FRIESLAND, WI — Alsum Farms & Produce, Inc., located in a sparkling new 200,000-square-foot office, packinghouse and warehousing facility here, has seen remarkable expansion into many parts of the produce industry.

Heidi Randall, marketing manager for the firm, is very proud to describe the company’s success, which has been led by her father, Larry Alsum. Also in the family business is Larry’s other daughter, Wendy Alsum, who is the firm’s financial analyst.

MUKWONAGO, WI — Even more colorful than “Mukwonago” — the name of the town hosting Bushmans’ Inc. Milwaukee-area office — is the office itself. This potato company’s suburban office was once a stagecoach stop.

Rosholt, hours north in Wisconsin’s hinterlands, is Bushmans’ headquarters.

Michael Gatz, new business director, and Bushmans’ salesman Jim Stefan, were just beginning to settle into the new office when The Produce News stopped in.

VINELAND, NJ — Persistent rains in many sections of the eastern United States, including New Jersey, have cut into volume and quality of many produce items so far this summer, according to Skip Consalo, president of The Fresh Wave.

“It’s been a challenging year,” Consalo told The Produce News near the end of August. “Weather across the whole East Coast” has been a challenge. “We’ve seen rainstorms one after another after another. Weather has been the story of the year.”

VINELAND, NJ — Rain and heat during the summer have cut into volume in southern New Jersey, a scenario that has been reflected at the Vineland Produce Auction, here.

“Volume is lower [so far this summer] because of the weather,” the auction’s Carol DeFoor told The Produce News on a bright and sunny Thursday morning, Aug. 15. “As of now, volume is down about 20 percent from last year.” She added, “Dollar-wise, prices are higher because volume is less.”

HAMMONTON, NJ — Persistent rain and bursts of heat during the summer of 2013 have adversely affected many crops in New Jersey, cutting into both volume and quality, according to Bob Donio, vice president at Frank Donio Inc., a grower, shipper and distributor of a full line of fresh produce.

“We’ve been subject to the elements,” Donio told The Produce News Thursday morning, Aug. 15 at the company’s headquarters here in southern New Jersey. Over the course of the summer, “we got a lot of rain, then a lot of heat, then we got more rain.”

CMI, a leading Washington state grower-shipper of premium quality conventional and organic apples, pears and cherries, is rolling out its new Sweet Gourmet Pear program.