Mother Nature has not exactly been cooperating with the new crops in the desert farming area. Colder-than-normal temperatures are slowing down the growth of many vegetables, especially lettuce. This has caused some traces of ice to settle on the lettuce. The markets continue to remain at elevated levels on a demand-exceeds-supply status.

Lettuce: Only a fair supply is available out of the desert area due to immaturity. Quality is just fair, affected by the cold weather. Prices will remain high until warmer temperatures can speed up the growth.

Broccoli and Cauliflower: Supplies are lighter

Did you ever notice the many special calendar days that are celebrated? I was amused by a few selected anniversary days seen on nationaldaycalendar.com such as national Bubble Bath Day, Polka Dot Day and Yellow Pig Day. Believe it or not, there is a national Produce Misting Day that recognizes the innovation of automatic sprinklers over the refrigerated wall case to keep vegetables hydrated, fresh and crisp.

According to nationaltoday.com, May 21 is Eat more Fruits and Vegetables Day.

It is great placing fresh produce in the spotlight, but before we all try to eat bushels of fruits and

Nancy Campoli, Carolinas and Midwest sales manager for The Produce News, died suddenly Saturday, Dec. 3. She was 61.

Nancy was born in Westwood, NJ, on Aug. 26, 1961. She graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, which served her and advertisers well throughout her career.

Upon joining The Produce News her ambition and commitment to hard work were immediately evident. Though small in stature, Nancy had a large personality, and her dedication to doing the best job possible endeared her to colleagues and clients alike for the past six years.

“Nancy had

Bobalu Berry Farms managing partners established an annual scholarship in 2022 to celebrate 60 years in business honoring their grandparents. In 2023 Bobby and RC Jones are expanding the program to support additional students.

Graduating high school seniors in Ventura County, CA, benefited from the company’s scholarship program in 2022 with nine graduating seniors receiving funds to support their education at schools, including UCLA, California Lutheran University, University of California Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The partners at Bobalu were deeply touched by the response

At any given time of the year, there are usually a few buzzwords that seem to pop up and stick around for a short lifespan. You’ll find them in just about every LinkedIn post and in most conversations. You know the 2022 words I’m talking about — disruptor, omnichannel, snackable content, growth hacking, innovation and more. There’s nothing wrong with using the buzzwords of the moment, you wouldn’t be a savvy marketer or business professional in general if you didn’t. Fun fact about me, I often jot these buzzwords down on my desk calendar and add a tally mark each time I hear, see, or read the

Russ Davis Wholesale Inc. has acquired Kansas City, KS-based produce wholesaler Liberty Fruit Co. Inc..

Now part of Russ Davis’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Liberty will continue to operate independently and will be led by its existing leadership team. According to Liberty CEO John McClelland, the opportunity to become 100 percent employee-owned was the driving force behind the merger.

“The Caviar family has owned Liberty for all of its nearly 60 years,” McClelland said. “Not many owners, regardless of industry, get to leave this kind of legacy for their employees.”

Adam Gamble