Author Archive
By Mann Packing
As part of the company’s “moms helping moms” initiative, Mann Packing Company of Salinas, CA created the Girlfriends Guide for Moms electronic brochure for distribution this summer.
The Girlfriends Guide for Moms is available free online via Mann’s Facebook page and via links tweeted from the @veggiesmadeeasy Twitter account.
The Girlfriends Guide for Moms was created to provide moms with summer recipes in one printable brochure so they can serve a great meal and enjoy summer at the same time, said Gina Nucci, director of healthy culinary innovation.
Nucci also wrote a personal note as part of the brochure.
“We want to let our fellow moms know that we understand the challenges of balancing kids’ activities, work, household chores AND putting a meal on the table every night,” Nucci said. “This guide has some of our favorite recipes featuring easy-to-make healthy items with Butternut Squash, Broccolini®, Sugar Snap® Peas and Broccoli Slaw.”
Further plans include two additional editions of the Girlfriends Guide to release in the late summer and early fall.
For more information about Mann Packing, please visit www.veggiesmadeeasy.com.
About Mann Packing Company
Mann Packing Company, Inc., located in Salinas, Calif., is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fresh vegetables. Mann Packing Company is certified as a women’s business enterprise through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s largest third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the US. We encourage the commitment to supplier diversity that is embraced by corporations and government agencies today
Here’s a look a several East Coast produce shipping areas that have already started, or will be getting under way soon, ranging from Michigan to North Carolina, New Jersey, New York and Maine.
Michigan
Michigan is the nation’s number one shipper of blueberries and should ship over 100 million pounds of fresh and frozen “blues” this season. Peak loadings will begin heading into August.
North Carolina
Shipments of the old crop (2012-13) of sweet potatoes in North Carolina is winding down. For the new season, it appears there will be a significant reduction in North Carolina sweet potato shipments. It’s looking like the new harvest may extend into October instead of instead of a month or more. Initial projections see truck loadings will be down 10 percent this coming season.
North Carolina is the nation’s top shipper of sweet potatoes and production this season is expected to fall from about 62,000 to 57,000 acres.
North Carolina watermelon shipments are underway and are paying truckers as much as 25 percent on freight than sweet potatoes, which the latter is historically are one of the cheaper produce items to haul.
New York
Excessive rains and recent triple digit heat may cut Orange County, New York’s onion shipments by 10 percent this coming season. Limited harvest is underway. These storage onions are typically shipped to East Coast markets through April.
New Jersey
New Jersey has bee shipping peaches for about two weeks and loadings are now in good volume, with peak shipments hitting any time now. New Jersey peach shipments will run through the end of September.
Maine
Greenhouse tomato shipper Backyard Farms of Madison, WI, which grows 27 million pounds of tomatoes a year is ripping outits entire crop of half a million tomato plants in an effort to eradicate an infestation of white flies.
The decision to replant its entire crop means the firm’s tomatoes, marketed as Backyard Beauties at supermarkets such as Hannaford and Shaw’s, will not be available for hauling until late October.
California Giant Berry Farms of Watsonville, CA is tapping into the growing network of food bloggers by hosting a contest which will ultimately result in gaining a new set of brand ambassadors. By hosting a contest specific to food bloggers California Giant hopes to extend their reach to consumers continuing to build brand loyalty and participate in new exciting recipes created by foodies at home in their own kitchens.
The Food blogging universe has become a great way to gain access to amazing home cooks with their own set of fans making recipes that they want to share while providing step by step instructions on how to recreate each recipe in your own home. The casual formats provided by food bloggers today makes cooking interesting, interactive and very inviting to those that might be intimidated by creating recipes in the kitchen.
“Food Blogging has become a great platform for innovative cooks at home to share their recipes, ideas on entertaining, and be part of a larger network, or community of people focused on similar interests,” says Cindy Jewell, Director of Marketing for California Giant. “We are excited about building new relationships with bloggers that want to work with us and help tell our story through their own eyes and their own kitchens”, she adds.
The contest will run between July 10, 2013 and September 18, 2013 with the winner receiving an all expense paid trip to a blogger conference in 2014. In addition, the winner of the contest will be appointed as a California Giant Berry Farms Official Brand Ambassador for six months and represent the company and its products at the blogger conference they attend.
California pears, as well as Washington state blueberries are moving in good volume. Washington apple loadings should be heavy again this season.
