Salinas Valley suffers quality problems for leafy greens as season winds down

Markon Cooperative BB #:123315 released this Live from the Fields report August 24, 2026:

View a Markon Live From the Fields video about current quality challenges in leafy greens crops from California’s Salinas Valley. Markon First Crop (MFC) Lettuce items are limited; Markon Best Available is being substituted as needed.

The Salinas season is winding down. Long, warm days, and humid nights have caused stress on multiple vegetable crops. Soil disease and plant virus pressure is rising, causing yields to be reduced.

Current quality challenges include, but are not limited to:

• Decay
• Fog burn/internal burn
• Increased insect pressure (aphid, diamondback moth, thrip, etc.)
• Long core/seeder
• Mildew pressure
• Rib blight
• Shortened shelf-life potential

Additionally, deposits of light ash and soot from a wildfire in the Big Sur area have started falling on crops throughout the valley. Harvesting crews are trimming heavily to detect and avoid serious defects which is causing case weights to fall below normal levels.

Markon inspectors are working with suppliers to secure the best product available for Markon orders. Please contact your Markon Account Manager for further information.