HARTFORD, CT -- Although summer is but a distant memory in the Nutmeg State, there are still opportunities to include plenty of local flavors on the holiday table.

To meet the large and increasing demand for Connecticut-grown products, a number of farmers markets throughout the state have extended their season through the holidays. Several have remained open into these colder months, while others are re-opening in conjunction with special holiday events.

A truckload of Salinas Valley produce was scheduled to arrive Thursday, Nov. 15, in San Bernardino County, providing fire victims with food assistance thanks to the generosity of growers, shippers and food banks in and around the Salinas Valley.


The load included strawberries donated by Driscoll Strawberry Associates; salads from Dole Fresh Vegetables, Tanimura & Antle and Taylor Farms; bread from the Food Bank for Monterey County; and bottled water and dry goods from Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz & San Benito Counties.

How do consumers crave their pears? Crunchy and tart? Moist and mildly sweet? Bursting with sweetness and juice?

Throughout the ripening process, the Bartlett pear fits each of these delicious flavor and texture characteristics, and a new tool called the Bartlett Pear Ripeness Guide from Portland, OR-based USA Pears will help consumers determine when their Bartlett pears have reached the ripeness level they prefer.

UCLA and Notre Dame college football tailgaters feasted on free hot dogs and hamburgers featuring the creamy taste of Chilean Hass avocados during the Chilean Avocado Importers Association's first-ever college football tailgate party Oct. 6 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.

A new PLU number has been confirmed and assigned by the Produce Electronic Identification Board and the International Federation for Produce Standards for pomegranates size 24 and larger.

The new number is 3440. PLU code 3127 is now used for size 30-36 and 4445 remains for size 42 and smaller.

John Carapella, warehouse manager for World Pack, recently announced to The Produce News that its new facility in Gloucester City, NJ, is racked and ready, and now open and fully operational. World Pack's 94,000-square-foot facility is equipped to handle all products and importers' needs.