January 2026 Produce Parable – Year in Review

By Adam Calder

At the beginning of the new year, I like to take a look back on the previous one. In 2025, we sold an incredible $1,136,015 worth of produce! I’ve been doing this job for over two decades, and when I started, I couldn’t have imagined we would ever sell this much produce in twelve months. I am immensely proud of the hard work my produce team and all the other co-op staff did to make this number a reality.

Of that over a million dollars in produce sales, here are the top ten selling items for your statistical pleasure:

10. Green onions – 4,499 bunches.

Not my personal favorite, but clearly, they find their way into many shopping carts and baskets. A few quick chops, and you can add a handful of these crunchy, mildly flavored alliums to a wide variety of dishes.

9. Russet Potatoes – 4,696.54 pounds

This particular potato has a fascinating history, which I will visit in a future produce parable. The large size, starchy flesh, shallow eyes and uniform shape make these potatoes a household name.

8. Garnet Yams – 4,728.95 pounds

Not surprisingly, sales for these really take off around Thanksgiving. They are consistently popular, and available year-round. Some people swear by them, claiming their sweetness and softness is unmatched by other yams.

7. Broccoli – 5,319.45 pounds

When the cases of broccoli arrive at the co-op, they are topped with five to ten pounds of chipped ice to keep them fresh longer. That means we also receive and throw out about 1,500 – 2,000 pounds of ice every year!

6. Yukon Gold Potatoes – 5,328.23 pounds

Developed in Canada in the 1960’s, these potatoes quickly became a huge success. They get their name from the Yukon River (the source of which is in British Columbia) and their yellow skin/flesh. Many people claim these potatoes have a buttery taste. Great for roasting or mashing.

5. Carrots – 6,113.30 pounds

Their versatility speaks to their popularity. Fresh for snacking, shredded in salads, juiced or cooked, there are many ways to enjoy carrots. They keep well, are affordable, nutritious, and available year-round.

4. Yellow Onions – 6,454.08 pounds

This may seem like a tear-inducing pile of onions, but they are so useful it does not surprise me that they sell so well. Not too hot, not too mild, good for storage, these onions are a familiar favorite in many kitchens.

3. Cosmic Crisp Apples – 6,953.91 pounds

These apples have an interesting relationship to Honeycrisp Apples. The Cosmic Crisp is a cross between the Honeycrisp and Enterprise apples. Honeycrisps fruit in a bi-annual cycle, where they produce a large number of apples one year (called a mast year) and then not very many the next. The 2024 Honeycrisp crop was small, so we did not have any Honeycrisps to sell at all the first seven months of 2025. In years where there are few Honeycrisps available, Cosmic Crisps fill in the gap.

2. Avocados – 12,837

That works out to about 40 avocados every day! Sales for this fruit increase every year. They are full of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, so I understand their appeal. I am still amazed at the sheer volume of these that we go through, and that their popularity only seems to be increasing.

1. As always, Bananas – 24,299.30 pounds

I personally stock around 15,000 pounds of those bananas every year. I’m just going to say it: bananas are not that good. It is mind-boggling how many people buy these fruits, and how often, when there are so many better tasting, longer lasting options for fresh fruit. Their power over consumers is near absolute, making them the perennial top-selling item in this produce department.

Kickstart 2026 with Wellness!

Our top ten Wellness picks highlight some of our favorite items from the Wellness aisles for 2026.  Below is a specially curated list of products our seasoned Wellness staff personally use and love. The Wellness Top 10 is a perennial customer favorite, and 2026 marks our 15^th year! Believe it or not, we haven’t yet run out of items to share with you. The Wellness staff wish you a healthy new year, filled with moments of joy and connection, and opportunities for self-renewal, nourishment and growth.

? Here are 10 standout picks—handpicked just for you, and in no particular order. ?

10. Moon Valley Lotion Bars 

These lotion bars are made with a handful of organic ingredients, including calendula, comfrey, beeswax and vitamin E. We tried the lemon vanilla bar because of its wonderful aroma, like a subtly flavored vanilla cookie warm out of the oven. We appreciate that it comes in a sustainable tin container instead of a plastic bottle. Bonus—you can recycle or repurpose the tin and compost or recycle the box for a zero-waste option. It's also really easy to use: just warm it in your hands to soften it slightly, then apply to dry or chapped areas for nourishing skin replenishment.

