What a difference a year makes. By Christmas 2010, Florida strawberry growers had already weathered two hard freezes and three weeks of bad weather that wiped out the season's most profitable month. This year, because the weather was so perfect, some growers had berries before Thanksgiving and production was in full swing across the state's production area well before Christmas.

The Giumarra Cos. announced Dec. 29 that it would work with RD8 Fresh Produce from New Zealand to offer apricots and cherries this season.

NoKota Packers Inc., headquartered in Buxton, ND, is seeing good movement with its potato crop. “We have shipped approximately 36 percent of our projected tonnage as of the end of November,” Chief Executive Officer and President Steve Tweten told The Produce News Dec. 15. “We are experiencing good holiday demand. Our color and quality are great.”

Lone Wolf Farms plans to break ground for its new facility in January. A fire of unknown origin destroyed the main offices and wash plant Sept. 25 in Minto, ND. Despite the efforts of firefighters from Minto; Grafton, ND; and Oslo, MN, the facility could not be saved.

The business has been owned and operated by the Bjorneby family since 1938. The company ships red potatoes to the domestic marketplace. Lone Wolf continued to dig potatoes despite the loss, and storage for half of the company’s crop was secured.

Gary Wishnatzki may be best known as a strawberry grower, but he owes much of his recent success to bottled water, or American consumers’ acceptance of it to be specific.

With a couple of Florida growing seasons under its belt, Watsonville, CA-based Well-Pict Berries Inc. has settled into its program, will double its Florida strawberry production this year and has quadrupled the number of retailers it is working with from its operations in the Sunshine State.