Ambrosia and KIKU brand apples lead top 15 apples nationally in volume and growth
Ambrosia and KIKU brand apples continue to be bright spots in the apple category according to the latest retail scan data available from Nielsen Perishables Group.
Data released this week shows that for the four weeks ending May 23, 2015, total U.S. sales of Ambrosia had the strongest growth rate (up 157 percent) among the top 10 apple varieties. Ambrosia was one of only two apples — the other being Honeycrisp — in the top 10 to show an increase in dollar volume performance.
Heath & Lejeune: veterans in organic sales
Organic produce is clearly a growth item and many wholesalers have added an organic category to their product list. Heath & Lejeune, a Los Angeles-based distributor, is not in this Johnny-come-lately category.
“We’ve been specializing in organic produce for the last 20 years,” said CEO Rick Lejeune.
Produce remains one of the true prides of New York state
Sure, New York may be known for its bright lights and city streets, but it’s also home to a booming agriculture industry.
In fact, agriculture is one of New York’s larger and most vital industries, encompassing 23 percent of the state’s landscape, and with an economic impact close to $6 billion annually, according to a 2013 report from the New York Department of Agriculture.
Industry applauds passage of trade legislation
The produce industry is celebrating the passage of trade legislation that will support the growing globalization of fruits and vegetables.
By a vote of 60 to 38, the U.S. Senate passed Trade Promotion Authority, which will allow the president to send a completed trade agreement to Congress for an up-or-down vote and no amendments.
Retiring Tom Lange veteran to be feted at annual golf tournament
The Tom Lange Co. will celebrate the career of longtime veteran Bruce Rubin at its 25th annual Charity Classic golf outing June 27 in St. Louis.
Farwest Show, International Trials in Portland
The 2015 International Trials Conference will be held Aug. 24-27 in conjunction with the Farwest Show in Portland, OR, according to a news release. The conference focuses on the latest research and techniques for trialing annual, perennial and woody plants and the list of scheduled speakers and stops for trial garden and nursery tours has been announced. Bus tours during the conference will showcase premier trial garden sites and nurseries in the heart of Oregon’s nursery country.
The making of a Borgen Cup-winning supermarket floral display
By Cheryl Overland
With the county fair only weeks after the annual Hy-Vee companywide rose sale, we decided to use the fair as our store’s theme to promote the corporate rose sale. When picturing the fair, all I could think about were award ribbons on crafts and animals and 4-H projects. The idea of the Floral Hall with award ribbons ran through my head. The top award is always the grand champion and of course our roses are grand champion quality, so this is how our theme developed.
American Floral Endowment announces over $310,000 in research funding
The American Floral Endowment has approved more than $310,000 in scientific research project funding for 2015-16 to support six continuing projects and five new projects, according to a news release.
“These projects will directly benefit the entire industry by providing information on production of insect and disease free plants and details of Botrytis infection on floral crops,” said Terril Nell, research coordinator at AFE, in the release.
The grants for plant breeding and genetic engineering projects were:
Por La Mar Nursery earns Certified American Grown branding
Por La Mar Nursery, located in Santa Barbara, CA, is the first potted plant grower to earn the Certified American Grown branding, according to a news release. Participating farms in the program are certified by Made in USA Certified Inc., an independent third-party agency, through a supply chain audit process.
Prince & Prince to present at Cultivate ‘15
Prince & Prince, a market research organization focused on the floral and green plant industries, will be releasing selected highlights of their consumer floral research at Cultivate ’15 on July 12 in Columbus, OH, according to a news release.
In the presentation, “Six Key Factors Driving Your Customers to Buy,” P&P will highlight six key performances of floral businesses that most drive customer satisfaction and floral purchasing. P&P has focused this presentation on research findings specific to the greater Midwest region of the U.S.