The Southeast Produce Council has an exceptional lineup of speakers for upcoming Southern Exposure: Produce — The Final Frontier. Blasting off March 3-5 at the Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, FL, the conference will encompass SEPC Chairman Tim Graas’ platform: inspiring innovation today for a sustainable tomorrow.

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.

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.

What started off in 2006 as a program that comprised a few hundred thousand boxes of table grapes would soon turn into a produce brand accounting for more than 10 million boxes a year as Divine Flavor enters its 16th season. 

On Jan. 1, industry veteran Amy Philpott will launch a new public relations firm that focuses on empowering food companies and organizations to communicate with their stakeholders about sensitive modern-day issues such as sustainability, biotechnology, food safety, worker safety and food additives.

Bob Davis, vice president of Maine Farmers Exchange, said the weather in the Northeast during the Maine potato growing season was perfect. “I call it ‘pushbutton’ weather,” he said. “Every time we needed a little rain, we got it. During May and June, it would dry out a bit and then we would get the perfect amount of rain.”

Davis said yields were good on all varieties. “The crop is not as big as last year and the yields weren’t quite as good, but they are above average,” he said.