Lettuce prices plummet after outbreak

The price of fresh head lettuce fell to $23.50 per 100 pounds in July, a sharp drop from the $80.10 recorded in June. The United States Department of Agriculture reported this decline occurred during the peak of a cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce. By August, the price had recovered slightly to $26.40 per 100 pounds, which was the latest data available at the time of publication.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented nearly 20,000 cases of cyclospora between May 1 and August. Approximately 13,000 of these cases were connected to iceberg lettuce. In Florida, about 500 cases were linked to the outbreak. The CDC identified processed iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico as the source and issued recalls in July. The agency declared the outbreak over, though three new cases in Central Florida appeared after the September 11 announcement.

Anastasia Garcia, who runs the market at Rockledge Gardens in Brevard County, reported increased demand for local produce since the summer recalls. She purchases greens such as lettuce, arugula, and bok choy from Fletcher Family Farms in New Smyrna Beach on Wednesdays. Garcia stated that produce has sold out rapidly as customers seek trusted sources. "People are coming here, and they're even scared of our greens… we are very mindful about our purchasing, but you know, most weeks I would have a couple of things that I would have to throw away in terms of greens. Not anymore. I'm just selling it out," she said.

Fletcher Family Farms has operated for 11 years and is run by Sara Fletcher, her husband, and their two children. The farm uses hydroponics to grow leafy greens year-round, a method that takes about seven weeks to harvest. Fletcher noted that it has been the busiest summer the farm has experienced in years. She sells to local markets, restaurants, and directly to consumers via home delivery. The farm supplies lettuce to Farm to Fit in South Daytona Beach, which uses only their produce for salads.

Kevin Murphy, a professor at the University of Central Florida, noted that the outbreak was unusual because the parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis, is less commonly associated with foodborne illness than E. coli or Salmonella. He attributed the source to import practices, stating, "We import food from 156 countries around the world, and some of them are safer than others." Murphy said Mexico's food systems have a history of fields not being properly controlled, which may have allowed the parasite to contaminate the crops.

Debby and Dwayne Colon, residents of Merritt Island, have shopped at Rockledge Gardens for two years. Dwayne Colon said the couple now grows their own vegetables in a small garden and shares the surplus with neighbors. "We have bought greens here at Rockledge and used some of the greens, put it in water, rooted it, put it in the ground, it came up, and we ate off of what the romaine grew," Dwayne said. He added that knowing the source of their food eliminates concerns about unknown pesticides or chemicals.

The CDC stated that recent illnesses may not yet be fully reported because it takes about six weeks from the start of symptoms for case information to reach the agency. The three post-announcement cases in Central Florida included one in Marion County and two in Volusia County. The outbreak has shifted consumer behavior in parts of Florida, with shoppers favoring local farms and markets over large grocery chains.

Sara Fletcher hopes the trend toward local shopping continues. "You're shopping local, you're helping a local family," she said. "And helping a local family, you're putting money back into your community. And not only with, you know, local supporting locals, but it's also knowing where your food comes from, knowing your farmer."