SANTA CRUZ, CA - Tomatoes and herbs—I’m sure just reading the two words alone has already triggered mouthwatering memories of flavorful appetizers and delicious dinners. The winter months especially lend themselves to cherished and wholesome recipes, which means tomatoes and herbs are two stops shoppers are sure to be making in the produce department. No need to fret—a recent conversation with Katie Bishop, Marketing Coordinator for Jacobs Farm del Cabo, divulged everything retailers need to know to increase register rings this season.
“The holidays are here, which means holiday herbs are thriving! We’ve had some of our highest yields and sales of organic sage and thyme in company history,” Katie explains to me. “The Mediterranean climate is the perfect environment for growing these seasonal herbs, so quality has been exceptional. Supply is so plentiful that we have been able to offer competitive pricing and focus on moving volume.”
All of Jacobs Farm del Cabo’s holiday herbs—sage, rosemary, thyme, and savory—are grown on the supplier’s picturesque farms just north of Santa Cruz, California. The grower also produces winter herbs and tomatoes in Baja California, Mexico.
“Our Mexican farms cultivate our best-selling organic Cherry and Grape tomatoes, the majority of which are currently coming from San Jose del Cabo and west central Baja,” Katie shares. “Much of Baja California is still recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Kay back in September. After such a tumultuous event, there is inevitably a long road to full recovery. Yet, we are seeing signs of a plentiful January, and we are confident in del Cabo farmers’ abilities to adapt, even in the roughest of storms.”
Due to these challenging weather events, tomato supply has shrunk, leading to higher prices in the market.
As the grower looks toward a promising start to the new year, I asked Katie for a few insights into how retailers can collect more sales across both categories.
“Cross-merchandise!” Katie emphasizes. “Herbs are intuitive cross-merchandisers because they are a purchase that inherently guarantees another purchase—think vegetables for soup, mozzarella for Caprese salad, or cranberries for herb-garnished cocktails. Cross-merchandising is also a great way to remind customers of hearty, cold-weather tomato pairings with herbs like thyme, sage, and bay leaves. Thanks to our pairing of Northern California and Baja California farming, Jacobs Farm del Cabo is able to offer both organic tomatoes and organic herbs. Retailed side by side, these two products sell one another while also promoting the unique, feel-good story of the Jacobs Farm and del Cabo mission.”
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