TUCSON, AZ - The Southwest International Produce Expo (SWIPE) 2027 is fast approaching, and attendees are being asked to make the hard but fun choice between giving it their all in the 57th Annual Desert Golf Classic or dinking their way to glory at the Lucha Libre Pickleball Paddle Battle. The easy choice for the industry is to attend SWIPE. The hard choice is whether to pack clubs or paddles for January in Tucson.

The Southwest’s biggest show takes place January 13-15, 2027, at the JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson, AZ. On Wednesday, January 13, participants will be a golfer, a pickleballer, or a cheerleader as attendees network, chip, dink, slice, and putt their way to greatness.

The SWIPE Desert Golf Classic promises a day of blue skies, warm weather, and green grass, populated with industry peers and produce VIP’s. Matt Mandel of SunFed and SWIPE Golf Committee Co-Chairman says, “Let’s be honest, more than half the country will be cold, grey, and probably a little snowy. Arizona will most likely be warm, sunny, and ideal conditions for golf.”

On the other side of the resort, SWIPE’s second annual pickleball tournament, themed the Lucha Libre Pickleball Paddle Battle, will give attendees lots of time to network, meet new people, and practice their paddle skills.

Mark Cassius of Marengo Farms and chair of the Pickleball Paddle Battle says in the recent release, “We are breaking in the JW Marriott’s new courts this year, and to make it a little more fun, we are bringing in two world-renowned luchadors, Dios del Infranundo and Zagan. It is not every day you get to meet luchadors, much less play pickleball against them. We think this will be an event to remember, for sure.”

Not only will attendees play each other, but the luchadors will also play random teams throughout the day. The luchadors will also face off against the highest-scoring duo for the championship. All will enter. Only two will be crowned champions.

SWIPE is challenging the ballers this year. Will people choose pickleball or golf?

Kyle McGrath of EarthBlend and the returning Golf Co-Chair says, “Both sound fun, but I’ll be golfing.”

Both promise excitement, fast play, and plenty of networking with the who’s who of the produce industry. The groups will come together later that afternoon for an awards and networking afterparty. Pickleball and golf champions will share tales of their hard-fought victories as others swap stories from the day and celebrate the start of SWIPE 2027. 

Guillermo Martinez of Frello Fresh and the FPAA Vice Chairman adds, “You’ll find me on the pickleball courts, ready to play and ready to win!”

With no better way to start the year, people are reminded to register to attend because both events will sell out. The SWIPE planning committee is excited to welcome the industry back to Tucson in January 2027.

OVIEDO, FL - It has been a century since the Duda family started building its now towering presence in Florida soil, and as the industry prepares to celebrate the Southeast at the upcoming Southern Innovations, hosted by the Southeast Produce Council, I connected with John Alderman, Director of Eastern Sales, on the company’s latest.

“The Southeast is our home and plays a critical role in Duda’s production strategy. Our proximity to customers throughout the Southeast region allows us to deliver fresh products efficiently while helping customers meet consumer demand for quality, value, trustworthy, and consistent supply. In addition to our keystone products—celery, corn, radish, lettuce and leaf—Duda’s fresh-cut program is a key differentiator and speaks directly to our category leadership, reliability, and ability to meet consumer demand when it’s at its peak from Thanksgiving to the big game in February,” John tells me.

His words herald the plans already in motion for the holiday season and what’s to come for celery and veg demand in just a matter of weeks. John shares that the supplier is already working to reliably supply buyers.

“The holiday season is won by strategic planning, open communication, and strong supply partnerships long before holiday demand begins to peak,” he points out. “At Duda Farm Fresh Foods, we’re working closely with our customers now to align forecasted demand, promotional opportunities, and production plans to meet the imminent demand of gathering families and friends across the country this fall and throughout the winter months. We are actively engaging buyers and providing visibility into crop conditions, expected availability, and market dynamics so they can plan with confidence.”

John explains that it’s Duda’s regional production footprint, combined with integrated operations, that allows it to respond quickly to changing market conditions and customer needs. Meanwhile, the team is continuing to see growth in demand for fresh-cut celery, drawing good expectations for the fall and winter. Celery’s peak consumption continues to stretch from October through springtime, with an extra push for local product.

“We know there is a strong interest in regional sourcing from trusted growers who provide supply chain resiliency and operational efficiency. Our customers need partners who can provide transparency, consistency and flexibility while helping reduce the complexities of the supply chain,” John states.

