Sunshine State Is Produce Dynamo

Florida’s climate fortifies retail produce shelves during early spring.

Following long, dreary winters that leave consumers yearning for warmer sunny days, the Sunshine State makes its entrance into the world of fresh produce at the start of spring.

A distinctive climate of abundant sunshine, water and soil makes Florida a key retail spring fruit and vegetable supply source. Florida’s growers can supply fresh produce earlier in the year than many other regions, affording many commodities earlier availability than from other regions.

“As the first state in season for strawberries, blueberries, sweet corn and watermelons, Florida is a leader in supplying fresh produce across the southeastern United States and beyond,” says Susie McKinley, director of the Division of Marketing and Development for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), in Tallahassee, FL.

“This early-season advantage gives consumers access to high-quality produce throughout the year and allows retailers to promote fresh, domestic products in early spring.

“Florida produce is known for its great flavor and its unique seasonal availability. By harvesting produce during the winter and spring months, Florida growers provide a reliable and diverse supply of fresh fruits and vegetables to retailers.”
— Susie McKinley, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Tallahassee, FL

“Florida produce is known for its great flavor and its unique seasonal availability,” McKinley adds. “By harvesting produce during the winter and spring months, Florida growers provide a reliable and diverse supply of fresh fruits and vegetables to retailers. Within a matter of days, Florida produce is picked, shipped, and on store shelves all along the East Coast.”

FIRST SIGN OF SPRING

An extended growing season makes the state one of the most important agricultural regions in the U.S. “Florida plays a major role in keeping our produce department strong during the winter-to-spring transition and is a meaningful part of our seasonal business,” says Mike Roberts, vice president of produce operations, Harps Food Stores, Springdale, AR. “You simply can’t beat a great Florida strawberry, and we have customers who look forward to them every year.

“We also see a lot of anticipation around spring Florida sweet corn, and Florida green beans are a dependable item for holiday meals when customers are focused on quality.”

The arrival of Florida’s spring produce signals the ending of the blah days of winter, says Jon Esformes, chief executive officer and operating partner of Pacific Tomato Growers Ltd., a Palmetto, FL, tomato grower.

“It’s a wonderful bounty of longer days, bright sunshine and bright products. Whether it’s squash, watermelon, cucumbers or tomatoes, this is American-grown fresh produce that we try to encourage our retailers and foodservice operators to really highlight the fact that the country opens up in the spring,” he says. “There’s nothing like that first day of spring, where people say ‘thank God, the winter’s behind us.’”

“Whether it’s squash, watermelon, cucumbers or tomatoes, this is American-grown fresh produce that we try to encourage our retailers and foodservice operators to really highlight the fact that the country opens up in the spring. There’s nothing like that first day of spring, where people say ‘thank God, the winter’s behind us.’”
— Jon Esformes, Pacific Tomato Growers Ltd., Palmetto, FL

Florida grows a large variety of fresh produce, including bell peppers, specialty peppers, eggplant, sweet corn, green beans, lettuce, potatoes, blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, oranges, tangerines and grapefruit.

“As spring unfolds across the United States, retailers look for dependable, high-quality produce that signals the start of warmer days and a shift in consumer buying habits,” says Nichole Towell, senior director of marketing for Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc., Oviedo, FL. “At the center of the seasonal transition is Florida sweet corn. Florida supplies the East Coast with sweet corn from November to May when other U.S. growing regions are too cold for sweet corn production.”

PRODUCE POWERHOUSE

A produce behemoth, Florida’s 44,400 farms produce more than 300 commodities. In 2023, Florida ranked first in the U.S. in the value of production for sweet corn, watermelons, Valencia oranges, sugarcane and floriculture. The state is second in bell peppers, strawberries, field-grown tomatoes and non-Valencia oranges. Florida is third nationally in cabbage and grapefruit, according to FDACS.

Opening the first domestic window for the category, Florida growers harvest blueberries March through May, with the winter strawberry deal running through April, while watermelon ships April through July, with strong May and June volume. Sweet corn peaks March through May, with tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, snap beans, potatoes, and leafy greens providing broad spring availability. Tropical fruits offer unique domestic flavors throughout the summer, as well.

“Outside of the leafy greens in Arizona, we are the only warm ground in the United States producing winter and early spring crop until it transitions north, so we are sort of the breadbasket, if you will, of the spring winter veg program,” says Neil Mazal, purchasing director for Lantana, FL-based East Coast Farms & Vegetables, which grows a variety of vegetables including hard squash. “California has some product coming out of the desert, but it’s limited to a handful of items, and it’s a lot of pepper and melons. But, we in Florida have a diverse product. We have diverse farming.”

The sun helps shape produce variety.

“It’s called the Sunshine State for a good reason: Florida’s subtropical climate — with its warm temperatures, abundant rain and sandy soil — makes for ideal conditions to grow a diverse number of crops, but especially varieties of Florida citrus,” says Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus in Bartow, FL.

Through their crop availability, the state’s growers prevent retailers from scrambling for product.
“Florida is one of the most important produce regions in the U.S. because it fills a critical supply window when most other growing regions aren’t producing,” says Elyse Lipman, chief executive officer of Lipman Family Farms, Immokalee, FL.

