Brian Peixoto, sales manager for Lakeside Organic Gardens LLC in Watsonville, CA, said that the slight ease in the economy is helping to increase the steady and rising demand for organic produce.

Double D Farms in Fresno, CA, is a fully integrated grower, packer and shipper that has handled organics for more than 15 years.

Jeff Orenstein, co-owner, of Eli & Ali’s Organic & Specialty Produce in Brooklyn, NY, told The Produce News that he sees a definite uptick in the demand for organic produce.

Stemilt Growers Inc., headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, is pleased to see that the troublesome economy is losing its grip on organic shoppers. “Coming out of this economy, it seems to be that sales are on the uptick,” Director of Marketing Roger Pepperl told The Produce News May 24.

HAMMONTON, NJ — John Galaida is expecting a good crop of New Jersey blueberries in 2012 with good quality and good size. And oh yes: the earliest he has even seen.

Vegetables and other crops have been early this year in New Jersey as well as in the Middle Atlantic and Southern states, thanks to a very warm winter and early spring. Jersey blues are looking to follow that pattern.

VINELAND, NJ — At the very end of May, Vince Consalo was expecting strong volume and good quality to mark the 2012 New Jersey blueberry season — and an early start.