It is an exciting time of year for Duda Farm Fresh Foods, galvanized by Southern Innovations’ September kickoff.

“After starting our growing business in Florida 100 years ago, we couldn’t be prouder to have the opportunity to continue to serve this precious region of the USA with our farm fresh vegetables. As we head into the season, we’re excited to work alongside our customers and industry partners to continue to bring fresh, high-quality produce to the Southeast and markets spanning the country,” John concluded. “It is our absolute pleasure!”

Shake hands with Duda in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 11, when you swing by booth #416 at the Music City Center.

DURHAM, NC - Muscadine grape season is underway, and Happy Dirt is seeing strong quality and availability as the distinctive Southern fruit makes its annual late-summer appearance. The company’s muscadine season began on schedule in early August, with dry weather contributing to favorable fruit quality and additional acreage coming into production this year.

“Our muscadines started right on time this year in early August! Quality has been great since many fruits actually like the drier weather,” Hannah Taylor, Purchasing Manager at Happy Dirt, shared. “Availability has been strong as our farms have some new fields of vines coming on this year. We also have Razzmatazz grapes available earlier than usual this year!”

Happy Dirt works with two farmer-partners in Eastern North Carolina to grow its muscadines, positioning the company for solid volume throughout the season. Those partnerships also bring generations of growing knowledge to the crop.

“One of our growers just outside Raleigh learned the trade from his grandparents on the same land he farms today,” Taylor Meadows, Marketing Manager at Happy Dirt, said. “He keeps living roots in the ground year-round and the soil covered, and he has seen less pest pressure and higher Brix in his grapes each year.”

A Taste of Muscadine Season

For shoppers accustomed to traditional table grapes, muscadines offer a decidedly different eating experience. The grapes are generally harvested individually rather than in bunches and feature a thick, snappy skin surrounding a soft, juicy interior.

“Muscadines are usually harvested as individual grapes (like blueberries) rather than harvested on the bunch, so they are easy to just pop in your mouth!” Taylor explained. “They also have a unique mouthfeel and texture, with a snappy thick skin and soft, juicy interior. Just watch out for the seeds! Some people spit them out, some people just eat it all! (I'm one of those people).”

Flavor is another point of distinction, with the fruit delivering a combination of tartness and sweetness that lends itself to uses ranging from fresh snacking to baked goods and smoothies. Taylor also pointed to muscadines as an addition to charcuterie boards.

Meadows is similarly enthusiastic about eating the whole fruit.

“I eat the entire grape – skin, pulp, and seeds. I will eat an entire clamshell of muscadines while sitting in traffic on my way home from work,” Meadows shared. “The pulp of the muscadine is very sweet, and the skin is more tart, so the skin helps to balance out the sweetness of the pulp. I always say it’s like eating a sour patch kid. One of my former marketing interns said muscadines reminded him of Pop Rocks when he tried them for the first time.”

The fruit can also shine beyond fresh applications. Meadows recalled tasting unsweetened muscadine juice produced by one of Happy Dirt’s farmer-partners outside Raleigh.

“Muscadine grape juice is probably the best grape juice I’ve tasted,” Meadows said. “Our farmer-partner outside of Raleigh let me taste some of the juice he saved from the previous year, and I almost started crying because it was so good. He didn’t add any sugar to the juice.”

Happy Dirt’s farmer-partners grow both bronze and black muscadines, giving shoppers two distinct options. Meadows described bronze muscadines as having a classic, sweet, Scuppernong-style profile, while black muscadines deliver a deeper color and bolder flavor.

“One thing to know about the bronze muscadines is that the skin won’t look as ‘perfect’ as the skin of black muscadines. It’s not a quality issue. It’s just how nature intended for their skin to look,” Meadows noted. “I will eat any muscadine grape that you set in front of me, but I am a sucker for the bronze muscadine. The flavor outweighs the look of the skin.”

Muscadines Make Their Move

Interest in the category is also reaching beyond its traditional Southern audience. Happy Dirt is seeing greater attention from customers in the Northeast, particularly specialty and Asian grocery stores, as well as growing interest in seedless muscadine varieties.

“They are just a really fun and unique item, and they only last a short time, about 6-8 weeks, so it's a great seasonal/back to school item, and a sign that cooler weather is to come!” Taylor said.

Taylor also pointed to growing awareness of muscadines’ nutritional attributes as another factor drawing attention to the fruit.

“The health benefits of muscadines have also piqued consumers’ interest. They have more antioxidants than blueberries,” Taylor said. “They have been the subject of a Wake Forest Medical Center study on health benefits, specifically in regard to cancer.”

