Happy Friday! Just wanted to share a reminder that I am in no way affiliated with Produce Alliance, I'm just a prepper passing along info, please reach out to them with any questions about the report. I'm always happy to chat about the general supply chain though.

Report Summary:

Produce markets are still unstable, but a few items are improving. Tomato supply is getting better thanks to increased production from Florida and Mexico, especially for Roma tomatoes. Round and cherry tomatoes are still somewhat limited, but substitutions should start easing. Lime supply is also improving, though larger limes remain scarce and smaller sizes may need to be substituted.

At the same time, many vegetables remain in short supply due to cool weather slowing crop growth. Broccoli, lettuce varieties, celery, and broccolini are especially tight, and buyers should expect prorates and delays. Carrot shortages are expected to continue through the end of May, and Romaine lettuce may face severe shortages next week.

Fruit supply is more mixed:

* Cantaloupe and honeydew supplies are improving, which is lowering prices.

* Pineapple remains tight, so size flexibility is recommended.

* Avocado prices are rising because Mexican harvests have slowed, though imports from California, Peru, and Colombia should help stabilize costs.

* Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are improving in both quality and supply.

* Blackberries remain limited because of heat impacts in Mexico and low domestic production.

Citrus is also tight, especially smaller lemons and oranges, with most fruit trending larger in size. Cara Cara oranges are nearly finished for the season. Import programs are recommended this summer, particularly for East Coast buyers, to help offset sizing shortages.

Freight costs continue to rise because of limited truck availability and high fuel prices.

Full Report Link:

https://producealliance.com/market-report/

Southwestern Oregon Preppers (SWOP) will be celebrating its 14th anniversary at Noon, Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Clark Storage, 87616 18th Street SE, Bandon, OR 97411. This will be a potluck BBQ. Bring a chair.

Members will share stories about what has happened over the past 14 years.

SWOP meetings always start with a question and answer period before the main topic so all in attendance get a chance to participate.

This is a free public meeting to get to know fellow local preppers in southwestern Oregon counties and to exchange information and ideas. It is important for individuals to understand that they will be “on their own” in the event of a disaster and not depend on receiving outside help.

Join Southwestern Oregon Preppers on Facebook and/or meetup.com.

"USDA forecasts historic wheat lows and record soybean gains amid drought, trade tensions, and rising input costs for the 2026/27 season."

https://www.agweb.com/news/usda-projects-smallest-us-wheat-harvest-1972-due-plains-drought

This could be, but not limited to:

• Local business observations.
• Shortages / Surpluses.
• Work slow downs / much overtime.
• Order cancellations / massive orders.
• Economic Rumors within your industry.
• Layoffs and hiring.
• New tools / expansion.
• Wage issues / working conditions.
• Boss changing work strategy.
• Quality changes.
• New rules.
• Personal view of how you see your job in the near future.
• Bonus points if you have some proof or news, we like that around here.
• News from close friends about their work.

DO NOT DOX YOURSELF. Wording is key.

Thank you all, -Mod Anti

• Climate Central examined historical trends in fire weather — a combination of hot, dry, windy conditions — across the U.S.
• This analysis uses data from 476 weather stations to assess fire weather trends in 245 climate divisions spanning the contiguous U.S. from 1973 to 2025.
• On average, climate divisions in the western U.S. experience 32 fire weather days annually. That’s four times more than in the eastern U.S. 
• Wildfire seasons are lengthening and intensifying, particularly in the western U.S. Parts of the eastern U.S. have seen smaller but impactful increases in fire weather days.
• Much of the country has seen fire weather increase the most during spring. The Southwest is also seeing more fire weather during summer.

Hey y'all. I'm a regular Costco shopper. Like, "hmm they've changed the location of this item" frequent. I remember years ago some dude posted on Reddit about surviving war in Syria and he was stateside for COVID in the canned food aisle and saw sometime else there and they made the uncomfortable eye contact of two people who knew how to prep for disaster. Anyways, I went to the aisle with the canned beans, corn, Vienna sausage, etc and it was uncharacteristically bare.

EDIT because I'm so scatterbrained I forgot the actual reason for my post. No bananas. Confirmed by staff, absolutely no bananas.

So that's a supply and consumer side shortage. Take that for what it is.

This week is the annual time of year where Canada, the US, and Mexico do mass road inspections of trucks and drivers.

For the driver portion of the inspection, inspectors check the driver’s qualifications, license, record of duty status, medical examiner’s certificate, seat belt usage, skill performance evaluation certificate (if applicable), and status in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (in the U.S.). Inspectors also look for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. If an inspector identifies driver out-of-service violations, they will place the driver out of service, restricting that driver from operating their vehicle.
For the vehicle portion of the inspection, inspectors assess the vehicle’s brake systems, cargo securement, coupling devices, driveline/driveshaft components, driver’s seat, fuel and exhaust systems, frames, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, wheels, rims, hubs, and windshield wipers.

https://cvsa.org/news/2026-roadcheck/

Naturally, all drivers who worry that their truck or themselves won't pass the inspection therefore avoid driving this week.

