This past year has been a challenging one to say the least, according to Albert Perez, managing partner of Coconut Grove, FL-based Continental Fresh LLC.

“The repeated attack of winter storms has impeded us from generating the sales that we are accustomed to on the East Coast,” he told The Produce News in early March.

Despite the challenges, Perez remained optimistic, noting that the winter weather hasn’t resulted in all bad news.

Continental Fresh recently sponsored a weekend mini-camp for boys and girls in in Comayagua, Honduras. The camp included short lectures on topics such as bullying, health, hygiene, children’s rights, friendship, respect, and arts and crafts. (Photo courtesy of Continental Fresh)“Global volumes of the imports we handle have not necessarily been high,” he said. “However, due to this lack of demand, prices have been lower than expected.”

Continental Fresh is currently focusing on its imported vegetables from Honduras, including cucumbers, which will finish at the end of March, and butternut squash, which will continue through June.

“We have been working for years to become the premier grower and importer of butternut squash from Central America,” Perez said.

“This year’s crop is the result of that effort.”

Perez added that the company is currently packing the butternut squash in its Atlas Fresh label in both retail boxes, as well as in bins for processors.

“Soon we will be importing a trial of Butterkin Squash,” Perez said.

“It is a new variety of squash that resembles a mix between a butternut and a pumpkin,” he added.

Perez described the new squash variety as having a “sweet, buttery flavor and a very small seed cavity.”

In addition to all of the hard work Perez and his colleagues put in to making Continental Fresh a successful grower and importer of high-quality produce, they also make it a point to give back to the community.

Continental Fresh recently sponsored a weekend mini-camp for boys and girls in in Comayagua, Honduras.

Perez said the camp included short lectures on topics such as bullying, health, hygiene, children’s rights, friendship, respect, and arts and crafts. The kids also participated in soccer drills, games and stretches and were provided with full meals and snacks throughout the weekend.

“The children had the time of their lives,” Perez told The Produce News. “Many of them had never participated in such activities and it was a great experience to have a camp that was all about them learning and enjoying themselves as kids.”

As for the year ahead, Perez said Continental Fresh is “looking to form long-term marketing relationships with both offshore as well as domestic growers.”