The most important point I was taught as a junior produce buyer was to study the weather. My superiors stressed that the weather forecasts in growing areas would determine two things: supply and price.

California has had more than its share of severe storms from fall up to now. At least the Yuma, AZ, winter crop deal shows promises of favorable weather enabling lettuce quality and supply to finally improve. Markets are starting to ease up.

Grapes: Demand is moderate on a steady market. Imported grapes from Peru and Chile have nice sizing and the quality on arrivals is excellent. Pricing

Wholesale Produce Supply LLC acquired Bandwagon Brokerage LLC a specialty produce company.  The acquisition is complementary, as it allows both companies to grow by broadening the portfolio of products and services they offer to customers as well as by broadening their customer bases. Dennis Berman, Bandwagon's founder, owner and president, will continue to run the business and has become an investor in WPS as part of the transaction.

Founded in 1988, Bandwagon serves foodservice distributors and other wholesalers throughout the continental U.S., Hawaii, Caribbean, Canada and beyond. 

The Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance welcomed eight new members to the association at its annual membership meeting.  Joining the Alliance for 2023 include producer members Local Bounti, Mastronardi Produce and Upward Farms; business service provider members Jiffy Group, Qfresh Labs and Unfold; and retail/foodservice members Brookshire Grocery and UNFI.

CEA Alliance Chairman Marc Oshima, co-founder and chief marketing officer for AeroFarms, presented a State of the Association report during the meeting, citing the important transition in 2022 moving from a leafy greens food-safety

Lidl launched a private label produce line, Peak Harvest, which will raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. For each purchase of Peak Harvest products throughout January, Lidl will donate 1 percent of retail sales to CMN Hospitals, up to $250,000. The funds will benefit 18 designated member children’s hospitals located in Lidl’s markets along the East Coast.  

Peak Harvest is a new brand of fresh fruits and vegetables available exclusively at Lidl U.S. stores. It includes more than 50 popular products, such as apples, tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh lettuce, as well as ready-to-eat

An Oregon company has satisfied the terms stemming from its $3.6 million of Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act violations, closing the 2019 case with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In a complaint filed on Nov. 20, 2019, the USDA alleged that Hood River Juice Co. Inc. in Hood River, OR, failed to make full payment promptly in the total amount of $3.6 million to 12 sellers for multiple lots of produce in violation of PACA.

After the complaint was filed, USDA and Hood River entered into a Consent Decision and Order wherein Hood River agreed to pay the unpaid produce sellers and to pay

Michael (Mike) Bozick, who spent more than five decades at Richard Bagdasarian Inc. and nearly four decades as a board commissioner for the California Table Grape Commission, died peacefully on Dec. 22 in the Coachella Valley, a community he grew to love. He was 91.

Mr. Bozick was born in Masontown, PA, a company coal mining town, to Nicholas and Minnie Bozick, and was the sixth of seven children.

Mr. Bozick spent his younger years growing up in Masontown before enlisting in the Navy at 17, where he played football on North Island-Coronado during the Korean War. He enjoyed his time in the