Does seeing U.S. broccoli in Fiesta’s produce section make you feel steamed?
We get you.
Our trusty Produce Buyer, Carmen, spends the wee hours of the morning at the market tracking down the best produce. So, we asked him: “What’s up with the US produce?”
He told us straight: Right now, much of your go-to produce, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Swiss chard, is only available from the U.S., mostly California.
“Listen,” Carm tells us, “We’d love to offer local, but the ground here just isn’t ready yet.”
So, what are you doing about it?
Where we can, we’re adding alternative options and swapping out US produce. We’ll admit, our options are limited by what’s in season.
Here’s some of what we’re doing:
- We’ve loaded up on Canadian greenhouse lettuce because the quality is great. Fiesta carries two kinds so feel free to make the switch: “We’ve brought in Living Lettuce grown indoors in Saskatchewan,” Carmen says. “And we’ve got great stuff from Vision Greens—indoor red leaf, green leaf, spring mixes. That stuff flies off the shelves.”
- We’ve replaced US lemons because they made us feel sour. We tried Spanish ones, but they didn’t make the cut. But, South African lemons are in peak season so we’re selling those instead of the California ones.
Isn’t there Ontario broccoli?
The short answer is: not yet.
Ontario produce is coming on strong and we’re ready.
“We’ll be up to 75% local produce in just a couple months,” Carmen says. “It’s all coming.”
Ontario rhubarb and wild leeks (ramps) already in the shop. In the next two weeks, you’ll see the first asparagus of the season (squeeeeee!).
It just gets better from there
- May–June: Asparagus, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers.
- Late June–July: Broccoli, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, kohlrabi, swiss chard, tomatoes.
- August and beyond: Niagara peaches and grapes, peas, brussel sprouts, watermelon
Here’s the full picture. You’ll notice, local is fairly sparse before May and June.
Photo Credit: Just Food
If you’re determined to buy local (and good on you) there’e lots of frozen options in the freezer section, picked the peak of freshness and frozen and equal to fresh in nutrients.
The Bottom Line
We love that you shop with your values. Please, keep asking us questions–even the tough ones. We promise to answer as best we can.
And know, doing our best to get you the produce you ask for.
See you in the aisles!