Mission Produce Inc. launched its “Experience the Difference” campaign, a year-long initiative to showcase the key advantages customers can experience with Mission through the company’s world-class customer service, ripening and distribution, vertical integration and sourcing, value-added services and sustainability.

There are excellent cooking vegetables to promote right now. Broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus are ideal to display on an end cap together for some high volume sales. Make sure to check with your suppliers for availability.

Basil Mills, founder of Mills Distributing, which was one of the leading vegetable grower-shippers in the Salinas through most of the second half of the 20th century, died Jan. 14 at the age of 91.

Mr. Mills was born Jan. 18, 1930, in Montevideo, Minnesota, the third of five children.  After graduating from high school in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, he attended the University of Colorado-Boulder for three years before serving in the U.S. Army in Germany from March 1951 to March 1953 during the Korean War.

FirstFruits Farms, a recognized leader in the apple industry, launched its “A Taste of Luck” campaign to coincide with the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday on March 17. With promotable volumes of high-quality apples available in March, the company is supporting retailers in pairing its well-known Opal and Granny Smith varieties together to create engaging green and gold displays and digital content that will attract shoppers during this festive time of year.

Kurt Zuhlke has been a leader in the produce packaging industry for generations, but even with all his experience, he never saw a month as busy as December of 2021. He said it was the best month his firm, Kurt Zuhlke & Associates, has ever had in its history.

“It’s usually a good month, but not outstanding,” said Zuhlke, whose firm is headquartered in Easton, PA. “It beat all records — it just blew my mind.”

He attributed that record-breaking month to an increased demand for packaging.

Yes! Apples, a consumer-first brand started by New York Apple Sales three years ago, has become a popular name in the industry and it continues to expand business year after year.