California pear loadings started a few weeks ago and have moved into good volume. Volume is expected to hit about 4.5 million 36-pound cartons, up slightly from the 2012 crop.
More specifically, California pear shipments should total about 2.8 million from the river district, 1.2 million from the lake district and about 418,000 from the mountain district.
Washington blueberries, apples
Record Washington state blueberry shipments are currently taking place. Last year Washington loaded 70 million pounds of blueberries, which was a record. This year total shipments could set another record, with 80 million pounds of blueberries.
It will be August 10th When the official estimate for Washington state apples shipments for the 2013-13 season will be released. However, the state’s apple industry already is predicting between 110 and 125 million boxes will be shipped.
The harvest for the new crop of apples should start beginning the first week of August, with increasing shipments following in the weeks ahead. There should be good loading opportunities for Washington apples in time for deliveries ahead of time to receivers for Labor Day (September 2nd).
Washington cherry shipments are now in peak volume, but are expected to end a couple of weeks earlier than normal. This would mean the cherry season ending about the time produce haulers could switch to loading apples prior to the Labor Day weekend.
Washington cherries – grossing about $4600 to Chicago.
California pears – about $7700 to New York City.
Produce shipments for new crops of fresh fruits and vegetables have started, or will soon get underway in Colorado. Depending on the crop, loading opportunities will be better on some items than others.
Sweet corn loadings are later than usual, but have are just now getting underway near Delta, CO (the Olathe area). Loadings will continue through mid- September. The corn includes bi-colored, white and yellow varieties.
Also on Colorado’s Western Slope are peaches, but shipments will be considerable less due to early freezes. Shipments are expected to be down 40 percent this season when it gets started about August 1st. Loadings will continue through September.
The primary produce items grown in Northern Colorado are onions, cabbage, carrots, corn and leaf items, although “a smattering of other vegetables are available,” Schneider said. “Due to replanting, the growers should have good volume when it hits, but it will come on in a shorter ‘season’ as opposed to staggered through the course of the summer
Rocky Ford cantaloupe loadings should be up 20 to 30 percent over 2012 from the Lower Arkansas Valley, where cantaloupe and other melons are grown and shipped. Shipments should start about July 25th for cantaloupe, August 1st for honeydew and watermelon, with volume loading available within a week of those dates. Honeydews and watermelon shipments should continue through the first week of September, and cantaloupe lasting until first freeze, around October. 1st.
Too often, if not most often it seems, company drivers and leased owner operators have plenty of criticism for the carrier with whom they work.
Driver Rex Criddle of Downey, ID can’t say enough good things about his company, Doug Andrus Distributing LLC of Idaho Falls, ID. It is a family owned carrier that has been around a long time (DOT number is 000234).
“They (Andrus) are a religious, hard working people who treat their people right, plus they maintain good values,” Rex says. He notes the fleet owner drove trucks for 20 years and got a good understanding of the profession before moving into the office. Andrus runs about 250 trucks with flatbed, reefer and bulk divisions.
Rex says even though he is happy working for the fleet operation, he takes nothing for granted.
“They could sell out tomorrow to a Swift (Transportation), and things could change,” he states. “I always tell my kids, the first check that bounces, you get another job. The first fuel card that won’t work, you start looking elsewhere for work.”
He also pragmatically states the DOT may appear at your door one day and shut down your operation. Again, he doesn’t take anything for granted.
One change in trucking Rex likes are the new electronic logbooks. He says they are more simple, plus easier to fill out.
“It’s not worth having logbook violations on your record,” he states. “It seems the DOT is more interested in safety violations than anything.”
For example, he points to the CSA-2010 rules administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which many in transportation view as unfairly rating the safety of motor carriers.
“I seriously wonder how many of the older drivers want to continue putting up with all these rules, while the younger kids want to be home more often,” he says.
At one time in his career Rex was farming, then 12 years ago began driving for a regional carrier. He says both trucking and farming have a lot in common and both provide a lot of independence.
Rex has been driving for Andrus Distributing for 10 years. He had an accident while driving early in his career, but since this time has had a perfect driving record. This also has resulted in Rex receiving his Million Mile Safe Driving Award.
“It always seems to be the (truck) driver’s fault in an accident. These four wheelers don’t seem to realize how dangerous getting hit by an 80,000-pound truck can be. You have to learn how to relax while driving. I learned this driving a farm tractor.”
