Produce News Facebook  Produce News Twitter  Produce News LinkedIn  Produce News Instagram

Rainstorms disrupt planting and harvesting in Southern California and Arizona

A series of storms during the last week of December and the first week of January dumped abnormally high amounts of rainfall across Southern California and into Arizona, disrupting planting and harvesting operations in several strawberry- and vegetable-growing districts. The widespread storm systems drenched most of California and brought much-needed snow-pack to the Sierra Mountains, which will help fill reservoirs used for irrigation. But in Southern California, where the winter-spring strawberry season was just getting underway in Oxnard and Orange County, the rain caused harvest delays and

Northern Plains Potato Growers Assn. to boost recognition; new marketing plan in the works

The Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, under the marketing direction of Ted Kreis, who started in August 2004 as marketing director, is looking to form a stronger brand identity. To attract consumers, the association has created two new store-level promotions to catch the consumer?s eye before the potato-buying decision has been made. The first of these two promotions is a shopping cart ad placed on the cart displaying the healthy potato message and specific Red River Valley branding. ?This idea will be tested in a local chain here to see the response,? said association President

Seald Sweet International: Name change highlights new global strategy

?We are turning the page in preparation for the future," stated David Mixon, senior vice president of Seald Sweet International LLC. "The addition of the word "International? to our name is to project to the trade and to the public what is now factual: we are a fully integrated and global organization." Seald Sweet?s name change was announced in late December. Although the company was recognized as an international rather than a regional company in past years, recent major changes within the firm have given it a steadfast foothold in its global strategies. In early December, the firm announced

"UglyRipe" tomato petition denied

The Florida Tomato Committee once again denied a petition that would have allowed interstate shipments of heirloom tomatoes that failed to meet the minimum quality standards established for Florida tomatoes. Santa Sweet Inc., headquartered in Philadelphia and a subsidiary of the well known Philadelphia wholesaler and tomato distributor Procacci Bros. Sales Corp., had filed a petition for a "certificate of privilege" from the FTC on Nov. 10. Santa Sweet developed and is the sole grower and shipper of its proprietary "UglyRipe tomatoes. In the petition, it asked the committee to basically

Growers Express reorganizes sales department

SALINAS, CA " To better facilitate fulfilling customers? needs, Growers Express has reorganized its sales organization into two departments: Sales & Marketing and Product Management. Reporting to Vice President of Sales & Marketing Woody Johnson will be Gary Andreasian, Merritt Bruce and Michele McNeece in the newly created positions of account managers, where they will work with current customers and identify and target potential customers. Mr. Bruce and Ms. McNeece will concentrate on domestic accounts, while Mr. Andreasian will focus on Asia-international customers. Debbie Schweiger will

Getting out the crystal ball: A glimpse into the future of floral

It's that time of the year when the fortune tellers of floriculture are asked to give their predictions for our industry's future. Surely, many of them must be scratching their heads about what to write about. Of course, accuracy is not normally a problem. Does anyone else save articles predicting what we will be like in five years? In fairness, with the dynamic and rapid economic changes happening, it's difficult to predict what floriculture will be like in one year, let alone five or 10 years. But suddenly my crystal ball has become quite clear and I can see the future with complete
Body

Right on the heels of the busiest time of the year for sweet potato shippers, Vick Family Farms representatives will be on the expo floor at the New York Produce Show to thank current customers and meet potential new buyers.

Charlotte Vick, partner/sales and marketing manager at Wilson, NC-based Vick Family Farms, said the company’s goals for the NYPS is to connect with customers and discuss possibilities with potential new customers for the 2026 crop.

The company will have its Carolina Gold, Grande Gold and Pure Gold sweet potato brands on display at booth No. 303 on the expo floor.

“We will be discussing ways we can continue to help our customers grow the category as we prepare for the new year,” Vick said.

In the second week of November, as Thanksgiving orders were ramping up, Vick said demand has been good, but a “little quieter” right before the peak shipments began.

The 2025 crop yields were average, she said.

“We went into the harvest feeling that we would have a big crop but dry weather late in the season our yields dropped off middle of the season,” Vick said. “We will manage our inventory to ensure our good customers keep a constant supply with no gaps in 2026.”

Vick Family Farms planted more acres this season, allowing a consistent supply to year-round customers. Quality of the sweet potatoes are excellent, she said, with “shape and sizing looking great.”

Balancing rising costs to grow crops while offering consumers an affordable sweet potato option is a heightened concern this season, a reality facing all produce growers, she said.

Copyright © 2025 The Produce News • Covering Fresh Produce Around the Globe Since 1897