Nick Giordano, vice president of The Fresh Wave LLC, in Vineland, NJ, told The Produce News that the company’s import and fall-green programs are the big deals for the company.

“Lettuces are our primary category,” said Mr. Giordano. “We focus on certain growers who pack to our specifications. The results are phenomenal for us. In past years we had to work hard to sell fall greens, but today they come looking for us in the fall.”

The company is also leading the New Jersey-grown sweet potato deal, and is a year-round supplier of the commodity.

A good summer deal is giving way to a promising fall deal, according to Ryan Flaim.

“The season overall has been very strong,” said Mr. Flaim, a fourth-generation member of the family-run business based in Vineland, NJ. “We saw good movement and the markets were good overall.”

For the fall deal, he said that the company is looking forward to good quality and strong pricing everything, with lettuce and greens being among the key early items of the fall season, which extends through Thanksgiving.

Weather has been a wild card for Washington’s apple growers. But Chuck Sinks, president of Sage Fruit Co. in Yakima, WA, said the company will market an increased fruit volume this season.

“We had a cool, wet spring in Washington,” Mr. Sinks said Aug. 25. “Harvest is going to be 10 to 14 days later this year as a result of the cool spring weather. As far as growing conditions for the production season, we have not started apple harvest yet. But conditions have been favorable the last couple months.”

The 2011 Washington apple season is shaping up as one of contrasts. Later harvests this year, coupled with less carry-over from 2010 and high demand, has set the stage for a gap in supplies, according to Rainier Fruit Co. Marketing Director Suzanne Wolter.

But Ms. Wolter also said that fruit quality, as seen with the cherry crop earlier in the summer, looks to be exceptional.

With Washington apple supplies from the 2010-11 crop year all but exhausted, Columbia Marketing International is ready to fill the void. Vice President of Marketing Bob Mast said that the company, based in Wenatchee, WA, is seeing good growth with its mainline offerings and increased market movement for newer apple varieties this season.

“Growing conditions have really been optimal,” he said Sept. 6. “The trees haven’t been heat stressed. Everyone’s excited about the quality this year.”