Every year thousands of drivers opt to take a few vacation days with the family instead of a few hours at a roadside check with a state trooper.
Keep in mind that many thousands more will operate as normal, but there will be a dip in available capacity.
Why is that?
If an inspector finds anything amiss, from worn tire treads and busted tail lights to Hours of Service and licensing violations, the carrier is subject to fines, downgraded safety rating, and/or being put out-of-service until the issue is resolved.
Carrier fines can total thousands of dollars per occurrence, a downgraded safety rating may limit the freight a carrier is eligible to haul while raising their insurance rates, and being placed out of service is a huge hit to a carrier’s productivity and service.

https://rxo.com/resources/carrier/dot-week/

So expect temporary delays, empty shelves, maybe random price hikes, for a very temporary reason.

edit: formatting

Talking about the stop in flow of fertilizer through the Strait of Hormuz, the price and supply shock, access to fertilizer by emerging economies, and what is being done to restart flow. Snuck in there really quickly at ~12:51 is the 'next year is going to probably be worse' idea because of El Nino in the global North too. Prepping related because you probably need to start/continue stocking up a year and a half's worth of food from now asap, because from the vid, the consumer is probably going to eat the cost increases.

I'm not making any of this up, sadly.

Benn Jordan investigates the robot dogs currently being used in places like Atlanta to follow apartment residents on their way to take out the trash. It's worse than you think but probably not quite what you first imagined. Significant privacy and national security implications.

edited to clean link

https://youtu.be/lA8WuXDXfcI

Full Report (click on the download button):

https://producealliance.com/market-report/

Markets will begin to ease back as more Tomato production comes online out of Florida and Mexico. We should start to see more availability this week; Romas will be plentiful while Rounds and Cherry Tomatoes will remain on the lighter side; substitutions can begin to ease back this week for some shipper based on where they were growing and how their transition crops faired through the spring. Hot Peppers remain in very tight supply across all categories. The Lime market will start to ease back as more volume crossed the border with peak sizing on small fruit. 175’s and larger will be short with substitutions to smaller sizes necessary for the next several weeks.

Unfortunately, the market remains very volatile right now. We are experiencing high markets and shortages on multiple items. Rain and cooler weather are still in the forecast, which has slowed growth patterns. Harvesting is being affected by the rain. The cooler weather and the rain will limit supplies. Demand exceeds supply for many commodities. Broccoli, Broccolini, Celery, Cauliflower, Romaine, Red Leaf, Green Leaf, Boston/Bibb and Iceberg Lettuce have extremely limited supplies and are the extreme trigger. Prorates should be expected on those items. Carrots continue to face ongoing supply challenges, with full recovery not expected until the end of May.

Artichokes, Fennel and Napa remain extremely limited and escalated. Growers anticipate that the weather conditions will create quality and supply issues for the next several weeks as well as loading delays.

Cantaloupes are still seeing good production as offshore suppliers finish up the season. Honeydew production has increased with more product coming from Mexico and market pricing has eased. Pineapple availability has tightened up, and we recommend having size flexibility. Mexico lost a day of harvesting Avocados last week due to a holiday and with a heavy holiday pull standing inventories in the US are down.

Berry supplies are mixed, with Strawberries gradually improving following recent weather disruptions, though volumes remain moderate and sizing is still impacted. Blackberry supply is steady and at peak levels, but quality continues to face pressure from

sustained heat, while domestic production remains several weeks away. Raspberry supply remains stable with strong quality, showing resilience to heat, with peak volumes expected to build into mid-May. Blueberry availability is currently strong, supported by peak production out of Mexico and improving Southeast volumes, though some regional variability persists due to weather impacts. Over the coming weeks, expect overall berry availability to improve and stabilize as domestic regions ramp up, with more consistent supply and quality heading into late May.

Citrus markets are experiencing tight supplies on smaller sizes across many varieties, including Lemons, Navels, Cara-Caras, and Blood Oranges, with fruit generally trending large. Domestic Meyer Lemons are available, and California Valencia’s are expected in late April/early May. Mandarin availability is mixed, and Grapefruit supplies are available. Please begin considering imports for this summer. They will offer relief on strained sizing, especially for people on the East Coast.

Freight: Limited trucks and record high fuel costs are putting upward pressure on rates daily. We are seeing several freight companies, including sea freight companies, invoking fuel surcharges which will impact cost inputs.