Halloween is fast approaching, but heavy rains caused a bit of a scare for pumpkin marketers who source from Mexico as the pumpkin crop got off to a late start. But Fresh Farms, based in Rio Rico, AZ, said the market has recovered nicely and quality is strong during this key promotional time.

According to Marco Serrano, who is in sales at Fresh Farms, the pumpkin crop was delayed by around 10 days and there was some initial concern about how quality might be affected.

While Mother Nature came through spectacularly in southwest Idaho with beautiful valley terrain, temperate climate, rich soil and abundant water to create uniquely suited growing conditions, generations of experience and the equally important human element of land stewardship have definitely enhanced her efforts.

The result of that teamwork can be found in Idaho apples, both hallmark and varietals, which have become famous for their exceptional flavor.

The Fresh Produce & Floral Council held its second annual Luau, A Mahalo Celebration, on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Newport Dunes in Newport Beach, CA. All attendees enjoyed an evening of Lokelani’s Hawaiian dancers with a special fire performance, limbo contest and Hawaiian shirt contest.

The next FPFC event will be the December luncheon and charity auction on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the Sheraton Cerritos in Cerritos, CA.

As food prices continue to rise and consumer routines shift, Side Delights offers quick, affordable potatoes for meals and groups of any size.

Meijer will begin offering special discounts on fruits and vegetables for its SNAP customers. The initiative, which will include discounts from $5 to $10, and 5 percent to 10 percent on SNAP purchases on qualifying produce, is thanks to a waiver granted recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that Meijer applied for earlier this year.

Leading up to last night’s Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers and the Vamos Rams game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Oct. 9, the Los Angeles Rams have partnered with Avocados From Peru to release the ultimate Rams House Guac — the team’s first-ever official guacamole. The recipe’s hero ingredient is the Rams’ official superfood, Avocados from Peru, which will be featured on the viral “So Yummy!” social media channels. The full recipe can be found below.