By Kim McDermott, Wheatsfield Wellness Manager

Kim McDermott is Wheatsfield Co-op’s Wellness Manager, holds a B.S. degree in Nutritional Science, and has been interested in natural foods and vegetarian cooking for over 30 years. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create down-to-earth, healthy recipes. Kim previously co-managed a small vegetarian restaurant, and also taught vegetarian cooking classes for the first CSA in central Iowa, the Magic Beanstalk.

How It Works

Seasonal Share

• You pay up front for the season and then get a weekly box of farm-fresh items during harvest months.

• Typically you pick up your share at a designated location, or some CSAs even deliver.

Shared Risk & Reward

• CSA membership isn’t just a purchase — it’s a partnership. Farmers get early season funding that helps with supplies, seeds, labor, and cash flow.

• Members accept that each season’s harvest can vary due to weather, pests, and other farming realities — so you share in both bountiful weeks and leaner ones.

Benefits

For Farmers

• Receive payment early to support the farm’s operations.

• Build direct relationships with the people who eat their food.

• Spend less time marketing during peak growing months.

For Members

• Enjoy ultra-fresh, seasonal food with great flavor and nutrient value.

• Try new vegetables and foods you might not always pick out yourself.

• Often get a chance to visit the farm and learn about how your food is grown.

Variations in CSA Models

CSA farms can organize their shares differently:

• Traditional Box: The farm packs a weekly box for members.

• Market-Style CSA: Members choose items from bins and build their own share with some limitations.

• Some CSAs include other products like eggs, meat, bread, flowers, or products from partner farms.

Things to Consider Before Joining

Here are a few practical questions as you decide whether CSA is right for you, such as:

• Do you like cooking regularly and experimenting with seasonal ingredients?

• Can you handle or find uses for all the produce you get?

• Are you comfortable with the shared risk nature of CSA (getting what grows well — which may vary)?
  And it’s smart to ask farmers about how their CSA works, how long they’ve been farming, and other member experiences before signing up.

Citrus, a Christmas Tradition

Adam Calder
Wheatsfield Produce Manager

In this day and age, most people are accustomed to having citrus year-round; they tend not to think of it as a treat and usually not as a gift either. Five hundred years ago, that was not the case. Back then, only the wealthy could afford fresh fruit out of season as there were no refrigerated trucks to carry it great distances. A child might eagerly await a whole year for a Christmas gift of a golden globe of navel orange. A tangerine or a grapefruit was treated like an exotic delicacy. Why even in Little House on the Prairie, the little girls in that story were overjoyed when they each got an orange in their Christmas stocking. As a child, I recall receiving an orange and an apple in my own stocking, and I also recall tossing those aside quickly to get at the chocolate Santa. That was, of course, before the years granted me the wisdom to recognize fresh fruit for what it truly is. There is value in treating fresh citrus like a special gift, and I think it is time we gave citrus its due!

This year, why not carry on the old tradition of giving citrus? Pick up a handful of Satsuma mandarins and give those to someone you love. The fruit is juicy, tasty and the peel comes off as easily as unzipping a coat. Mix up an assortment of kumquats, lemons, limes and grapefruit for that special someone who loves tangy and tart fruit. Go ahead and stick a couple of navel oranges in your children’s stockings, or wow them with a blood orange so ruby red on the inside your children won’t believe their eyes! You can even make an ornament with an orange, some whole cloves and some ribbon. Take a length of ribbon long enough to wrap around the orange and form a loop or bow to hang the ornament from. After you have secured the ribbon onto the orange, you then stud the orange’s skin with whole cloves. A whole clove has a long pointy end, and that is the end you pierce into the skin of the orange. When the whole orange is covered with cloves, it is ready to hang! The orange will slowly dry out, and the scent of it and the cloves will waft around the whole room, much to the delight of all who are around to smell it!

Be sure to stop into the Wheatsfield Cooperative produce department soon and get yourself, your family and friends some delicious citrus fruit today. It always feels good to give someone fresh fruit, and most people are happy to receive it. As an added bonus, nature already wrapped that gift for you, so that’s one more thing to cross off your list!

November 19^th Board Meeting Highlights

The Co-op Winter Kickoff Party

AND LOCAL MAKER MARKET

Sat., Dec. 13 from 10am-2pm.

Join us to celebrate the kick off the winter season with festive samples, live music, giveaways, kids activities, our Holiday Local Maker Market, FREE cookie decorating, and MORE! Support your local maker community by shopping local! Browse gifts and treats from independent Ames Area creators.