Rex does a lot of team driving with his wife Lori Criddle, except when she is spending time at home with her grand children.
“I think my wife is a better driver than I am. We make a good pair. Team driving can either strengthen your marriage, or it can ruin it,” he observes. “She’s done a great job of raising the kids. One of daughter just recently got married.”
Rex and Lori have one child, while he has another six children from a previous marriage.
The couple drives a Freightliner Cascadia. It is equipped with an automatic transmission. The truck has a 70-inch sleeper and pulls a 53-foot Utility trailer with a Carrier Transcold reef unit.
Rex had just delivered a load of Idaho potatoes to the Atlanta State Farmers Market. He was then going to pick up a load of beer in Albany, GA for delivery to Vancouver, WA.
Truckers and their families along with everyone else could see retail prices for fresh fruits and vegetables rise between 3% and 5% in 2013.
The USDA’s Economic Research Service in a recent food price forecast estimates retail fresh fruit prices will rise 3% to 4% this year after rising only 1% in 2012.
Fresh vegetable retail prices will climb between 4% and 5% this year, compared with 5.1% deflation in 2012.
The USDA-ERS inflation forecast for both all food and food-at-home prices in 2013 is 2.5% to 3.5%.
“This forecast means that prices are likely to increase more than in 2012, but that overall inflation is expected to be near the historical average for both indexes,” according to a report summary.
Strongest inflation is associated with animal-based food products due to higher feed prices. For most other food products not affected by the drought, inflation for 2013 will be at or perhaps below normal levels.
The USDA notes fresh fruit prices increased 2.4% in May, and the fresh fruit retail index is up 2.1% compared with a year ago. Retail apple prices were 12.4% higher, while banana prices are 1.1% down and citrus prices up 1.2%.
Fresh vegetable prices at retail declined 2% in May, with fresh vegetable prices up 3.3% compared with a year ago. Potato prices are down 6.1%, lettuce prices are up 4.4% and tomato prices were up 11.4% compared with a year ago.
It seems that the old saying “the more things change, the more things stay the same” is as true as Isaac Newton’s law of gravity. One thing for certain, it ain’t a pretty picture.
To quote Benjamin Franklin…”We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”
In the United States, that has never been more true than it is today. Looking at news headlines all year has convinced me that we have already become a nation where the morons far outnumber the rest of us.
Let’s look at some of the more notable issues of this past year. In Detroit Michigan they spent $15,000 per student on public education with a 24.7% graduation rate. Now just what employer wants to hire someone who has demonstrated they are a quitter by dropping out of school? I can’t imagine why they have such a high unemployment rate in Detroit, can you?
We have a President that plays golf all the time and waits for Congress to work together and bring solutions to him. That’s like being a general and waiting for your troops to work out the battle plans. Do you think just maybe we have a failure of leadership here?
The state of California is drowning in overspending and debt and who do they elect for governor? Good old “Governor Moonbeam”. The same Jerry Brown who spent them into oblivion the last time he was governor.
We have a retirement supplemental program called Social Security, that everyone knows is running out of money rapidly, and what does our infinitely wise government do? They classify drug addiction as a disability so drug addicts can suck off of Social Security disability payments. After all, we wouldn’t want those poor disabled drug addicts not to have the money to buy more drugs now, would we?
In this Presidential campaign the President’s campaign managers declared that Governor Romney had a “war on women”. Now just how does a man that has five children engage in a “war on women”? Five kids kind of indicates that you like women pretty well doesn’t it?
New York citys Mayor Bloomberg has outlawed soft drinks over 16 ounces to limit the sugar intake of New Yorkers. Instead of buying a single 24 ounce drink New Yorkers are now buying two 16 ounce drinks. I guess old Mayor Bloomberg just isn’t very good at math.
The number one problem in Mexico is drug gang violence, and it has resulted in over 35,000 murders. So what does our Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) do? They allow shipments of over 2,000 assault weapons to be sent across the border to Mexican drug cartels. Now that makes sense doesn’t it? Makes you think maybe the ATF has been hiring Detroit dropouts.
The Chicago teachers are some of the highest compensated teachers in the nation. So what do they do? They go on strike because they don’t want to be held accountable for their performance. I just can’t imagine why Chicago schools are failing, can you?
