The National Weather Service issued a freeze watch Jan. 1 for all of southern Florida that was expected to last from 48 to 72 hours. The posting warned that "a significant and damaging freeze is likely" in most areas. Low temperatures were forecast for the morning of Jan. 3 and were expected to dip into the lower 20s in the northern interior part of the state and into the mid-30s along the southeast coastline. One meteorologist in southeast Florida predicted snow flurries near the coastline early Thursday morning. Liz Compton, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer

Hubert H. Nall Jr., owner and president of Hubert H. Nall Co., located at the Atlanta State Farmer's Market, died Dec. 27 from complications following an automobile accident that occurred Dec. 24. He was 80. Derrelle Pridgen Jr., spokesperson for the firm, said that Mr. Nall oversaw the company's operations until the day of his accident. "He knew every single detail of the business, and was here and active every day," said Mr. Pridgen. "His death is a great sorrow and loss to his family and to all who knew him for his highly professional, yet extremely kind manner." Mr. Nall suffered a broken

The change of seasons brings predictable new challenges and opportunities to consider, and the same can be said of the annual cycle of the floral business. As the industry gears up for its annual push toward Valentine's Day, weather in the production areas will be watched carefully. Retailers in the Northeast will pray for much better weather than last year. The supply chain will struggle with extraordinarily high volumes. And, unfortunately, consumers may be bombarded with negative messages, usually misleading, about how flowers are grown and cared for. Last year, for example, publication of

HARTFORD, CT -- Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell has announced $823,636 in grant funds to help expand and advance the state's agricultural economy. The grants are administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture. The funds will go to 14 agricultural producers, two non-profit agricultural organizations and 16 municipalities throughout the state as part of the Connecticut Agriculture Viability Grant program. "Agriculture is an important part of our state's history and a vital component of Connecticut's future," Gov. Rell said in a Jan. 2 statement. "We want to keep our local agricultural

Salinas, CA-based Growers Express and nearby Moss Landing, CA-based Capurro Farms have reached an agreement on a partnership, according to Woody Johnson, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Growers Express LLC. The partnership agreement, which was reached on Christmas Eve, forms a strong company with wide market reach, innovative products and a diverse farming base. Under the agreement, Capurro Farms will continue to grow its usual range of products, and Growers Express will continue in its selling, marketing and distributing capacity. The Capurro sales and marketing team moved

Paul Frederic's retirement was fun while it lasted. The 30-year veteran of the mushroom industry traveled for two years and did the other activities retired people are supposed to do. Then, missing the challenges of the mushroom business, he decided it was time to go back to work. Mr. Frederic recently told The Produce News that in October he had accepted the position of senior vice president of sales and marketing at To-Jo Mushrooms Inc. in Avondale, PA. Mr. Frederic had worked for 15 years for nearby Modern Mushroom Farms, retiring as vice president of marketing. He had 30 total years of