Employees at Garden Fresh Salad Co., which is a staple on the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, MA, appreciate the camaraderie that exists among those working in the area.

In fact, working in the Boston area has been a key to Garden Fresh Salad Co.’s success, with company owner Patrick Burke noting how great a produce town it is championing all the city has to offer. Working in the New England Produce Center just makes it that much better.

Peter Condakes Co. Inc., a full-line distributor of produce specializing in tomatoes, has been a mainstay in the New England Produce Center since 1974.

Peter John Condakes, president and co-owner of the Chelsea, MA-based company, goes into every day with an optimistic view of business.

With promotable volume of California grapes available through December, retail promotion and consumer advertising continue through year-end in the U.S., and in Canada, Mexico and other key export markets, according to Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission.

Noting that harvest is still under way in some areas, Nave said that in a typical season California ships grapes throughout the U.S. and to multiple export markets into January and this year looks to be no different.

For years consumers have been clamoring for transparency and sustainability from the companies they support — whether they be suppliers or retailers. More often than not these expectations are placed on those in the produce industry, perhaps more so than others within the supermarket.

John McClung, who retired a decade ago as the president and CEO of the Texas Produce Association, spent a career in the produce industry with stops at the USDA and the United Fresh Produce Association. But he began his working life as a reporter, was an accomplished bird watcher, bed & breakfast hotelier and woodworker, and spent much of his career mentoring and helping others in his signature collaborative way.

The availability of banana volume is good along with the quality; however, the costs are increasing within the supply chain due to market conditions, packing material and production costs, along with the current inflationary trend. The grocery store pricing level of bananas has been steadily on the low side with little gross profit for many years in highly competitive markets. That is about to change with justified retail increases at the supermarket.