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Most shoppers aren’t getting social with their supermarket

Fed by a consumer juicing craze, prices for fresh celery have soared to historic highs close to $70 per carton and could remain strong for weeks — perhaps months.

Americans are eating less produce, but this decline is largely driven by potatoes, orange juice and lettuce. Meanwhile we’re eating more variety. So, should you be concerned? John Phipps shares his thoughts.

Jason Donaldson, the operations manager for the Americas for Zespri, has died.

Applewood Fresh Growers LLC, Sparta, Mich., will be marketing fresh asparagus this spring.

Dean Benson has joined Drape Net as its West Coast sales representative.

Under the weight of two E. coli outbreak investigations linked to romaine lettuce — one leading to a six-day hiatus of all romaine sales — overall lettuce per capita availability was off about 20% in 2018, according to a new report.

Though prices were high in early April, seasonally increasing supplies of watermelon are on tap through the summer months.

Stockton, Calif.-based Grower Direct Marketing LLC now has “110 lanes of electronics,” said Jim Hanson, managing director.

(UPDATED April 11) Christopher Valadez is the new president of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, Salinas.