SWEDESBORO, NJ — Sun Valley Orchards, which planted its first asparagus ever a few years ago, is expecting a full crop of asparagus this season, according to Joe Marino, one of the owners of the company.

“This is probably our first full season on all the asparagus acreage, so we expect a full crop from all the acreage,” Marino told The Produce News the first week in May.

COLONIA, NJ — Locally grown fresh produce is a key item at Nicholas Markets, a three-store chain of supermarkets operating under the Foodtown banner in northern New Jersey.

The stores are located in Cedar Grove, North Haledon and here in Colonia. The Produce News visited the Colonia store in mid-May and saw first-hand how the company emphasizes the locally grown concept.

WASHINGTON — A Senate committee voted May 22 on a compromise amendment that would help schools adjust to new nutrition standards but without allowing schools to opt out of the new standards that require more fruits and vegetables in school meals.

The latest vote comes just two days after a House subcommittee voted to grant the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture authority to hand out waivers if schools can demonstrate hardship in meeting the revamped nutrition standards. The issue has become a powder keg on Capitol Hill during the debate over USDA's fiscal 2015 spending measure.

Albertson's LLC has committed $12.5 million over 15 years to Boise State University for the naming rights to the school's famous stadium.

The agreement secures Albertsons Stadium through 2028, subject to approval by the Idaho State Board of Education on June 18. This is a first for both Boise State's stadium and for Albertsons.

The U.S. Potato Board and the National Potato Council announced jointly that effective May 19, "the Mexican government has implemented its final rule to allow U.S. fresh potatoes to enter all of Mexico. This action is part of a bilateral agreement that facilitates trade in fresh potatoes between the two countries."

For nearly a decade, fresh potatoes from the United States have been permitted into Mexico only along a 26-kilometer zone along the U.S.-Mexico border. They are now permitted in all cities in Mexico with populations of 100,000 or greater.

CHICAGO — “I am very proud of the success we have had over the last six years,” said Joe Collier, partner and executive vice president of distribution and business development of Produce Alliance.

The Produce News recently interviewed Collier in the company’s office in a revitalized part of downtown Chicago.

“We continue to grow with the model that fits us. We have hired a significant amount of good, young talent in the last few years. That has helped shape us,” Collier said.