Gold medal winning gymnast Dominique Dawes was the featured speaker at SEPC’s Southern Roots luncheon Friday afternoon, March 7 at Southern Exposure. In line with SEPC’s theme of family, Dawes talked about failure and that challenges are easier to overcome when you have a strong community behind you.

ORLANDO, FL — The Southeast Produce Council welcomed the fresh produce industry in early March to its flagship event, Southern Exposure 2025, where attendees enjoyed a wide array of educational and social activities while celebrating the significance of family meals and the importance of eating together.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed an administrative complaint against Tomato House LLC for alleged violations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. The company, operating from Texas, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to three produce sellers in the amount of $174,458 from December 2022 through February 2023.

Hoffman Nursery appointed Gordon D. Rowe III as the new director of sales and business development. With a distinguished career spanning over two decades in the horticulture and nursery industry, Gordon brings a wealth of expertise in sales strategy, customer success and operational efficiency.

I recently saw two shoppers in a store, each holding a cantaloupe close to their ear and tapping away on it. No customer likes a hard, unripe melon so how can they tell if a particular melon is ripe? By knocking on it? Most people laugh at that method, but it does work. Tapping on a cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon or any other type melon is a clue for ripeness when it has a specific sound.