Tony Vitrano, president of Tony Vitrano Co. on the Maryland Wholesale Produce Market in Jessup, MD, told The Produce News Aug. 24 that the company has always handled western fruits and vegetables with the same shippers year round. But local sourcing is on the rise.

“But we’re doing more and more eastern produce, including sourcing from local growers,” said Mr. Vitrano. “Customer demand is driving these changes today. With fuel prices high and consumers more interested in where their food comes from today, the demand for local and regional produce is higher than ever.”

Syngenta has developed a new web site feature to help growers choose and use business applications for social media. The breeder’s new Internet guide for social media, www.GrowingDigitalBlog, premiered in mid-August, according to a company news release from its Greensboro, NC, offices.

Stephanie Marchini loves growing pumpkins, but she loves teaching kids about growing them even more. She is the wife of Jeff Marchini, president of J. Marchini Farms in Le Grand, CA, a leading producer of specialty Italian produce including radicchio, fennel, Tuscan cabbage, Puntarelle, Cardone and Romanesco. The company is particularly well-known for its Black Mission and Kadota figs, and its Marchini almonds.

But pumpkins are Ms. Marchini’s passion. She and her sister-in-law, Fania Wright, oversee the Bear Creek Pumpkin Patch, which is located on the family’s Fox Creek Ranch.

The pumpkin crop of Todd Greiner Farms, based in Hart, MI, “is looking very excellent,” according to the company’s owner, Todd Greiner. Shipping will begin on schedule soon after Labor Day,

On Aug. 3, Mr. Greiner said, “Our pumpkins are looking very nice. We have excellent quality.”

The company has planted 300 acres of pumpkins, which is about a 10 percent increase in volume over a year ago. The plantings of farms are staggered to extend the harvest season, Mr. Greiner indicated.

Dan D. Costa Inc., which is located near Manteca, CA, specializes in pumpkins, mini-pumpkins, gourds and other ornamental produce items for fall décor. Complementing that product line, the company now offers also a line of fresh cut hard shell or winter squash in some innovative consumer pack styles.

The Monte Vista Potato Growers Cooperative Association is deeply rooted in the history of Colorado’s San Luis Valley. “MVPG was chartered under the Caper Volstad Act in 1923 and has been in continuous operation since that time,” General Manager Steve Tillman told The Produce News on Aug. 23. “Currently we have eight active members growing approximately 2,000 acres of potatoes.”

According to Mr. Tillman, the association’s growers primarily produce russets and yellows. “We are planning on having a limited supply of reds this season,” he added.