Passion for Produce draws record number of participants
Since its introduction in 2010, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s Passion for Produce has drawn scores of young members of the produce industry to a unique mentoring program, and the 2015 program to be held at the 90th annual convention and trade show in Montreal boasts a new milestone in PFP attendance.
According to CPMA President Ron Lemaire, 19 “rising stars” in the industry will take part in this year’s mentoring program.
CPMA to celebrate 90th convention in Montreal
As it achieves the venerable mark of 90 annual produce conventions, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association stays true to its course with the theme “Educate, Create, Innovate” for the April 15-17 event at the famed Palais des congres de Montreal in historic Old Montreal.
Local production means local donations for Windset Farms
Harvesting at Windset Farms’ British Columbia greenhouse has begun, and with this local production the company announced it will partner with Food Banks BC to provide weekly donations for its entire season.
This commitment will provide more than 60,000 pounds in fresh, greenhouse-grown cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.
Spring fever and recurring whiplash
Up here in the northland it seems like weather is a daily topic of conversation. At this time of year, as we transition from winter to spring, I’ve been hearing a lot of people talking about “weather whiplash” due to the wild swings in temperature from day to day. I was wondering if the floral industry might also suffer from “spring holiday whiplash.”
L.A. LIVE alive with flowers at this year’s World Floral Expo
In the heart of downtown Los Angeles is L.A. LIVE, the sports and entertainment district that surrounds Staples Center and Nokia Theatre, featuring sports and music venues, nightclubs, the Grammy Museum and several movie theaters. On March 11-13 it was also alive with the 16th edition of the annual World Floral Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center and it was a busy few days for members of the floral industry, networking and conducting business with each other.
Mother’s Day task lists can help achieve competitive edge in floral
With over 85 million moms in the United States, chances of having a successful Mother’s Day are on your side. With advanced planning and flawless execution, this high-pressure holiday can easily bring optimum sales.
According to the National Federation of Retailers, Mother’s Day accounts for about one-fourth of yearly holiday floral sales. In 2014 it said 66.6 percent of those celebrating Mother’s Day bought mom flowers, spending a total of $2.3 billion.
Memorial Day Flowers Foundation to decorate veterans’ graves
The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, unites the flower industry to place roses and other flowers on the graves of fallen veterans for Memorial Day. Since 2011, it has been honoring the nation’s war dead in Arlington National Cemetery and in hundreds of communities across the country.
Retailers shifting apple displays to accommodate new varieties
Produce executives at supermarkets are responding to the rapid growth of branded apples by rethinking shelf and distribution strategies. Scan data reports for U.S. supermarkets indicate that while supermarkets are generally maintaining displays of mainline apple varieties, many of the legacy and niche varieties are losing space to the emerging apple brands.
Mike Reed to lead business development at SunSelect
With greenhouses in California and British Columbia nearing peak production — and significant expansion on the horizon — SunSelect Produce has strengthened its team with the expertise of industry veteran Mike Reed.
Though ‘no two years are the same,’ G&R Farms looking at another good Vidalia crop
Robert Dasher knows a thing or two about growing Vidalia onions. He brought his first crop to market 53 years ago. Sure, it was just a single acre. Then again, he was only 10 years old.
The Dasher family has been farming in the Vidalia region since 1945. Robert and his brother, the late Gerald Dasher, followed in their father’s footsteps and partnered up as G&R Farms in Glennville, GA, in the 1960s. In 2013, Gerald was inducted posthumously into the Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame.