Once a vegetable scorned for its sometimes bitterness, Brussels sprouts are enjoying a comeback in the US market, thanks to health-conscious buyers, enthusiastic restaurateurs and dedicated farmers. This season, the Brussels sprouts crop is looking promising in the Pacific Northwest according to one Northwest Washington grower who has begun harvesting.
Tony Wisdom, of Valley Pride Sales in Burlington, Washington, told how the specific climate in their growing region has been ideal for cultivating the vegetable with cool nights and crisp daytime temperatures.
"We ship our product nationally as well as into Canada. Our operations are almost year-round now and our market window for sprouts is usually from early August to the end of January."
Quality driving demand
Wisdom was particularly pleased with the quality of the crop and credited his team for the results. "This year, sizing has been great with an extensive spread of sizes. We sort sizes electronically and our customers are noticing that differentiation" he continued. "I really credit our farm production team for the excellent quality we see out in the fields. They make our job easy by turning out a high quality crop and as a result, I'm really excited for the season."
According to Wisdom, quality is what leads the company to sell out of the product for the last few seasons. "We have sold out the last few years which has usually been by the middle to end of January. We prefer the market come to us, instead of forcing the product on the market."
Strong market supported by tight supplies
The price of Brussels sprouts remains firm as demand for the vegetable continues to be strong. Tight supplies also ensure the market price hovers slightly above what has been seen in recent years. With little competition from other sources, Wisdom sees this trend continuing in the near-term.
"Supplies have been tight and the increasing demand has kept prices strong. Our volumes are building now as production kicks in. There has been a very strong market throughout summer and we see that continuing throughout the Fall and Winter. Right now the price for 25lb cartons is between the $50-$55 mark. This has been a bit higher than the previous few seasons at this time of year."
For more information:
Tony Wisdom
Valley Pride
Tel: +1 (360) 428 2717