It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Holiday greens companies and Christmas tree growers are cautiously optimistic about the sales season ahead, in an economy that still struggles but seems to be making progress. They make the point that even in tough times, people will continue their holiday traditions.
California organic harvest begins with Bartletts and Galas
The organic apple and pear harvest has begun in California. As in past years, the start of the domestic harvest has been greeted with strong demand from the organic market, as retailers vie to promote the freshest organic fruit of the summer.
Early start to Connecticut crops, produce quality termed 'superb'
Most of the eastern United States enjoyed an unusually warm winter and early spring, leading many crops to come on early in 2012. The state of Connecticut has shared in that scenario.
Sustainability is more than just a buzzword for Delaware River giant Holt Logistics
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ — Sustainability is a term Leo Holt likes to use — and not just as a buzzword. The president of Holt Logistics Corp. applies the approach throughout his business network and in his approach to the world at large.
Chuck Olsen Co. picks up two new growers, adds volume on several grape varieties
The Chuck Olsen Co. in Visalia, CA, which increased grape acreage in 2012 with the addition of new growers, will once again see additional growth in acreage from “two growers we have picked up,” according to Jeff Olsen, vice president of the company. That will contribute to an anticipated increase in grape volume for the 2012 season of roughly 20 percent.
“Last year, we ended up with almost 900,000” boxes of grapes, Mr. Olsen said. “We are hoping we will get somewhere around 1.1 [million] by the end of this year.”
Everyone wins with ‘Healthy Schools, Healthy Minds’
As families anticipate the coming of the new school year, Produce for Kids is kicking educational opportunities into high gear with its fall campaign, “Healthy Schools, Healthy Minds.”
The nonprofit organization is partnering with DonorsChoose.org at selected grocery store chains during September and October, and shoppers are encouraged to help support local classroom projects by adding more fresh fruit and vegetables to their carts.
Using the same old produce in new gourmet ways
In mid-July, the FoodNetwork.com stated that summer produce won’t last long, and suggested that viewers “Make the most of it with our best recipes for tomatoes, corn, watermelon, zucchini, green beans and peaches.” And the website does just that by offering recipes like zucchini gratin, and cherry tomato salad with buttermilk-basil dressing, proving that even the most common and abundant fresh produce items can be given a dressed-up appearance and flavor.
House leadership floats one-year extension of farm bill; vote possible next week
WASHINGTON — Driven in part by drought relief, the House Republican leadership may schedule a vote next week on a one-year extension of the current farm bill, but advocates for a five-year measure hope a House floor vote moves them closer to a 2012 farm bill this year.
Chance plays role in marketing stand for Italian terra cotta pots
Donna Vis was driving by a ranch in Ventura County in California that was going out of business a few months back when she saw some old terra cotta pots sitting out in a field, for sale like most other items at the farm. She bought them, all 500,000 of them. When she told her husband and co-owner of River Ranch Farms in Oxnard, CA, Rudy Vis, he was a little skeptical at first.
Zespri launches new kiwi variety in North American markets
Zespri announced the launch of its newest kiwifruit variety grown in New Zealand called SunGold, a hybrid of the Green and Gold varieties, which grows to a larger size than either variety.