More than 150 potato producers turned out to participate in the inaugural “Day of Varieties” Aug. 15. Quebec Parmentier organized the event in collaboration with its partners.

A first in Quebec, the day’s events were primarily dedicated to celebrating the multitude of potato varieties, 112 of which were on display — ranging from rose fingerling potatoes, creamy purples and running the gamut of white, yellow and red potato varieties.

There aren’t many products that awaken the senses and evoke feelings as much as a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers. However, what many consumers don’t realize is how extremely complicated and complex the process of successfully bringing flowers from field to retail shelves is. Some of the most challenging parts of implementing a seamless floral supply chain are proper maintenance of the cold chain, increased speed to market, and controlling cost.

Reliable transportation, whether by land, air, or sea, is important to any industry. In the floral industry, reliability rises to a entirely new level because of the need for speedy, on-time, temperature-controlled service. Palm City, Florida-based Armellini Express Lines, Inc. is one of the few carriers dedicated specifically to the floral industry. Established in 1945, Armellini strives to provide the premium service demanded by our customers, while mindful of the critical need for the safe operation of our vehicles.

As we’re already seeing in many parts of the United States, the limitless availability of water we’ve become accustomed to can no longer be guaranteed, due to sustained and expanding extreme drought and depletion of both surface and aquifer sources. Further, the cost of water has been greatly subsidized and growers and consumers have never paid the real costs of water (i.e. storage, sourcing, distribution, etc.). As water becomes scarcer, it can no longer be viewed as a commodity, and as costs increase, the user will bear a greater share of the real costs of water.

Today’s consumers are reading more than instructions — they are looking at the benefits of the product beyond its single use, and are fast becoming interested in what happens after they are done with it. This long-term thinking is what many U.S. companies are incorporating into their product design and corporate culture, and it’s defined as sustainability.   

MINNEAPOLIS — Although June is National Rose Month, July is always Rose Month for Kids at Koehler & Dramm Wholesale Florist, here, and the company is committed to donating to charity one rose sale at a time.

In 2007, several people at Koehler & Dramm began thinking about ways the company could give back to the community. At the same time, a rose grower in Ecuador became aware of the severe lack of medical supplies at a local children’s hospital, and that led to a partnership with Koehler & Dramm to take action.