“Mild winters and plenty of sunshine keep the flow of fresh vegetables steady in winter and spring when fields and greenhouses elsewhere can’t keep up. Florida’s steady winter and spring production is a big reason why it’s one of the nation’s top vegetable states with a key role in the U.S. produce supply.”

NEIGHBORLY BENEFIT

Florida’s proximity to major retailers’ stores and distribution centers provides a hub for fresh fruits and vegetables for retailers in the Eastern, Midwestern, and Southern U.S. and other regions, supplying supermarkets with a competitive advantage, as well as ensuring faster deliveries and fresher products for customers.

“Florida produce is extremely important to Publix, as we have a strong commitment to supporting local growers,” says Maria Brous, director of media and community relations for the Lakeland, FL-based Publix Super Markets. “Florida’s spring fruits and vegetables are vital for Publix as they fill the gap between winter and summer harvests from other regions.”

Brous says items, such as tomatoes, strawberries, watermelon, bell peppers, cucumbers and sweet corn, are in high demand during spring. “Featuring Florida produce during this time helps drive traffic to stores and boosts overall produce department performance.”

“Florida is a critical part of the eastern U.S. fresh produce supply chain,” says Quentin Roe, president of Noble Worldwide Florida Citrus Sales, Winter Haven, FL. “Without Florida, the eastern U.S. would be forced to purchase all their winter and spring produce needs from other countries. Imagine a country that cannot feed itself. The United States needs Florida’s produce production for goodness and food security.”

“Without Florida, the Eastern U.S. would be forced to purchase all their winter and spring produce needs from other countries. Imagine a country that cannot feed itself. The United States needs Florida’s produce production for goodness and food security.”
— Quentin Roe, Noble Worldwide Florida Citrus Sales, Winter Haven, FL

The proximity aids cash-starved consumers during a tough economy. “In these times of higher costs, Florida’s proximity to major Eastern markets translates into savings and better performance at store level, which trickles down to the consumer,” says Nick Wishnatzki, public relations manager of Plant City, FL, berry grower and shipper Wish Farms.

“Shorter hauls mean lower delivered costs, enabling sharper retails and stronger margins. Faster transit also preserves freshness, reducing shrink and markdowns. The result is higher sell-through, better quality on arrival, quicker turns, and improved profitability for our retail partners.”

Vegetables from Florida ship fresher to stores, agrees Adam Lytch, regional manager for the Raleigh, NC-headquartered L&M Cos., with farming operations in Florida. “With fewer days on the road, there’s more freshness.”

“As a whole, we (Florida) are the late fall, winter and spring domestic vegetable capital,” Lytch says. “To fit those windows, production’s got to come out of Florida. With all the challenges on the import side, from the cost of ocean freight as well as freight from out West, I think it just puts that much more importance on the domestic part of production.”

Morton Williams Supermarkets, a 15-store metropolitan New York area chain based in Bronx, NY, relies on Florida spring produce.

“We depend on Florida product in the spring, especially before all the local deals start,” says Marc Goldman, produce director.

BRAND RECOGNITION

Florida produce can help retailers differentiate their stores. “Florida fruit isn’t a commodity anymore — it’s the result of intentional cultivation, premium taste goals, and modern grove management,” says Roe. “So, leading, quality-focused grocery chains often use Florida produce at the store perimeter to make a strong first impression and guide shoppers deeper into the store.”

Fresh From Florida, a FDACS marketing program, provides marketing muscle by encouraging retail supermarkets in 33 states and Washington, D.C., to promote Florida produce through advertising campaigns and trade support.

This spring, Fresh From Florida is running an advertising campaign, including TV, radio, podcasts, social media digital platforms and in-store promotions. To increase sales, FDACS encourages retailers to identify Florida produce in their weekly advertisements by featuring the “Fresh From Florida” logo alongside product images. Retailers also utilize displays, such as in-store signage and produce bins to promote Florida produce.

“Retailers sourcing Florida products benefit from faster deliveries that extend shelf life and support high-quality displays,” says FDACS’ McKinley. “These promotions bring greater awareness to our Florida growers, increasing their demand and sales. Leading retailers, such as Publix, The Fresh Market, The Winn-Dixie Company, ALDI, and Sprouts actively promote Florida produce through integrated campaigns that include in-store merchandising, weekly circulars and digital activations. Shoppers look for the ‘Fresh From Florida’ logo, and that recognition translates into real buying power.”

This year, Harps Food Stores partnered with Fresh from Florida. The chain of 87 stores in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma plans to actively employ tools and promotional support to tell Florida’s story at store level.

“We’ve had a very positive experience promoting Florida spring produce, and we expect customers to respond well because Florida is a name they recognize and trust,” says Roberts. “People naturally think of sunshine and citrus when they hear ‘Florida,’ but there’s also a strong perception that Florida-grown produce is fresh, healthy and high quality — which helps the promotion connect quickly with shoppers.”

“Depending on their proximity to the source, many chains also market ‘locally grown’ or ‘Florida-grown’ to emphasize freshness and deep commitment to sourcing the best, while responsibly supporting local farmers,” says Noble’s Roe.

Publix highlights Florida produce through in-store signage, weekly ads and digital marketing campaigns.

“Publix’s ‘Fresh from Florida’ promotions help educate customers about seasonal availability and the benefits of buying local, resulting in increased customer awareness during the spring season,” says Brous.