“We’re past our summer peak, but we will have normal volumes of our popular ‘SlimCado’ avocados through January,” Bill Brindle, vice president of sales and marketing for Brooks Tropicals, headquartered in Homestead, FL, said in late October. “The quality and sizing continue to be excellent.”

Peter Leifermann, director of sales for the company added, “Passion fruit is coming on strong. Our volumes will triple in November and then double in December.

The number of onion production acres in the Treasure Valley being tested for members of Certified Onions Inc. is a strong indicator of just how seriously food-safety concerns are taken.

“We have an estimated 20,500 acres in the valley,” President Kay Riley, who is also general manager of Snake River Produce Co. in Nyssa, OR, told The Produce News. “They’ve tested 86 percent of this acreage.”

It’s that time of the year when buyers send their trucks down to the California and Arizona desert looking for fall and winter vegetables to fill wet racks back home.

The Javits Center is located at the far west side of Manhattan, with the West Side Highway and Hudson River at its back. It is several “long blocks” (as New York City folk tend to refer to the east-west avenues) from midtown and most hotels. If you like to walk, you’ll enjoy the sprint.

“We are very excited to be exhibiting at the New York Produce Show again this year,” said Nick Pacia, president of A.J. Trucco, commonly referred to as “Trucco,” located at Hunts Point Terminal Market in the Bronx, NY. “We’ll be at Booth Nos. 413-417 this year at the show. Trucco is thrilled to announce the relaunch of its ‘KiwiStar’ brand. ‘KiwiStar’ has been on the market for almost 15 years, and has recently undergone a complete rebranding with an updated logo, a new design and innovative packaging.”

Kurt Zuhlke, owner and president of Kurt Zuhlke & Associates, headquartered in Bangor, PA, will be exhibiting at the New York Produce Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center North Hall on Dec. 2-4. He will be at the company’s booth to personally greet customers and prospective customers at the event.

“Our line of recycled ‘PETE’ [polyethylene terephthalate] containers is a big hit with retailers today,” said Zuhlke. “They are assured when they see the ‘PETE’ emblem on our packages that they are getting precisely what consumers today are demanding; true recycled ‘PETE.’”