Jason Bell, account manager for Tater Man in Sydney, FL, told The Produce News that the company started digging sweet potatoes in Florida on July 9, and finished there in mid-September, well ahead of its normal harvest period.

“Just as Florida was wrapping up, we started digging in Georgia, which was also early,” said Mr. Bell. “That harvest will end around the first of October. We have less acreage in Georgia, so it goes considerably faster.”

Eva Dawson, director of sales and food safety for Dawson Farms in Delhi, LA, told The Produce News that the company began harvesting Aug. 25, which was about three weeks earlier than normal.

“We had optimal spring weather that helped the plants to size up nicely,” said Ms. Dawson. “And we had extremely good moisture when the plants needed it, and Hurricane Isaac helped out quite a bit. These factors combined gave us a nice jump on the season.”

The lease negotiations between the City of New York and the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market have again been extended.

A story by Lisa Fickenscher published on Sept. 26 in Crain's New York Business.com, stated that the on-again, off-again exclusive lease negotiations between the city and the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market have been extended for the third time.

The story stated that the market, a co-op of 115 merchants, and the city's Economic Development Corp. agreed Monday to keep talks between themselves through Oct. 31, keeping New Jersey officials at bay.

ASHEVILLE, NC — A record 328 people attended the Southeast Produce Council's annual Fall Conference, held Sept. 19-22 at the Grove Park Inn, a beautiful venue nestled here in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains.

Among the highlights of the event were an opening cocktail party; a general session where outgoing President John Shuman delivered his state-of-the-council report; the president's dinner-dance, where attendees met the new officers of the council; a golf tournament; and the closing party.

Across the board, it has been a fairly strong summer for California producers of lettuce and other core vegetables, and all indications are that strong demand will be the order of the day for the foreseeable future.