Month: September 2017

Broccoli is becoming more popular with the American consumer, providing plenty of nutrients in the diet. But it isn’t easy getting this cool-weather vegetable to your table. Broccoli producers face many factors that impede getting their crop to market—including unexpected temperature fluctuations and excessive heat. Heat stress while broccoli’s florets are developing can reduce crop yield and quality, cutting into the crop’s $800 million U.S. market value. …

Arizona Senator Jeff Flake will serve as the opening keynote breakfast speaker at the annual United Fresh Washington Conference, Tuesday, September 19. At a time of heightened political uncertainty in Washington, DC, Senator Flake has become an outspoken voice on the need for compromise, civility and commitment to conservative values in our national government. …

Harvest has begun for the 2017 crop of SweeTango apples. With orchards spread across prime apple-growing regions in Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Nova Scotia, Canada, timing of harvest varies by region, typically beginning in the West and concluding a few weeks later in Nova Scotia. The anticipated total crop is slightly larger than last season’s. …

Apio, Inc, a leading provider of Eat Smart® branded packaged, fresh vegetables to retail and club stores throughout North America, has donated 24,000 salads, or approximately 70,000 salad servings, to victims of Hurricane Harvey. Eat Smart is partnering with the Houston Food Bank to distribute these salads to those in need. The delivery is due to arrive at the Houston Food Bank on Friday, September 1st. …

Buoyed by consumers’ desire to know as much about where the produce they buy comes from and how it was grown, organic fresh produce accounted for $1.25 billion dollars in sales at the end of the second quarter 2017, an 8 percent increase in dollars and 10 percent rise in volume from the previous year, according to the Organic Produce Network (OPN). …