Recently at an apple warehouse in the Yakima Valley, I saw a woman driver pull in to pick up an order. It had been some time since I’d seen a woman driver, and I wondered how many women are in the industry. Some quick research showed that about 10 percent of all truckers are women, and in the produce industry, the number is a bit lower. I figured it’d be male dominated, but these numbers were a bit surprising to me.

North America's largest B2B floral show, Floriexpo 2024, took place June 5-7 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and continues to gather together floral vendors and mass market floral buyers from a wide range of sectors. The highlights of the event were the first-ever featured Product Competition, the Floral Bootcamp, the announcement of DAISY, a new AI powered plant care assistant and the event's many exhibits and showcases.

Sunny Cal Farms is launching its organic and conventional grape season with varieties of specialty grapes selected for their unique gourmet qualities. Sunny Cal grows and ships Thomcord, Victoria Muscatta, Kyoho and Niabell varieties. Thomcord and Victoria Muscatta are seedless, while Kyoho and Niabell are heirloom seeded favorites.

Blueberries have been a big part of Dandrea Produce’s operation for more than a quarter of a century. Company officials have no intention of taking their eyes off this category for years to come.

In fact, officials at Vineland, NJ-based Dandrea plan on continuing to expand their blueberry business as consumer demand for the commodity increases.

Ben B. Schwartz & Sons has more than a century worth of experience as a dependable name in the produce industry. Led by owners Jake and Drew Billmeyer, who took over the reins from their father, Chris Billmeyer, the company is a mainstay on the Michigan Produce Terminal in Detroit.

The International Fresh Produce Association’s Washington Conference took place June, 10-12, at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC, a departure from its traditional September meeting date. Prior to the important business that took place, attendees gathered and socialized for cocktail hour on Monday, June 10.