Two multi-generational strawberry farming companies in California have joined forces to form a new sales company called CBS Farms, which is headquartered in Watsonville, CA.

The sales company will service customers year round with strawberries from multiple locations throughout Mexico and California, selling the various labels of the two companies, including “Colleen” and “Beach Street Farms.”

Like many other California vegetable commodities this winter, carrot production has been lighter than usual because of colder-than-normal winter temperatures.

The lettuce market remained hot for most varieties the week of March 6-13, but there were signs that volume would be increasing in the next couple of weeks, which should bring prices down.

Intermittent cold, wet weather over the past several months and disease problems related specifically to Iceberg lettuce combined to create a demand-exceeds-supply situation for most of the past three months.

Gary Wishnatzki was literally born into the berry business.

As the third-generation owner of Wishnatzki Farms Inc. in Plant City, FL, he has leveraged technology and cutting-edge marketing to become one of Florida’s primary suppliers of berries and other commodities. But even he never saw the Florida blueberry boom coming.

Christopher Ranch announced March 9 that it has added Hawaiian purple sweet potatoes to its product line.

According to the Gilroy, CA-based company, it is already well established with farmers in Hawaii, handling over a half-million pounds of fresh Hawaiian-grown ginger annually, so it was a natural fit to work with them on another Hawaiian crop.

Hawaiian purple sweet potatoes are a member of the morning glory family and are called "Uala" in Hawaiian.