Owner Chad Tidlund said customers can expect competitive prices and quality fruit.
Owner Chad Tidlund said customers can expect competitive prices and quality fruit. With 30 years of experience selling produce to supermarkets in Southern California, he prides himself on knowing when and where to find the best fruits and vegetables.
“I know produce quality and the time to get it in,” he said.
Tidlund said the summer fruits are going strong right now as grapes, apples and pears are plentiful. This is also a good time for corn. The only fruit expected to increase in the fall is pumpkin.
Tidlund, who opened Produce Only Market about four months ago, gets fruits and vegetables in from many countries, with Chile, Peru and the U.S. among the most popular. He hopes to work with Whipstone Farm in Paulden and other local farms.
In the short time he’s been in the Quad Cities, school have found him. Classrooms of kids come to Produce Only Market as an experience. Tidlund walks them through and has a demonstration table where they can taste the fruit. “I let them try it and give them smoothies,” he said.
Tidlund explains that fruit can be inconsistent. For example, he says you can buy two apples that are next to each other and one will be good and one won’t. “It’s nobody’s fault, as it’s the nature of fruit because it has sugar in it.”
Tidlund said there are ways to check fruit. For example, with watermelon, you can put it through three tests. First, you put it through the vibration test. Bang on it, and if it vibrates, it’s good. Then, check for yellow spots and bird peck. Both of these mean the watermelon will be sweeter.
Color and texture, however, don’t help buyers discern whether fruit is good. Vegetables, he says, are more consistently good year-round, although sweet corn is best in summer.
Produce Only Market offers organic and non-organic fruits and vegetables. Pesticides or fertilizers are more likely to be absorbed by fruits that are grown on the ground, like strawberries, he says.
Tidlund encourages customers to view Produce Only Market as a destination, because he educates customers about fruits and vegetables and will answer any of their questions. He loves networking with the community and has donated produce to United Way. He also enjoys being an active member of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce.
Tidlund grew up in Minneapolis. He moved to the Los Angeles area to get away from the harsh winters and participate in the produce business. Three years ago, he and his wife, Cynthia, moved to Prescott to enjoy the four seasons. QCBN
By Stan Bindell, QCBN
Produce Only Market is located at 405 W. Goodwin Street. For more information, call 928-379-5504.
Photo by Stan Bindell: Owner Chad Tidlund says it’s a good time to buy apples, pears, grapes and sweet corn.
