With a quarter century of experience working with New Jersey fruit, Sunny Valley International is looking forward to another robust fall season.

The fall is a transition period and the company will soon be shifting from its seasonal summer fruit program to the fall and winter items that are a staple of business from September through May.

Over the past two years, my Healthy Family Project team has partnered with United Fresh, and now the International Fresh Produce Association, to help provide education, resources, and support to K-12 foodservice providers across the country.

Produce veteran Richard George Papen, 84, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on April 16, after spending his entire career in the East Coast vegetable business in the family farming operation.

FullTilt Marketing, a firm focused on agriculture, fresh produce and specialty food industries, recently expanded its team, welcoming Melissa Edwards as the new marketing manager and Sabrina Wilson as marketing assistant.

Brothers Roderick and Richard Gumz lead Gumz Farms, following in the footsteps of four generations of their family in the potato and onion biz, and keeping the strong legacy of the company alive.

The company grows red and yellow potatoes, grows and sources yellow, white, red and sweet onions and packs and ships year-round. Currently, Gumz Farms handles nearly 20 percent of the fresh-market red potatoes in the state and grows approximately 40 percent of Wisconsin onions.

Despite a challenging year marked by a persisting pandemic, historic inflation, supply chain bottlenecks and labor shortages, the food industry is making significant investments to meet shoppers’ evolving tastes. This is according to FMI - The Food Industry Association’s annual comprehensive research report, The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2022.