Vick Family Farms expands storage, adds bagging
WILSON, NC — Lyndon B. Johnson, the legendary master of the U.S. Senate, used to say that the time to make friends is before you need them. And the time to expand farming operations is before you need more space. That’s the approach Vick Family Farms here took last year, when spring rains foreshortened the 2013 sweet potato harvest. The family corporation invested in a new storage facility for year-round sweet potatoes and a bagging machine to spur consumer demand.
Potato movement good, but transportation a concern for Red River Valley shippers
Ted Kreis, marketing director of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, said “movement is going well.” USDA figures show “for the week ending Dec. 6 that 124,000 hundredweight of Red River Valley potatoes had been shipped. “This is up 18 percent this year over the previous year. And it’s more than 2012 and 2011 too,” Kreis added.
Ryan Potato Co. introduces new general manager
As long-time General Manager Ron Norman nears retirement, East Grand Forks, MN-based Ryan Potato Co. has hired Al Giesbrecht as its new general manager.
Ryan Potato specializes in packing certified organic potatoes for the U.S. market.
According to the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, Giesbrecht moved to Grand Forks from Bemidji, MN, where he was employed by Bemidji Chrysler Center/Honda of Bemidji for 10 years, working in sales, service and management.
Dolan expects improved potato markets in early 2015
There are reasons to hope the marketing position of Red River Valley potato shippers will improve this January, said Paul Dolan, manager of Associated Potato Growers Inc., based in Grand Forks, ND.
Outlook 2015: California flower farms keep on growing
When Floral Marketing in The Produce News asked me write an outlook for 2015 from a California flower grower’s perspective, I jumped at the opportunity. Kitayama Bros., located in Watsonville, CA, sees huge possibilities this year because we are Northern California farmers with close proximity and ties to the most technologically advanced and wealthy market in the world — the Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay area. There are so many opportunities locally and nationally. Our challenge is picking the right ones.
Outlook 2015: What will be different about the next 25 years?
This year the California Cut Flower Commission will celebrate 25 years of advocacy and promotion on behalf of California’s flower farmers. At the time the commission was established in 1990, George H.W. Bush was president, Operation Desert Shield was under way, “Law & Order” premiered on NBC, Walmart opened its first store in California and domestic flowers still represented the majority of flowers sold in the United States. Since then, innovation, consumer demand and federal trade policy have all significantly affected the United States floral industry.
Outlook 2015: Challenges continue for importers
Flower importers are faced with a situation that they have not been faced with in the past. The importers, through the Association of Floral Importers of Florida, are meeting with all the major flower airlines in order to work more closely with the importers’ major partners. The airlines are faced with more products competing for northbound space and less southbound cargo, so things have changed over the years for airline space for flowers.
Outlook 2015: Trends come and go and sometimes stay
Trends are always fluid in that they have no start or end date and the consumer dictates what will be a success. Style trends are defined as a general direction for a period of three to five years, after which a style is considered a classic. Style trends are highly volatile, with many variables, such as socio-economic and cultural design risk.
Outlook 2015: Some positive developments
The year 2014 has been one of many challenges for those who are in the business of distributing fresh flowers in the United States. In short, their costs are higher and their customer base is declining.
Outlook 2015: Back to the future — again
As we turn the page from 2014 into 2015, the industry will leave a few trends and carry forward some others. In 2015 we’ll see a continued movement away from bright and flashy colors toward more subdued and muted tones.