“Apple harvest in Pennsylvania was completed in late November, with Pink Lady being the last variety to be harvested,” said Julie Bancroft, executive director of the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program headquartered in Harrisburg, PA. “This crop surprised many growers in the state. Early season crop assessments had some growers anticipating 80-85 percent of a normal crop, but once we got further into the season the outlooks begin to improve significantly.”

Weeks before the Midwest, Northeast and South went through their historic early January deep freeze, the citrus industry in California's San Joaquin Valley experienced a record early cold snap — weeks before Christmas — that had many of the state's fruit and vegetable growers reeling. This was the longest cold spell California has had this early in the season in decades. The good news was the cold snap came and went in days. The bad news was that it wasn't even the first day of winter yet.

KEVIN BATT joined Houweling’s Tomatoes, based in Camarillo, CA, in November 2013.

Red potato prices in the New Year are expected to hold, according to Paul Dolan, manager of Associated Potato Growers Inc., located in Grand Forks, ND.

A key wildcard in early 2014 pricing for the Red River Valley shippers will be the oncoming Florida red potato deal. Dolan noted, “A short supply of seed may help that situation.”

Red potatoes shipped from Canada and Wisconsin also figure into the overall marketing scenario.

Dolan added, “We are down a little in the valley as a whole.”

"KIKU" brand apples have become one of the hottest new items for retailers in their supermarket apple section. According to retail data from Nielsen Perishables Group, for the 52 weeks ending Nov. 23, 2013 (compared to the same period one year earlier) dollar sales for KIKU apples jumped by over 229 percent. During the same period, volume increased by nearly 192 percent.

The Pear Bureau Northwest has introduced a new display contest that is open to retailers of all sizes in the U.S. and Canada in February and March.