In mid-November as The Nunes Co., which is headquartered in Salinas, CA, was beginning to switch production from the Salinas Valley to the desert regions of California, as well as into Mexico, the company was also getting ready to introduce some new items to its organic product line.

With a name like Rio Queen Citrus it is not hard to figure out that Mike Martin’s Mission, TX-based company offers up the finest in Texas oranges and grapefruit. But many people are unaware that onions are a major — and growing — part of Rio Queen’s program.

“We still have good supplies of ‘SlimCado’ avocados,” Mary Ostlund, director of marketing for Homestead, FL-based Brooks Tropicals told The Produce News on Oct. 22. “We’ll have good supplies through Thanksgiving, and following that we will still have some volumes but we will be off of our peak production. Avocados wrap up in January for the season.”

Rick Sullivan, owner of Wm. Manis & Co. in Plant City, FL, told The Produce News in mid-November that things were a little slow — something he was enjoying while it lasted.

“It hasn’t been brisk, but in another 10 days or two weeks it will be Katie-bar-the-door for a while,” Mr. Sullivan said. “There’s not any excitement heading into this Thanksgiving holiday like we normally experience, but it was that way last year as well. But things really came around and we did have a nice December last year.”

The Florida tomato season has gotten off to an excellent start, and Bob Spencer of West Coast Tomato LLC in Palmetto, FL, hopes that a so-far solid market through mid-November will hold.

Almost 30 years ago, Willy Pardo started selling exotic and tropical produce from the back of his truck in Miami to neighbors who wanted items that were staples of their diets but not always easy to find in supermarkets. Now W.P. Produce has grown into a full-line purveyor of tropical and exotic items, has recently expanded its lineup to include more common commodities and just last month opened a wholesale location on the Miami Produce Market.