The lettuce market remained hot for most varieties the week of March 6-13, but there were signs that volume would be increasing in the next couple of weeks, which should bring prices down.

Intermittent cold, wet weather over the past several months and disease problems related specifically to Iceberg lettuce combined to create a demand-exceeds-supply situation for most of the past three months.

Gary Wishnatzki was literally born into the berry business.

As the third-generation owner of Wishnatzki Farms Inc. in Plant City, FL, he has leveraged technology and cutting-edge marketing to become one of Florida’s primary suppliers of berries and other commodities. But even he never saw the Florida blueberry boom coming.

Christopher Ranch announced March 9 that it has added Hawaiian purple sweet potatoes to its product line.

According to the Gilroy, CA-based company, it is already well established with farmers in Hawaii, handling over a half-million pounds of fresh Hawaiian-grown ginger annually, so it was a natural fit to work with them on another Hawaiian crop.

Hawaiian purple sweet potatoes are a member of the morning glory family and are called "Uala" in Hawaiian.

Acreage is up, the market is solid and Texas onion growers are expecting a banner 2011 crop, the beginnings of which are already being harvested. Volume ramped up steadily through the first half of March and supplies will continue in force through April.

ARLINGTON, VA -- Health care reform, agricultural labor shortfalls and produce safety regulations were just some of the items on produce industry's agenda at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Fruit & Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee meeting this month.

The group of industry leaders tackled a wide range of issues at the meeting, held here Feb. 28-March 1.