The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) announced the appointment of Will Armitage as its new president, following the Annual General Meeting held at Horticulture: The Conference on Sept. 25. Will Armitage takes over from Alan Down, who successfully completed his term and now assumes the role of immediate past president. Jane Lawler has been named vice president.

One of the leading high sales item for promoting in the produce department is a perennial flower plant known as asparagus. Yes, if left to keep growing, it will bloom into a greenish white to yellow flower. The edible pieces of the asparagus plant we eat are the spear and tips that are harvested when young and tender. Its healthy nutritional values make it one of the best-selling items, especially for roasting, stir frying and steaming.

The New England Produce Council announced the appointment of David Dearborn of C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. as its new president and Jodie Reardon of Albertsons as its new first vice president, as well as two new members to its board of directors.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

As Pacific Trellis Fruit marks its 25th anniversary, the company reflects on a quarter-century of delivering premium fresh fruit and leading innovation within the industry.

It appears to be a foregone conclusion that dockworkers at more than a dozen East Coast and Gulf Coast ports will go on strike tonight (Sept. 30) as their contract expires at midnight with the negotiations having stalled months ago.

Though U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX), the bargaining arm of the ports, has filed a court injunction to force the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) back to the bargaining table and has also appealed to the Biden Administration to step in and keep the ports open, neither of those remedies appears imminent as the deadline approaches.