in foodservice activity with schools back in session,” Lisa adds. “We’re seeing great quality and strong supply among our fall carrot crop. We’re harvesting in the San Joaquin Valley through March and we start harvesting in the Southeast next month.”

As retailers prepare for holiday promotions to meet existing consumer demand, Lisa notes several best practices to keep shoppers on the right track.

“Merchandise carrots with flavorful ingredients to inspire recipes, and build colorful sets that combine rainbow and orange carrots with other fresh-cut produce to encourage healthy snacking,” she explains. “We recommend cross-promoting table carrots with complementary vegetables like potatoes and onions, and showcasing their sweet flavor by merchandising shredded carrots with all the fixings for a cake.”

Working closely with its partners to provide carrots at efficient costs, Grimmway prides itself on bringing solutions to the table when it comes to keeping its customers stocked.

“While we face the same economic pressures that challenge suppliers in and out of the produce industry, we do everything we can to develop solutions that meet customer needs and keep carrots in ample supply in stores and schools,” Lisa says.

Be sure to stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we cover the latest in the fresh produce biz!

Grimmway Farms