With strong availability, favorable quality, and a limited seasonal window, Happy Dirt’s 2026 muscadine crop is giving the trade plenty to sink its teeth into before the season wraps.

Stick with AndNowUKnow as we keep you plugged into the people and trends shaping fresh produce.

FRESNO, CA - The Consolidated Central Valley Table Grape Pest and Disease Control District Board of Directors authorized the use of up to $1.7 million in district reactionary funds, generated through the California table grape industry, to support CDFA activities related to the prevention and control of Pierce’s Disease (PD) and the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (GWSS).

The action was taken during the district's board of directors meeting on Friday, August 21, 2026, in response to an approximately $1.7 million funding shortfall associated with current PD/GWSS program activities.

The district recognizes continued GWSS surveillance, treatment, and suppression as critical to limiting the spread of Pierce’s Disease and protecting California's table grape, winegrape and raisin industries. Since there is currently no cure for Pierce’s disease, preventing the movement of the disease and controlling populations of GWSS remain essential to protecting California vineyards.

Background

The Consolidated Central Valley Table Grape Pest and Disease Control District was formed pursuant to Article 8.7 of Chapter 9 of Division 4 of the California Food and Agricultural Code.

Under California Food and Agricultural Code Section 6047.87, the district is authorized to take actions necessary to control, eradicate, remove, or prevent the spread of the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, Pierce’s Disease, and other designated pests and diseases injurious to table grapes. GWSS presents a significant threat because it can spread the bacterium that causes Pierce’s disease as it feeds on grapevines.

Historically, USDA and CDFA have provided funding for the GWSS Area-Wide Treatment Program. Due to federal and state funding shortfalls, the funding toward the GWSS program has been cut year-over-year. The district’s board of directors is providing emergency industry funding to prevent disruption of the program while longer-term state and federal funding solutions are pursued.

Protecting Kern and Tulare Counties

GWSS and Pierce’s Disease do not recognize county, crop, or district boundaries. A coordinated, area-wide approach to surveillance and treatment is critical to reducing GWSS populations and limiting the potential movement of the pest into vineyards and other agricultural areas.

Citrus plays a particularly important role in GWSS management because citrus trees serve as a primary year-round host for the pest. Area-wide programs use trapping and monitoring to identify areas with elevated GWSS populations and coordinate treatments in citrus and other host areas when necessary. 

The funding commitment from the district will help support continued CDFA-coordinated PD/GWSS activities, including area-wide efforts that provide resources for eligible citrus growers to conduct approved treatments designed to suppress GWSS populations. These activities complement trapping, monitoring, and other preventative measures intended to reduce the movement of GWSS and protect nearby vineyards.

By committing up to $1.7 million from accumulated district reactionary funds, the board is investing industry-generated funds directly into efforts intended to protect table grape growers. For growers in Kern and Tulare counties, there will be no assessment change.

The district remains committed to working collaboratively with CDFA, county agricultural commissioners, growers and other agricultural partners to protect California's grape industry from Pierce’s Disease and Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter.

For additional information, please contact the Consolidated Central Valley Table Grape Pest and Disease Control District at (559) 210-0118.

KINGSVILLE, ON - What started as a simple way to share fresh, greenhouse-grown produce with employees has grown into a meaningful tradition of giving at Red Sun Farms. Through its employee produce box program, Red Sun Farms is proud to announce its largest-ever donation, a record-breaking $10,660 to Make-A-Wish Canada, supporting its mission to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

As part of Red Sun Farms’ commitment to workplace wellness and community involvement, employees have the opportunity to take home boxes filled with fresh, premium vegetables harvested from the company’s greenhouses in exchange for a small donation. Every dollar collected through the program is donated directly to Make-A-Wish Canada, turning fresh produce into an opportunity to make a meaningful difference.

This year, the generosity of the Red Sun Farms team helped the program reach a new milestone, with donations continuing to grow year over year.

“Our team continues to amaze me with their generosity and commitment,” said Jim DiMenna, President of Red Sun Farms, in the recent release. “Supporting Make-A-Wish Canada is deeply meaningful to all of us, and it’s inspiring to see our team's commitment to such an important cause. What makes this initiative particularly special is that something as simple as sharing the fresh produce we grow can come together to create such a positive impact in our community.”

Red Sun Farms is proud of the employees who continue to make this program a success and grateful for the opportunity to support the important work of Make-A-Wish Canada.