January 4, 2021

Peddler’s Son Gives Back Over Holidays

PHOENIX (January 4, 2021) — Peddler’s Son and its employees gave back this holiday season through two separate drives designed to aid Valley families in need.

The local wholesale food company has a long-standing tradition of holiday giving over the past three decades, and with the impacts of the pandemic the efforts of Peddler’s Son employees were needed more than ever before. As a result, the company participated in two separate initiatives.

The Ahwatukee Holiday Food Drive, which was held on December 10 and collected a broad variety of food products for families in need locally. Peddler’s Son and its employees provided 400 pounds of various produce for the effort.

And, the company held its own Holiday Festival Toy Drive benefitting Harvest Compassion Center and ChildHelp. The Harvest Compassion Center drive in particular hit home with Peddler’s Son employees, as the organization is serving families that have employment in the restaurant industry. More than 140 gift items were collected as part of the drive.

“It is important to all of us at Peddler’s Son to give back to the community that has done so much for us over our company’s history,” said Ted Palmisano, who co-owns the business with his brother Joe. “It is gratifying to know that we have been able to have a positive impact on local families during a year that has been so challenging.”

With 33 years of experience in delivering goods throughout Arizona, Peddler’s Son is one of Arizona’s most trusted wholesale delivery produce companies. Its mission is to bring its customers in the retail and restaurant industries the best quality products and provisions with convenient delivery. The company’s clients include some of the region’s most prominent restaurants, grocery stores, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and catering companies.

The company boasts annual revenue in excess of $50 million, with 130 employees and more than 35 vehicles serving Arizona and the Southwest. Its products include fruits and vegetables, frozen and processed foods, grocery, bakery and pastry, meats and proteins, dairy and cheese, specialty and locally sourced products, and packaging and supplies.

For more information and background on Peddler’s Son, visit the company’s new web site at www.PeddlersSon.com.

December 2020 Fresh Produce Distribution Recap

Blog Post / January 4, 2021

Fresh produce distribution ended 2020 with a tricky month of December according to weekly market reports by National Produce Consultants. The fresh produce industry was tasked with preparing for the holiday season in December after coming off the Thanksgiving demand in November. This particular time of the year, with lots of high demand products, resulted in 16 fresh produce items on alert throughout the month.

Weather and transition issues were the primary causes for these alerts as many wet vegetables have been suffering from unfavorable weather conditions. This is especially true for countries in Central America as both Guatemala and Honduras were hit with two tropical storms back to back in the middle of December. This affected both countries severely in the production of cantaloupe and honeydew. Additionally, Mexico and Ecuador both suffered from hurricane damage hindering the production of bananas in the region.

On the other hand, transition issues impacted lettuces at the beginning of December. But as new crops are in full swing, lettuces are finally seeing a break after a few troublesome months. Other fresh produce items affected by transition included curly parsley, cauliflower, and broccoli, with parsley being the most severe out of the three.

Fresh Produce Watch

Items Affected By Weather

Green Beans – Cantaloupe – Honeydew – Corn – Bananas – Tomatoes – Summer Squash – Strawberries – Eggplant

Items Affected By Transition

Curly Parsley – Cauliflower – Romaine – Broccoli – Iceberg – Green Leaf

Other Distribution Issues

Mushrooms (Demand)

To view the full reports click here.

What to Expect At Your Local Fresh Produce in January

Jumping the last holiday season hurdle will have a big impact on the fresh produce industry coming into the new year. With the high demand season coming to an end, many markets will see a decrease.

While transition periods are over for lettuces and the domestic season for citrus is in full swing, there are still quite a few issues when it comes to wet vegetables. With unfavorable weather on the East Coast the past few months and the pull from Thanksgiving, corn and green beans might be slow to recover. Additionally the production of cantaloupe, honeydew, and bananas will heavily depend on how fast Central American countries recover from the tropical storms and hurricanes.

On the other hand, growing regions in Arizona and California are enjoying good conditions helping offset the problems of rain, wind, and freezes in the East Coast. Citrus season is off to a bright start as more Washington area oranges have come into the market starting in mid-to-late December.

Finally, with COVID-19 cases continuing to rise, many states are implementing new regulations on states, which is impacting the food distribution industry. It is important to stay aware of local and state regulations as well as plan orders accordingly and ahead of time as trucking was also an issue during the month of December.

Peddler’s Son Is Your Produce Wholesaler

As a family-owned wholesale produce distributor since 1988, Peddler’s Son is here to help your business grow. We provide exceptional customer service through transparency and integrity while building valuable relationships with Arizona organizations with the best quality products. Contact us today to learn more about our distribution capabilities.

December 2020 Fresh Produce Distribution Recap Read More »