After a cool spring spent lounging in the breeze, the Northwest cherry crop has sprung to life with quality and volume.

“There is great potential relative to crop volume and fruit size,” said B.J. Thurlby, president of Northwest Cherries, based in Yakima, WA. Northwest cherry growers round 1 estimate, projects 19 million 20 pound boxes for the 2023 crop size, a 50 percent increase over last year.

Potato retail sales increased 16 percent in sales but decreased in volume by 4.4 percent from January through March 2023 compared to the same time frame a year ago. Despite a decrease, volume sales remain above pre-pandemic levels.

Food helps us connect with our culture and different cultures, build connections, create memories and share moments together. It can bring emotions such as nostalgia, happiness and comfort, among others. It can be a coping mechanism or used to celebrate a special occasion. It is safe to say that food plays a big role in our lives.

Benal Serin has joined The Wonderful Company as senior vice president of marketing. In her new role, Serin will be responsible for leading all marketing efforts in Wonderful’s product portfolio that includes nuts (Wonderful Pistachios), juice, tea, arils (POM Wonderful) and citrus (Wonderful Halos mandarins and Wonderful Seedless Lemons) businesses.

The Russet potato market continues to be 60 percent higher ($28 for an 80-count) than prior years. Growers report that potato production has declined again for the fourth year.

“While supply has consistently flagged due to various factors, demand for potatoes (most notably processing potatoes) is swelling,” said Mark Campbell, founder and CEO of ProduceIQ. “As a result, all categories of potatoes have experienced supply challenges.”

D’Ottavio Farms grows and distributes some of the finest produce in southern New Jersey, and one of its key commodities in the summer months is blueberries.

After a year where blueberries had some unique challenges for most growers, the Vineland, NJ-based company is liking what it sees from this year’s upcoming season.