Todd Fryhover, president of the Washington Apple Commission, said apple volume to be shipped to export markets this season may decrease as a result of weather affecting the coming crop.

MONTE VISTA, CO — John McCormick has worked the potato industry for more than three years, and he said in mid-August that McCormick & Milne is holding the course in a tough year.

“There are too many potatoes this year,” he said of the domestic stocks. “It’s going to be a challenge, and it’ll be a challenge here in the San Luis Valley. We won’t have the yields we normally have, but we will have good quality. It’s a year to get out the marketing book.”

The North American agent for Peppadew has signed deals with two well-known produce marketers to sell Peppadew Gold, which is currently being grown in New Jersey.

Pierre Crawley of Peppadew USA said that Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, based in Los Angeles, and Supreme Cuts, based in Mahwah, NJ, will market Peppadew Gold to the retail and foodservice markets, respectively. The deals were signed in early August.

Do we need flowers? Let’s hold off on that question for a minute. I know we need food and water, shelter and love, and the sun above — but flowers? As the economy ebbs and flows, elections are won and lost, our industry sits on the sidelines, watches and waits.

MANITOWOC, WI — Dramm Corp. is a family business almost 70 years old, but it has changed with the times to make it as new as a spring calf in its dairy farm surroundings of Manitowoc, WI. “We have evolved over the years, but our hallmark has always been quality products that last a lifetime,” said Jessica Reinhardt, marketing and public relations coordinator at Dramm.

Ann Jordan of Ann Jordan Design Consulting in Naples, ME, was installed as president of the American Institute of Floral Designers during the organization’s 2012 National Symposium, Caliente, held in Miami July 12-16. She succeeds Tom Bowling of Fitz Design in Fairfield, OH, as the volunteer leader of the floral design education organization.