The pièce de résistance rests in the White House and holds the nation’s office of the Vice President of The United States. I like to call him “Gaffy Duck” Joe Biden. This is a guy that is the envy of all the writers on Saturday Night Live. They can never top the things that this guy comes up with. He was the very first person to note…. “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” Now that doesn’t imply that the former African-American candidates were mumbling, stupid, dirty, and ugly does it, Joe?
Does it worry you that this idiot is just a heartbeat away from the Presidency? I mean this guy was laughing all the time in vice presidental debate about Iran obtaining a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching Cincinnati. Nice to know the nation’s VP thinks ICBMs in the hands of Islamic martyrs are laughable.
I don’t know, maybe it’s me and the fact that I’m getting older, but it just seems that common sense has left this country and moved to China. You know, the place where Jeep is putting in a new factory and according to our nation’s leaders they will never import Chinese made Jeeps to the U.S.
Oh well, I think I’m just going to take the “Bloomberg common sense” solution to all of this. Instead of ordering a 20 ounce margarita I’m going to order two 12 ounce ones instead! I guess that’s the new math.
Larry Oscar is a graduate from the University of Tulsa and holds a degree in electrical engineering. He is retired and lives with his wife on a lake in Oklahoma where he brews his own beer, sails, and is a member of numerous clubs and organizations.
As with many other produce shipments this year, vegetable loadings out of Kentucky and Tennessee are late due to whacky weather conditions of past months, but movement is finally picking up.
Most of the loading opportunities are for deliveries within the regions, generally 300 to 500 miles at most, and often less distance.
Kentucky produce shipments, as well as Tennessee produce shipments include items ranging from green beans to peppers, watermelons and squash. Be on the alert for quality problems, especially with squash, which is susceptable to exessive rains, the region has had in some areas this spring and summer.
New Jersey
Peach shipments from the southern part of the state are increasing, while blueberry volume is in a seasonal decline.
Eastern Shore
The Eastern Shore area of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia has light to moderate shipments of mixed vegetables, ranging from tomatoes to potatoes, sweet corn and squash.
South Carolina
Squash shipments and other mixed vegetables are increasing in volume from the Lexington district. South Carolina also has moderate shipments of peaches, primarily from shippers south of Columbus. Tomatoes loadings are increasing from the Charleston-Beaufort district.
Georgia
Watermelons are one of the heaviest volume items being shipped averaging about 1,000 truck loads per week. Some south Georgia veggies such as squash are coming to a seasonal end…..Vidalia onions from Southeastern Georgia continue in moderate volume….Fort Valley area peaches are providing moderate loadings.
Georgia watermelons, peaches and veggies – grossing about $3200 to New York City.
Southern New Jersey produce items – about $900 to New York City.
There has long been research — both anecdotal and data-based — suggesting a positive link between the eating of fruits and vegetables and healthy outcomes, including disease prevention.
The National Mango Board is working to pursue the connection, specifically with mangos, and has some research on its side. The board is publicizing early results of some studies and refining the nutrition message as it promotes mango and green papaya salad.
New mango nutrition research on obesity and cancer are the subjects recently presented at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology in Boston. The research identifies important findings that merit further investigation to determine whether mangos can potentially have a positive effect on blood sugar in obese individuals and help to limit inflammation.
An Oklahoma State University study examined the effects of daily mango consumption on the obese. Twenty adults participated in the study, consuming significant amounts of mangos in a dried form for 12 weeks. Blood sugar levels at the conclusion of the study were significantly lower than the baseline in both male and female subjects, but there were no significant changes in body composition for either gender.
Texas A&M had another study on the effects of polyphenols found in fresh mangos on cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells, which were examined. This study suggests that mango polyphenols might limit inflammatory response in both cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells. Because this was an in vitro study, more research is needed to determine whether mango polyphenols can have the same effect in humans.
The National Mango Board is actively marketing the nutrition message, which claims that mangos are a nutrient-rich fruit containing more than 20 different vitamins and minerals. The NMB states that mangos are an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamins C and A. Vitamin C is important for wound healing and immune function; and vitamin A is critical for vision and helps maintain healthy skin.
By Mann Packing
As part of the company’s “moms helping moms” initiative, Mann Packing Company of Salinas, CA created the Girlfriends Guide for Moms electronic brochure for distribution this summer.
The Girlfriends Guide for Moms is available free online via Mann’s Facebook page and via links tweeted from the @veggiesmadeeasy Twitter account.
