Farming isn’t what Cole Vculek does. It’s who he is.

The people who know him best were not surprised when he was named the American Star Farmer at the 84th National Future Farmers of America Convention & Expo in Indianapolis this past October.

DEMAND

Demand the week between Christmas and New Year's is historically the slowest week of the year, and this year was no different.

TRANSPORTATION & FUEL

The Christmas tree pull is over, yet truck availability is expected to remain tight into mid-January due to a lack of manufacturing demand and drivers taking time off for the holidays. Truck availability is the tightest throughout the Northwest.

John Motley

The North American Perishable Agricultural Receivers Association, a Washington, DC-based orga

The U.S. Customs & Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of U.S. borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws. It is also tasked with ensuring the safety of food, including fresh produce, entering the United States.

At the start of each new year, we are anxiously looking forward to see what is new and what will continue strong from the year past. We want to be on the cutting edge, but at the same time we need to be aware of solid trends that have staying power.

We can move away from an idea too soon and miss sales opportunities; similarly, we can hang on too long with the same result.

GreenLine Foods, a leading producer of fresh, trimmed ready-to-cook green beans, is launching a new product line in 2012 called Side Kits, which contains washed and trimmed green beans, a sauce packet and a topping, providing a unique flavor in a convenient, resealable package.

GreenLine, which is based in Perrysburg, OH, introduced the Side Kits in test-marketing effort to a few retailers in the Midwest in the fall. The response was overwhelmingly positive, according to the company.