Labor shortages in the produce department must really be getting critical when a produce manager friend of mine says he has an apron for me in the back room whenever I’m ready to help.

This may sound a bit humorous, but it’s no joke when it comes to the real world of labor shortages these days. Produce department operators are in a difficult situation trying to fill positions with no relief in sight.

With the ongoing mission of “Creating Beauty That Inspires,” J. Berry Nursery announces its online expansion, delivering customers’ favorite plant brands via direct online ordering. The online expansion of the J. Berry brands offers customers convenient access to favorites like Hollywood Hibiscus, Black Diamond Crape Myrtles, Déjà Bloom Azaleas, Summer Spice Hardy Hibiscus, Crown Jewel Begonias, Emerald Empire Crape Myrtles, and Season to Season Gardenias, among others.

New Bloom Solutions and Above All Flowers have brought the floral industry The Bloom Show, a show that covers everything about floriculture. With many exciting discussions and shows in the past, the latest panel discussion, “Cold Chain Logistics Roundtable,” is set to be another great one.

Previous shows like the Marketing Roundtable have been highly successful and well-received, garnering praise from many in the floral industry. Thus, The Bloom Show plans to continue providing valuable information and insights into the industry.

Terra Nova Nurseries has announced today its brand-new Echinacea PRIMA ‘Berry.’ The vibrant new variety has dark berry-pink petals that are long and draping, causing it to be reminiscent of a gorgeous, formal dress. The plant boasts the largest flowers that the Terra Nova breeders have seen on such a tight and compact habit.

The American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour launched its first post pandemic dinner since 2019 on a brisk spring afternoon at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California. What threatened to be a damp evening turned into a spectacular afternoon and magical sunset overlooking the fields of stunning ranunculus. A treat for all to attend the re-launch of the Field to Vase dinner series marked an incredible evening of celebrating American Grown flowers and foliage.

In January of 2022, the New Jersey legislature did what few states have done, passing a law defining what local means regarding New Jersey fruits and vegetables. In the Garden State, if a retailer labels fresh produce as local, locally grown or implies that it is local using similar language, that product must have been grown in New Jersey. New Jersey consumers can now shop for produce and when they see local, they will know where it was grown.