The Girlfriends Guide for Moms was created to provide moms with summer recipes in one printable brochure so they can serve a great meal and enjoy summer at the same time, said Gina Nucci, director of healthy culinary innovation.
Nucci also wrote a personal note as part of the brochure.
“We want to let our fellow moms know that we understand the challenges of balancing kids’ activities, work, household chores AND putting a meal on the table every night,” Nucci said. “This guide has some of our favorite recipes featuring easy-to-make healthy items with Butternut Squash, Broccolini®, Sugar Snap® Peas and Broccoli Slaw.”
Further plans include two additional editions of the Girlfriends Guide to release in the late summer and early fall.
For more information about Mann Packing, please visit www.veggiesmadeeasy.com.
About Mann Packing Company
Mann Packing Company, Inc., located in Salinas, Calif., is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fresh vegetables. Mann Packing Company is certified as a women’s business enterprise through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s largest third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the US. We encourage the commitment to supplier diversity that is embraced by corporations and government agencies today
Here’s a look a several East Coast produce shipping areas that have already started, or will be getting under way soon, ranging from Michigan to North Carolina, New Jersey, New York and Maine.
Michigan
Michigan is the nation’s number one shipper of blueberries and should ship over 100 million pounds of fresh and frozen “blues” this season. Peak loadings will begin heading into August.
North Carolina
Shipments of the old crop (2012-13) of sweet potatoes in North Carolina is winding down. For the new season, it appears there will be a significant reduction in North Carolina sweet potato shipments. It’s looking like the new harvest may extend into October instead of instead of a month or more. Initial projections see truck loadings will be down 10 percent this coming season.
North Carolina is the nation’s top shipper of sweet potatoes and production this season is expected to fall from about 62,000 to 57,000 acres.
North Carolina watermelon shipments are underway and are paying truckers as much as 25 percent on freight than sweet potatoes, which the latter is historically are one of the cheaper produce items to haul.
New York
Excessive rains and recent triple digit heat may cut Orange County, New York’s onion shipments by 10 percent this coming season. Limited harvest is underway. These storage onions are typically shipped to East Coast markets through April.
New Jersey
New Jersey has bee shipping peaches for about two weeks and loadings are now in good volume, with peak shipments hitting any time now. New Jersey peach shipments will run through the end of September.
Maine
Greenhouse tomato shipper Backyard Farms of Madison, WI, which grows 27 million pounds of tomatoes a year is ripping outits entire crop of half a million tomato plants in an effort to eradicate an infestation of white flies.
The decision to replant its entire crop means the firm’s tomatoes, marketed as Backyard Beauties at supermarkets such as Hannaford and Shaw’s, will not be available for hauling until late October.
California Giant Berry Farms of Watsonville, CA is tapping into the growing network of food bloggers by hosting a contest which will ultimately result in gaining a new set of brand ambassadors. By hosting a contest specific to food bloggers California Giant hopes to extend their reach to consumers continuing to build brand loyalty and participate in new exciting recipes created by foodies at home in their own kitchens.
The Food blogging universe has become a great way to gain access to amazing home cooks with their own set of fans making recipes that they want to share while providing step by step instructions on how to recreate each recipe in your own home. The casual formats provided by food bloggers today makes cooking interesting, interactive and very inviting to those that might be intimidated by creating recipes in the kitchen.
“Food Blogging has become a great platform for innovative cooks at home to share their recipes, ideas on entertaining, and be part of a larger network, or community of people focused on similar interests,” says Cindy Jewell, Director of Marketing for California Giant. “We are excited about building new relationships with bloggers that want to work with us and help tell our story through their own eyes and their own kitchens”, she adds.
The contest will run between July 10, 2013 and September 18, 2013 with the winner receiving an all expense paid trip to a blogger conference in 2014. In addition, the winner of the contest will be appointed as a California Giant Berry Farms Official Brand Ambassador for six months and represent the company and its products at the blogger conference they attend.
California pears, as well as Washington state blueberries are moving in good volume. Washington apple loadings should be heavy again this season.
California pear loadings started a few weeks ago and have moved into good volume. Volume is expected to hit about 4.5 million 36-pound cartons, up slightly from the 2012 crop.
More specifically, California pear shipments should total about 2.8 million from the river district, 1.2 million from the lake district and about 418,000 from the mountain district.
