In his 35 years as a tomato specialist, Joe Bernardi of Bernardi & Associates has never seen the price of red round tomatoes soar as high as they currently are.  “The prices are historically high,” he said on Nov. 28. “Today a 25 pound box of rounds was being quoted at $50.95. A typical market at this time of year would be $16 to $20.”

The Organic Grower Summit, held Nov. 30 – Dec. 1 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in Monterey, CA, provided two exceptional days of thought-provoking educational sessions, a sold-out trade show floor and a variety of networking opportunities for attendees.

The Southeast Produce Council has an exceptional lineup of speakers for upcoming Southern Exposure: Produce — The Final Frontier. Blasting off March 3-5 at the Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, FL, the conference will encompass SEPC Chairman Tim Graas’ platform: inspiring innovation today for a sustainable tomorrow.

Did you ever notice the many special calendar days that are celebrated? I was amused by a few selected anniversary days seen on nationaldaycalendar.com such as national Bubble Bath Day, Polka Dot Day and Yellow Pig Day. Believe it or not, there is a national Produce Misting Day that recognizes the innovation of automatic sprinklers over the refrigerated wall case to keep vegetables hydrated, fresh and crisp.

According to nationaltoday.com, May 21 is Eat more Fruits and Vegetables Day.

Nancy Campoli, Carolinas and Midwest sales manager for The Produce News, died suddenly Saturday, Dec. 3. She was 61.

Nancy was born in Westwood, NJ, on Aug. 26, 1961. She graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, which served her and advertisers well throughout her career.

What started off in 2006 as a program that comprised a few hundred thousand boxes of table grapes would soon turn into a produce brand accounting for more than 10 million boxes a year as Divine Flavor enters its 16th season.