Weather slows Ohio's start, but crops are catching up
This article originally appeared in The Packer. Click here to read the original article.
As was the case for many Midwest states, cool and rainy weather held back Ohio vegetable suppliers at the start of the season.
North central Ohio’s harvest in early June included radishes, mustard greens, turnip greens and cilantro, and by late June lettuce will be added to that list.
Green onions also will start toward the end of June and yellow squash and zuchinni and cucumbers could begin by early July. Hot peppers will start up in August, said Ben Wiers, president of Wiers Farm Inc., Willard, Ohio.
This year, Buurma Farms’ operations in Michigan are probably a week behind, but Loren Buurma, company treasurer with the Willard-based company, said its operations in Ohio are actually ahead for some commodities, depending on the soil.
“On the muck we are probably a week ahead (on some) items and then the heavier soil we’re probably a good week behind,” Buurma said.
In early June, Buurma was harvesting radishes, turnips, mustard greens, cilantro, parsley and soon beginning green leaf, red leaf, romaine, endive, escarole and boston lettuce. Curly parsely and baby dill were expected to start by June 10 and green onions and beets will start the latter half of June.
Cucumbers and zucchini will start by early July.
Buurma said the company will have supplies well into October or early November.
“We will wait until the frost gets us on some of the lettuces and some of the tender crops like turnips, mustard greens, collards and kale,” he said.
“The cello radishes and even green onions will go until whenever we decide to pull the plug in November,” he said.
The local produce deal was behind in Ohio, said Jeremy Taylor, vice president sales and marketing for DNO Produce, Columbus, Ohio.
DNO Produce sells bulk wholesale and value-added fresh local produce to retail and foodservice accounts, he said.
Beyond vegetables, Taylor said the Ohio apple deal is highly valued.
“The apples are a big deal and we actually had storage apples up until early May, which is a lot longer than we usually get storage apples from Ohio.” he said.
New varieties like the EverCrisp have drawn attention to Ohio apples.
2018 acreage
U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics from 2018 listed sweet corn as the top vegetable crop, with 9,800 acres, followed by tomatoes (5,500 acres), pumpkins (4,000 acres), cucumbers (1,900 acres) and bell peppers (1,500 acres).
2017 acreage
The 2017 Census of Agriculture captured long-term data on vegetable and fruit harvesting.
The data showed that open-field vegetable acreage — both fresh and processing — in Ohio in 2017 totaled 35,298 acres, about the same as 35,553 acres in 2012 but down from 47,014 acres in 2007.
Fresh market open-field vegetable acreage in 2017 totaled 25,966 in 2017, down from 27,061 acres in 2012 and off sharply from 33,333 acres in 2007.
2017 vegetable acreage, compared with 2012:
> Fresh market asparagus: 152 acres in 2017, up from 69 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market snap beans: 2,637 acres in 2017, up from 2,305 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market beets: 172 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market broccoli: 92 acres in 2017, up from 56 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market cabbage: 1,459 acres in 2017, up from 69 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market cantaloupe: 406 acres in 2017, down from 444 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market carrots: 108 in 2017, up from 23 acres in 2012;
> Combined fresh and processed cauliflower: 78 acres in 2017, up from 16 acres in 2012;
> Fresh celery: 7 acres in 2017, up from 1 acres in 2012;
> Combined fresh and processed collard greens: 181 acres in 2017, down from 183 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market cucumbers: 598 in 2017, up from 300 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market daikon: 28 acres in 2017, up from 1 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market eggplant: 109 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market escarole and endive: 55 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market garlic: 90 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market herbs: 458 acres in 2017, up from 261 acres n 2012;
> Fresh market honeydew: 10 acres in 2017, up from 2 acres in 2012;
> Fresh and processed kale: 271 acres in 2017, up from 107 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market lettuce: 429 acres in 2017, up from 306 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market head lettuce: 122 acres in 2017, up from 28 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market leaf lettuce: 299 acres in 2017, up from 220 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market romaine lettuce: 105 acres in 2017, up from 66 acres in 2012;
> Combined fresh and processed mustard greens: 221 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market dry onions: 110 acres in 2017, down from 254 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market green onions: 249 acres in 2017, down from 260 acres in 2012;
> Combined fresh and processed parsley: 238 acres in 2017, down from 241 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market Chinese peas: 14 acres in 2017, up from 10 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market green peas; 44 acres in 2017, up from 32 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market bell peppers: 856 acres in 2017, up from 772 in 2012;
> Fresh market chile peppers: 360 acres in 2017, up from 255 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market potatoes: 957 acres in 2017, down from 986 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market pumpkins: 857 acres in 2017, down from 947 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market radishes: 598 acres in 2017, up from 433 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market rhubarb: 32 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market spinach: 41 acres in 2017, up from 28 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market squash 1,552 acres in 2017, up from 1,046 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market sweet corn: 7,777 acres in 2017, down from 9,521 in 2012;
> Fresh market sweet potatoes: 36 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market tomatoes: 1,010 acres in 2017, down from 1,839 acres in 2012;,
> Combined fresh and processed turnips: 76 acres in 2017, up from 25 acres; and
> Fresh market watermelons: 361 acres in 2017, compared with 338 acres in 2012.