For the first time, Prime Time International’s winter deal will include cucumbers, as the firm added that product to its mix earlier this year and is continuing it through the winter vegetable deal with production coming from Mexico.

“Most of our volume is currently still coming out of Georgia,” Calvert Cullen, president of Northampton Growers, headquartered in Cheriton, VA, told The Produce News in late October. “But we are already harvesting some cucumbers and squash now in Plant City, Florida. We will start with hot peppers in Florida during the first week of November.”

Northampton Growers follows the growing seasons north and back south each year. Its movement runs from Florida, to Georgia, the Carolinas and then to Michigan before starting its return back south again in October.

WASHINGTON — Capitol Hill is weighing in on the need to repropose food safety rules as 75 members of Congress sent a letter to the Food & Drug Administration warning that farms and processors will suffer and some businesses may close if there's no opportunity to comment on revamped food-safety rules before they become final.

If you’re a fan of NBC’s "The Voice," it should come as no surprise to you that 20-year-old gospel singer and Yardley, PA-native Matthew Schuler is the son of a minister, especially after his soulful and moving rendition of “Hallelujah,” which skyrocketed to No. 1 on iTunes shortly after he performed it live during the Nov. 11 show.

What may come as a surprise to you, however, is that Schuler’s chops have some pretty close ties to the produce industry.

Vegetable producers in the West have had a very good run this fall with strong demand outstripping supplies, but moving forward supply and demand are expected to be in sync and prices have come off considerably.

Nick Pappas, who is on the sales desk for Salinas, CA-based Bengard Ranch Inc., told The Produce News Nov. 25 that good supplies were available on basically all vegetables for the Thanksgiving push and the same is expected throughout December, assuming the weather cooperates.

Anyone who deals in or is even mildly familiar with the amount of fresh produce that is imported into North America every year from Chile understands the importance of the partnerships that are maintained by these annual movements.