Washington blueberries, apples
Record Washington state blueberry shipments are currently taking place. Last year Washington loaded 70 million pounds of blueberries, which was a record. This year total shipments could set another record, with 80 million pounds of blueberries.
It will be August 10th When the official estimate for Washington state apples shipments for the 2013-13 season will be released. However, the state’s apple industry already is predicting between 110 and 125 million boxes will be shipped.
The harvest for the new crop of apples should start beginning the first week of August, with increasing shipments following in the weeks ahead. There should be good loading opportunities for Washington apples in time for deliveries ahead of time to receivers for Labor Day (September 2nd).
Washington cherry shipments are now in peak volume, but are expected to end a couple of weeks earlier than normal. This would mean the cherry season ending about the time produce haulers could switch to loading apples prior to the Labor Day weekend.
Washington cherries – grossing about $4600 to Chicago.
California pears – about $7700 to New York City.
Produce shipments for new crops of fresh fruits and vegetables have started, or will soon get underway in Colorado. Depending on the crop, loading opportunities will be better on some items than others.
Sweet corn loadings are later than usual, but have are just now getting underway near Delta, CO (the Olathe area). Loadings will continue through mid- September. The corn includes bi-colored, white and yellow varieties.
Also on Colorado’s Western Slope are peaches, but shipments will be considerable less due to early freezes. Shipments are expected to be down 40 percent this season when it gets started about August 1st. Loadings will continue through September.
The primary produce items grown in Northern Colorado are onions, cabbage, carrots, corn and leaf items, although “a smattering of other vegetables are available,” Schneider said. “Due to replanting, the growers should have good volume when it hits, but it will come on in a shorter ‘season’ as opposed to staggered through the course of the summer
Rocky Ford cantaloupe loadings should be up 20 to 30 percent over 2012 from the Lower Arkansas Valley, where cantaloupe and other melons are grown and shipped. Shipments should start about July 25th for cantaloupe, August 1st for honeydew and watermelon, with volume loading available within a week of those dates. Honeydews and watermelon shipments should continue through the first week of September, and cantaloupe lasting until first freeze, around October. 1st.
Too often, if not most often it seems, company drivers and leased owner operators have plenty of criticism for the carrier with whom they work.
Driver Rex Criddle of Downey, ID can’t say enough good things about his company, Doug Andrus Distributing LLC of Idaho Falls, ID. It is a family owned carrier that has been around a long time (DOT number is 000234).
“They (Andrus) are a religious, hard working people who treat their people right, plus they maintain good values,” Rex says. He notes the fleet owner drove trucks for 20 years and got a good understanding of the profession before moving into the office. Andrus runs about 250 trucks with flatbed, reefer and bulk divisions.
Rex says even though he is happy working for the fleet operation, he takes nothing for granted.
“They could sell out tomorrow to a Swift (Transportation), and things could change,” he states. “I always tell my kids, the first check that bounces, you get another job. The first fuel card that won’t work, you start looking elsewhere for work.”
He also pragmatically states the DOT may appear at your door one day and shut down your operation. Again, he doesn’t take anything for granted.
One change in trucking Rex likes are the new electronic logbooks. He says they are more simple, plus easier to fill out.
“It’s not worth having logbook violations on your record,” he states. “It seems the DOT is more interested in safety violations than anything.”
For example, he points to the CSA-2010 rules administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which many in transportation view as unfairly rating the safety of motor carriers.
“I seriously wonder how many of the older drivers want to continue putting up with all these rules, while the younger kids want to be home more often,” he says.
At one time in his career Rex was farming, then 12 years ago began driving for a regional carrier. He says both trucking and farming have a lot in common and both provide a lot of independence.
Rex has been driving for Andrus Distributing for 10 years. He had an accident while driving early in his career, but since this time has had a perfect driving record. This also has resulted in Rex receiving his Million Mile Safe Driving Award.
“It always seems to be the (truck) driver’s fault in an accident. These four wheelers don’t seem to realize how dangerous getting hit by an 80,000-pound truck can be. You have to learn how to relax while driving. I learned this driving a farm tractor.”
Rex does a lot of team driving with his wife Lori Criddle, except when she is spending time at home with her grand children.
“I think my wife is a better driver than I am. We make a good pair. Team driving can either strengthen your marriage, or it can ruin it,” he observes. “She’s done a great job of raising the kids. One of daughter just recently got married.”
