It has been just about a year since Sun-Glo of Idaho Inc. in Sugar City, ID, joined the Fresh Solutions Network. As described previously in The Produce News, the network is “a partnership of multi-generational potato and onion companies committed to driving profitable category growth through innovative marketing, category management and operational solutions.”

Although Idaho russet potatoes continue to be the major focus of Wada Farms Marketing Group in Idaho Falls, ID, which is the exclusive marketing agent for potatoes from Wada Farms Potatoes Inc. in Pingree, ID, as well as for various other potato packingsheds around the state, the company has been placing an increasing emphasis in recent years on colored potato varieties, notably red and gold varieties.

“We have always had a strong commitment to quality,” said Jim Richter, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Floyd Wilcox & Sons Inc. and its marketing arm, Wilcox Fresh, in Rexburg, ID.

In pursuit of that commitment, “this summer we invested in some new Odenberg graders,” Richter told The Produce News. “Those were installed the first of September, so as we go into the new crop year, we are going to have those Odenberg graders in place. That is going to help us take our quality from good to great in the years ahead.”

20/20 Produce, headquartered in Heyburn, ID, anticipates a reduced potato volume this season directly attributed to weather.

Tom Wason, president of 20/20 Produce, is looking for crop sizes to be down approximately 7 percent this season.

“We definitely had some heat stress,” he told The Produce News in early September.

“Yields are expected to be average. Again, the heat will have a mixed consistency on overall crop values,” he said.

L&M Cos. Inc., headquartered in Raleigh, NC, sources potatoes from various growing areas around the country, which gives customers a choice as to where their potatoes come from. But “Idaho potatoes are really important to L&M’s program in potatoes,” according to Ken Stewart, general manager.

“We have a variety of customers that request Idaho potatoes,” Stewart told The Produce News.

Dried plums, the dried fruit formerly (and still widely) known as prunes, have been touted for their health benefits, and most notably their digestive health benefits, for generations, but new research being conducted at Florida State University, San Diego State University and elsewhere at the behest of the California Dried Plum Board, is validating those venerable claims and is, moreover, giving the fruit a basis for some powerful new health messaging.

Research done in recent years is “helping to drive our new messaging,” said Donn Zea, executive director of the organization.