Early September onion crop assessments by Herb Haun, general manager of Haun Packing in Weiser, ID, indicated good quality and size range.

Haun said, “We started shipping Aug. 19, which is about normal timing for us, and we’ll go into storage starting mid-September. The onions look very good, very mature, and we also have a good range of sizes with plenty of jumbos. The colossals are tighter than they have been, though.”

Record heat during the summer accounts for the smaller volumes of colossals, he said, and yields are also affected by the dry, cold spring.

Nunhems USA, part of Bayer CropScience, continues to work with onion growers in the Treasure Valley to commercialize new onion varieties that will meet production challenges and increase production efficiencies.

In early September, Rene Emch, Nunhems’ global product specialist-onions, provided some insights into research currently being conducted in the Treasure Valley. Nunhems is located in Parma, ID, and is part of Bayer CropScience.

CHICAGO — Cee Bee Cartage Inc. has been providing independent transportation services to Chicago’s produce trade for 50 years.

The firm moved to the Chicago International Produce Market when it was built in 2002.

The firm was started by Tony Capone Sr., who remains active in the business with his four sons, Tony Capone Jr., fraternal twins Tim and Jim Capone, and Chris Capone.

Tony Capone Jr. said there are three other cartage companies on the market, but “we are the only ones with warehousing. We cross dock” to serve independent shippers and retailers.

CHICAGO — La Galera Produce this year expanded its space on the Chicago International Produce Market by moving to another, larger unit.

The move to 25,000 square feet allowed the company to increase its sales by as much as 45 percent, according to La Galera’s 32-year-old owner Pepe Vega Jr.

Vega has a sales staff of five, including himself.

The company sells fresh produce to serve the Chicago area’s Hispanic population.

CHICAGO — Serving fresh produce to Chicago schools was an important motivator for Panama Banana, located on the Chicago International Produce Market, to receive its USDA-GAP food-safety certification.

Tom Durante, a salesman and buyer for Panama Banana, said, “Because I deal with the school systems, we had to be certified.” The USDA certification “is required of us here.”

CHICAGO — Life should always enjoy such symmetry.

This September, as Strube Celery & Vegetable Co. celebrates its centennial anniversary, the firm is also aggressively moving toward the future under fourth-generation leadership.

Lisa Strube, the director of finance and administration, said the firm’s new motto is “Over 100 years old and still fresh.”