“Our crop was pretty similar to the rest of New York state,” Lee Peters, vice president of sales and marketing for Fowler Bros. Inc., in Wolcott, NY, told The Produce News. “There is no question that we are down in crop size, but despite the rumors in the marketplace, we are definitely doing business. At the end of the day, it’s going to be an OK year. It is absolutely not true that New York does not have apples.”

Columbia Marketing International, headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, hit a home run with the introduction of new, exciting bag and bin options for retailers this apple season. A new two-pound standup pouch bag is available for the company’s line of organic apples marketed under the “Daisy Girl” label.

Celebrations to ring in the Chinese New Year will begin in earnest on Feb. 10. Drawing upon the Chinese zodiac, 2013 is the Year of the Snake. According to Chinese wisdom, a snake in the house is regarded as a sign that a family will not starve. And people born in the Year of the Snake are regarded as keen, intelligent, wise and skilled at business. Festivities during the Year of the Snake will conclude Feb. 24.

The Southeast Produce Council will honor Paul J. DiMare Sr. with its 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award during the council's annual convention and trade show later this winter in Florida.

The convention, known as Southern Exposure, will take place from Feb. 28 to March 2 at the Caribe Royale Resort & Conference Center in Orlando, FL. This will be the 10th convention and trade show for the council, which was formed in 1999 and which has grown steadily ever since.

The California Association Flower Growers & Shippers (historically termed NORCAL) is ramping up quickly for 2013, setting a newer and quicker pace to demonstrate member value and to assure that NORCAL is ready to accept a leadership position within this internationally competitive industry.

Developed for the experienced frontline sales manager or branch manager, the Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association’s 2013 Management Institute will focus on the problems and opportunities in coaching and leading a team of outside selling professionals, according to a news release.

The institute runs March 15-16 in Charlotte, NC. Leading it will be sales expert Jim Pancero, a consultant from Dallas who has been directly involved in business-to-business selling for more than 40 years, six of which were spent selling large computer systems for IBM Corp.