DURHAM, NC - Looking to build a cohesive, full organic tomato set that delivers on quality? With August to October bringing peak volumes from North Carolina, each month offers different promotional opportunities on both unique and combined SKUs, Helen Rosen, Happy Dirt Wholesale Coordinator, shares with me.
“Early August is peak tomato season in the state, when the majority of our organic tomato growers hit full abundance at the same time,” says Helen. “That concentration of volume is what lets us build a real promotional moment, which is what we did this year with Organic Tomato Week: a buyer-facing push followed by a retailer-to-consumer promotion. Retailers who plan ahead for that window get the widest varietal selection of the year at the best volume.”
Heirloom tomatoes continue to carry this momentum forward; Happy Dirt offers high volume on organic heirloom tomatoes into September, which allows retailers to maintain a premium heirloom set past the promotional peak, while the eating quality is still at its best.
“Our regional sequencing is what makes that possible,” Helen explains. “The Eastern North Carolina grape program runs from late June to mid-August, and as it winds down we shift west, where the cooler mountain nights extend the season on the back end.”
From September into October, the opportunity moves to small formats, Helen tells me. Grape and cherry tomatoes typically run through October—well past the heirloom window—and serve as a natural anchor for the fall set due to their versatility. Think snacking, lunchboxes, school-year occasions, roasting as the weather turns, and more.
“Retailers who plan the transition rather than letting the tomato set contract can hold organic tomato space through the fall on grape and cherry volume,” Helen notes. “In October, we shift to greenhouse-grown organic tomatoes from another farm partner in Eastern North Carolina, which keeps organic supply continuous as field production ends.”
Happy Dirt continues to build out its shoulder season availability, allowing East Coast retailers to source organic tomatoes closer to home for more of the year. This shortens the distance from field to shelf and gets fresher product in front of shoppers.
The company is currently working with a farm partner to expand its winter heirloom program, which brings new business to smaller growers who want to expand and supports them through the systems and processes that growth requires. Happy Dirt is also exploring new Florida partnerships and helping existing partners trial new items and build out their current portfolios, further bolstering year-round Southeast options.
As the company continues to accelerate its growth, AndNowUKnow will be here to report on each step.
