OXNARD, CA - I’m seeing red in the produce aisle, strawberry red. Mother’s Day is coming up this year on May 14, and the day is notorious for treating Mom to a well-earned meal. Whether it’s breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, or somewhere in between, Bobalu has your strawberry patch covered to make the most out of that lovely weekend thanks to its California production.

“2023 has been a wild ride, but we are gearing up for Mother’s Day and working with customers on any special orders to ensure consumers are excited for the upcoming holiday,” Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing, tells me. “We are seeing peak production approaching in Oxnard over the next couple of weeks, so hopefully all the stars will be in alignment! Santa Maria is still behind its normal curve, but we are harvesting there now and look forward to any extra volume we get from that region to fulfill orders.”

If you’ve been keeping a keen eye on ANUK these past few weeks, you know that we’ve been keeping a detailed report on Bobalu’s production through the tumultuous weather. So, it stands to reason that the whole office is excited to see these beautiful and flavorful berries make it to store shelves.

“We are still dancing around some minor weather disruptions this week, but we should not have any volume shortfalls as a result,” Cindy continues. “The main issue keeping volume in check is the cooler overall temperatures we continue to see in Oxnard and Santa Maria.”

Weather forecasts show daily highs hitting in the ’60s, which will keep fruit coming on slower and the season stretching out a little longer. All of that is good news, Cindy assures me, as it allows Oxnard to make up for some lost volume earlier in the season.

And, with Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, this creates the perfect opportunity for Bobalu’s strawberry stem program.

“We love promoting our stem program for Mother’s Day, so we created a video to show our consumers all the love and care that goes into harvesting this very special type of berry perfect for moms,” Cindy explains. “Our social media influencer helps spread the word and content around the holiday, and we look forward to this time period serving as the launch for peak season at retail. This is the time of year when we hope to see large berry displays at the front of the department and our retail partners letting shoppers know that our strawberry season is here and will be all summer long.”

I, for one, can’t wait to get my hands on a carton or three, and I know your shoppers can't either. So, be sure to stock up plenty for all the cakes, drinks, and salads consumers will be whipping up, and keep an eye out for more industry updates.

Bobalu