Though three weeks of cold weather is getting most of the blame — or credit — for sending western vegetable prices through the roof, the warm spell during the late fall has had just as big of an impact.

“I’ve never seen a weather situation quite like this,” said Mark McBride, who is on the sales desk at Coastline, based in Salinas, CA. “We had very warm weather [in November and December] that put us three weeks ahead of schedule, which I’ve never seen before. That was followed by about three weeks when we had a frost situation every morning.”

Contrary to some rumors that strawberries in California suffered extensive damage due to a cold snap in mid-January, most escaped damage and only isolated areas were affected, according to the California Strawberry Commission.

The reality is that the effects of the freeze were "hit and miss" and affected "isolated individuals," Carolyn O'Donnell, communications director for commission, told The Produce News Jan. 22. It was "not mass destruction."

Bolthouse Farms, based in Bakersfield, CA, hired JASON DOMENICO as national sales director on Aug. 27.

In his new position, Mr. Domenico handles carrots, Super Premium Juice and refrigerated salad dressings for the company.

Before joining Bolthouse, he worked for 18 years at Chiquita Brands. He has been in the produce industry for a total of 20 years, but grew up in the industry as his father owned a produce wholesale company in Denver.

CENTER, CO — Mountain Valley Produce, here, is moving a good crop of Colorado fingerlings as part of its year-round program for the specialty item.

In early January, Ernie Myers, general manager, said movement has been decent and the overall economy and the price of russets have combined to lower demand.

In a few short days, the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association will announce the winners of its Breakfast of Champions Wisconsin Potato Recipe Contest.

Pecans can be finicky by nature, often following a banner year with a poor one as trees collect, restore and reserve resources depleted by a bumper crop. The 2011-12 season was one of the best in Georgia history, so growers were surprised that 2012-2013 has yielded nearly the same result.