Growing conditions for beets have been rather mixed lately, with some rain slowing production in recent weeks. Growers say that quality remains high however, and specialty varieties of beets are continuing to see healthy demand.
"Demand has been fair and we've enjoyed steady flow and volume, despite some variable weather," said Tyler Morgan of Morgan and Sons Farms in Texas. "While demand has not climbed dramatically, Candystripe and Golden beets have been getting more attention recently and we are seeing volume climbing a little for these. Quality has been very high."
Morgan also mentioned that sizing has been very favorable this season. "We've been seeing a good market for our 1" baby beets in bulk," he said. "The 1" baby beets generally go to restaurants and high-end retailers as they are utilized as a gourmet item. We can grow up to 6" size but any bigger than that and the quality tends to decrease. Larger beets, those that are more than 4", are usually best suited for processing as the optimal size for the fresh market is typically smaller."
Morgan and Sons's at the recent Viva Fresh trade show
Changes on the way
Last week during the rain, Morgan and Sons Farms decided to make some changes and install new equipment. The company's aim is to improve the customer experience of buying beets. "Due to the rain last week, we took a line down and put in some new equipment," Morgan said. "Now we have polishers installed which will make the beets smooth and soft, removing the brown color of the exterior and leaving more of the purple color. It results in a nicer and cleaner looking beet and is to draw the focus on higher-end quality."
The company will also be introducing a new beet bag from next week. Morgan expects that the 1lb bags are set to shake up the beet category. "Starting next week, we are looking to get our 1lb beet bag program off the ground, and customers should start seeing more of them in stores in two weeks," he said. "The beet bags will be labeled under our Mighty Sweet Beets label."
"The size of the bag has been driven by consumer demand," he continued. "In each bag will be four or five 2" sized beets. To put beets in a bag will change up the category, making it easy to grab and go. We have been doing extensive testing on the bags as our company grows for quality and we want to reflect that mindset when it comes to packaging. We want to make sure our bags meet the needs of the consumer and reflect the quality of our produce."Other products
Morgan said the company's specialty is root vegetables. Aside from different colored beets like the Golden and Candystripe, they grow other interesting vegetables that have a high visual appeal.
"Morgan and Sons Farms grows many types of root vegetables, many of which are available at this time of year," he said. "One of the types if radish we grow is the Watermelon Radish. It's basically a green radish with red meat inside and it really jazzes up salads. Another vegetable we are looking to expand on is the purple Daikon.
For more information:
Tyler Morgan
Morgan and Sons Farms
Tel: +1 (956) 225-0311