The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas was pleased with the success of its inaugural expo, a recent enhancement to the FPAA Convention, which just concluded its 54th consecutive year. Now known as the Southwest International Produce Expo, or SWIPE, the event, held at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort last week, attracted more than 500 attendees, buyers and exhibitors to Tucson, AZ.

Did you ever hear of a cloudberry? It’s among the rarest berries in the world. I learned all about this unusual berry from a friend in Norway. This rare golden-colored berry only grows in the high cloud altitudes of the Northern Hemisphere close to the Arctic Circle. Thus, it was named “cloudberry.”

As the year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary comes to a close, Lipman Family Farms challenged its employees to an initiative of donating 75,000 meals for the milestone. In just five weeks, the company far exceeded its goal, donating an impressive 260,455 meals, more than tripling the initial objective.

At the Idaho Potato Commission’s October meeting, Mike Telford, a grower from Paul, was sworn in to serve a three-year term, and Paul Saito and Mark Darrington will now serve as the chairman and vice chairman, respectively.

The booths have been broken down, the produce and floral has been gleaned for donation and the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show has come to an end. From the packed general sessions to the buzzing show floor, IFPA said this was the best show ever. The expo floor featured over 1,160 companies exhibiting — including 157 first timers. Check out our videos to see some highlights you might have missed.

As a floral professional, Thanksgiving presents a unique opportunity to create and sell arrangements embodying the autumn season’s warmth and richness. Customers will be looking for bouquets and centerpieces to enhance their festive tables and convey the heartfelt messages symbolized by various blooms.