The New England Produce Council hosted a dinner meeting event April 30 at Boston’s Fenway Park, sponsored by Sunny Valley International, Glassboro, N.J.
The event drew retailers, wholesalers and vendors, as well as guest speakers from the New Jersey and South Carolina agriculture departments, including South Carolina’s Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers; the department’s commodities coordinator Chad Truesdale; and New Jersey Department of Agriculture director of marketing Tom Beaver, according to a news release.
Sunny Valley saleswoman Bonnie Lundblad gave crop updates on the company’s South Carolina and New Jersey peaches, with the latter expected to run from July through mid-September.
Bob Von Rohr, marketing and customer relations manager for Sunny Valley, told attendees New Jersey blueberries should start shipping by June 15, according to the release.
Attendees also heard from Dixie Belle Inc.’s Matt Forrest on the status of the Ward, S.C.-based company’s peach crop, with early varieties starting May 18.
The Red Sox versus Kansas City Royals baseball game following the dinner drew a record crowd of NEPC attendees (with a Red Sox win to boot), according to the release.
“The New England Produce Council, Sunny Valley and Fenway Park have a long standing relationship. It was a great event and thank you to Sunny Valley for their continued support,” Anthony Sattler, NEPC president, said in the release.
