MADERA, CA — Sept. 27 was the first day for packing new-crop California-grown kiwifruit for Stellar Distributing Inc., here, from nearby company vineyards, and The Produce News was on hand to witness some of the first field bins of freshly harvested fruit emptied onto the packingline.

In its California kiwifruit program, Western Fresh Marketing in Madera, CA, works with about 20 different growers with kiwifruit vineyards spread out over a wide geographic area. “We have ranches that range from Bakersfield [CA],” at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, “all the way to the Oregon border,” said Chris Kragie, deciduous fruit manager.

Despite weather-related losses sustained by some members of Associated Potato Growers Inc., Manager Paul Dolan said that the grower-owned cooperative will not disappoint its customers this season. “I feel we’re going to have a good supply of quality potatoes,” he said Sept. 30.

Working with eight farming operations from Hillsboro to St. Thomas, ND, NoKota Packers Inc. is ready to move quality red Norland and Sangre potato varieties from the Red River Valley. The company, located in Buxton, ND, has been conducting business for 32 years storing, washing and packaging tablestock potatoes for resale.

A fire of unknown origin destroyed the main offices and wash plant of Lone Wolf Farms in Minto, ND, on Sept. 25. Firefighters from Minto and Grafton, ND, and Oslo, MN, responded to the scene but could not save the facility. The business has been owned and operated by the Bjorneby family since 1938. The company ships red potatoes to the domestic marketplace.

Like other growers in the Red River Valley, Campbell Farms has taken its lumps during the 2011 production season. Owner and partner Tom Campbell said he expects the crop will be down approximately 10 percent this season due to impacts from weather. But he sounded an optimistic note on Sept. 26 when he spoke with The Produce News. When asked to characterize the crop, he said, “It’s drop-dead gorgeous.”