The New England Produce Council’s 22nd annual Produce, Floral & Foodservice Expo was held Aug. 24-25 at the Omni Boston Hotel at The Seaport. This was the first year at the new venue, and high expectations for the event were exceeded. Produce industry members showcased their products for a packed trade show floor.

Mike Hulett has worn many hats throughout his 24-year career in the produce industry, from working on the family farm when needed to brokering fruit to being a grower-shipper to serving as a category director of produce merchandising for the world’s largest grocery chain.

Now, he is tapping into that well-rounded background as he looks to reshape Farm Fresh Direct and position it for future growth.

The Kroger Co. announced the winners of its second annual Go Fresh & Local Supplier Accelerator. The accelerator cohort consists of five new and emerging brands, each selected to join Kroger's Fresh suppliers and enhance the selection of local items available across the Kroger Family of Companies.

With September right around the corner, retailers throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast are gearing up to provide customers with delicious fresh apples from growers in Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Each year, shoppers eagerly await the arrival of popular varieties, such as the Honeycrisp, Gala, Ginger Gold and Paula Red.

Normally, a demand-exceeds-supply situation, along with the ensuing strong pricing, would be welcome news to a shipper. But when a market is as tight as the current potato market, no one really benefits.

“The market is high, supplies are extremely tight and everyone is looking for product,” Art Miller, owner of Epic Produce Sales, which is based in Phoenix and sources a large portion of its potatoes from Colorado, told The Produce News on Aug. 11. “We’re still using our storage crop but we’ve had to cut back on orders to make it to the finish line.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed sanctions on Farm Fresh Packers LLC in Pompano Beach, FL, for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions include barring the business and the principal operators of the business from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA.