Following the 2026 Valentine’s Day season, early reports across the floral industry indicate a robust performance, with many retailers and stakeholders seeing increased sales revenue over previous years. This surge in holiday success comes as the national "Just Add Flowers" campaign continues to saturate the market, suggesting consistent, year-round advertising is successfully influencing consumer behavior.

Under a “Dress to Impress” theme and overlooking Newport Harbor, the Fresh Produce & Floral Council’s 2026 Dinner Dance brought the West Coast produce and floral community together on Feb. 21 at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, CA. A signature FPFC tradition, the annual evening blended elegance, camaraderie and industry pride, as leaders, colleagues and friends gathered to celebrate another year of connection and shared purpose across the supply chain.

Consalo Family Farms added two seasoned industry leaders to its executive team: Bruno Giribaldi as executive vice president of global sourcing and Tom Tobin as senior vice president of business development. These strategic hires reinforce the company’s continued investment in global supply chain excellence and long-term retail partnerships as it approaches its 100th year of farming and distribution.

The Mission Produce booth at the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure show is going to be extremely busy, with officials at the Oxnard, CA.-based company ready and excited to discuss some new products in the avocados and mangos categories. 

As Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure approaches, Exp. Group is preparing to make a strong statement about where the company is headed in 2026.

The California apple industry lost an instrumental and deeply respected leader with the death of Lawrence Joseph Sambado on Jan. 22.

Born on March 9, 1938, in San Francisco, Mr. Sambado was raised with strong agricultural roots. He attended Linden High School before pursuing his passion for agriculture at the University of California-Davis, where he studied pomology. Following completion of his undergraduate degree, he served his country in the U.S. Coast Guard.