TRAVERSE CITY, MI - There are two items I can’t live without during the spring and heading into summer, and those are none other than asparagus and blackberries. Nearly every dinner features the stalky veggie and nearly every dessert has the juicy berry. With both of these products central to springtime retail programs, North Bay Produce is making sure its partners are taken care of.

Around May 1, 2024, North Bay Produce’s highly anticipated Michigan asparagus is due for harvest. The company closely monitors the weather for any chances of freezing and notes that it could see snow or frost in the last week of April or the first week of May.

The asparagus season is due to start off tight due to northern Michigan farms not picking up yet; in mid-May, North Bay Produce explained that it will start seeing strong volume through the first week of June. Weather too will determine how much volume will be produced in the last three weeks of June. North Bay offers conventional green and purple asparagus and organic green asparagus in 11 lb and 28 lb cases.

The company’s blackberry offerings are bigger and better than ever. Its newest blackberry variety, Erandy™, is known for its incredibly large size and sweet flavor. Marketed under the RESERVE™ label, these berries are grown in Mexico, ship well, and will be available through spring.

North Bay Produce also noted that from a grower’s perspective, Erandy handles various soil conditions well and grows more robustly than other commercial varieties. For retailers and growers alike, that’s a win.

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