There can be no denying inflation. The level of inflation, however, that is up for debate — especially when it comes to food.

Due to their sweetness and pleasant texture, sweet potatoes are a multipurpose vegetable that more consumers are starting to add to their grocery carts regularly—especially in the fall, when sweet potatoes’ scrumptious taste and vivid coloring perfectly represent the season when leaves drop to the ground.

And while sweet potatoes have been historically known as a dish served for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with increased consumer demand of healthy eating habits, sweet potatoes are no longer just a holiday food.

The National Mango Board hired Angie Thomas as a retail consultant to serve West Coast markets. Thomas will work alongside retailers of all sizes to support marketing and merchandising of mango in store.

Weather conditions are not getting any better. After the extreme heat experienced on farms across the U.S. and rains from Hurricane Kay up along the California coast, we now have Hurricane Ian ravaging some of the Florida growing areas. We have always met with weather-related challenges in the produce business and eventually get through it.

Halloween is fast approaching, but heavy rains caused a bit of a scare for pumpkin marketers who source from Mexico as the pumpkin crop got off to a late start. But Fresh Farms, based in Rio Rico, AZ, said the market has recovered nicely and quality is strong during this key promotional time.

According to Marco Serrano, who is in sales at Fresh Farms, the pumpkin crop was delayed by around 10 days and there was some initial concern about how quality might be affected.

While Mother Nature came through spectacularly in southwest Idaho with beautiful valley terrain, temperate climate, rich soil and abundant water to create uniquely suited growing conditions, generations of experience and the equally important human element of land stewardship have definitely enhanced her efforts.

The result of that teamwork can be found in Idaho apples, both hallmark and varietals, which have become famous for their exceptional flavor.