Rex and Lori have one child, while he has another six children from a previous marriage.
The couple drives a Freightliner Cascadia. It is equipped with an automatic transmission. The truck has a 70-inch sleeper and pulls a 53-foot Utility trailer with a Carrier Transcold reef unit.
Rex had just delivered a load of Idaho potatoes to the Atlanta State Farmers Market. He was then going to pick up a load of beer in Albany, GA for delivery to Vancouver, WA.
Truckers and their families along with everyone else could see retail prices for fresh fruits and vegetables rise between 3% and 5% in 2013.
The USDA’s Economic Research Service in a recent food price forecast estimates retail fresh fruit prices will rise 3% to 4% this year after rising only 1% in 2012.
Fresh vegetable retail prices will climb between 4% and 5% this year, compared with 5.1% deflation in 2012.
The USDA-ERS inflation forecast for both all food and food-at-home prices in 2013 is 2.5% to 3.5%.
“This forecast means that prices are likely to increase more than in 2012, but that overall inflation is expected to be near the historical average for both indexes,” according to a report summary.
Strongest inflation is associated with animal-based food products due to higher feed prices. For most other food products not affected by the drought, inflation for 2013 will be at or perhaps below normal levels.
The USDA notes fresh fruit prices increased 2.4% in May, and the fresh fruit retail index is up 2.1% compared with a year ago. Retail apple prices were 12.4% higher, while banana prices are 1.1% down and citrus prices up 1.2%.
Fresh vegetable prices at retail declined 2% in May, with fresh vegetable prices up 3.3% compared with a year ago. Potato prices are down 6.1%, lettuce prices are up 4.4% and tomato prices were up 11.4% compared with a year ago.
It seems that the old saying “the more things change, the more things stay the same” is as true as Isaac Newton’s law of gravity. One thing for certain, it ain’t a pretty picture.
To quote Benjamin Franklin…”We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”
In the United States, that has never been more true than it is today. Looking at news headlines all year has convinced me that we have already become a nation where the morons far outnumber the rest of us.
Let’s look at some of the more notable issues of this past year. In Detroit Michigan they spent $15,000 per student on public education with a 24.7% graduation rate. Now just what employer wants to hire someone who has demonstrated they are a quitter by dropping out of school? I can’t imagine why they have such a high unemployment rate in Detroit, can you?
We have a President that plays golf all the time and waits for Congress to work together and bring solutions to him. That’s like being a general and waiting for your troops to work out the battle plans. Do you think just maybe we have a failure of leadership here?
The state of California is drowning in overspending and debt and who do they elect for governor? Good old “Governor Moonbeam”. The same Jerry Brown who spent them into oblivion the last time he was governor.
We have a retirement supplemental program called Social Security, that everyone knows is running out of money rapidly, and what does our infinitely wise government do? They classify drug addiction as a disability so drug addicts can suck off of Social Security disability payments. After all, we wouldn’t want those poor disabled drug addicts not to have the money to buy more drugs now, would we?
In this Presidential campaign the President’s campaign managers declared that Governor Romney had a “war on women”. Now just how does a man that has five children engage in a “war on women”? Five kids kind of indicates that you like women pretty well doesn’t it?
New York citys Mayor Bloomberg has outlawed soft drinks over 16 ounces to limit the sugar intake of New Yorkers. Instead of buying a single 24 ounce drink New Yorkers are now buying two 16 ounce drinks. I guess old Mayor Bloomberg just isn’t very good at math.
The number one problem in Mexico is drug gang violence, and it has resulted in over 35,000 murders. So what does our Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) do? They allow shipments of over 2,000 assault weapons to be sent across the border to Mexican drug cartels. Now that makes sense doesn’t it? Makes you think maybe the ATF has been hiring Detroit dropouts.
The Chicago teachers are some of the highest compensated teachers in the nation. So what do they do? They go on strike because they don’t want to be held accountable for their performance. I just can’t imagine why Chicago schools are failing, can you?
The pièce de résistance rests in the White House and holds the nation’s office of the Vice President of The United States. I like to call him “Gaffy Duck” Joe Biden. This is a guy that is the envy of all the writers on Saturday Night Live. They can never top the things that this guy comes up with. He was the very first person to note…. “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” Now that doesn’t imply that the former African-American candidates were mumbling, stupid, dirty, and ugly does it, Joe?
Does it worry you that this idiot is just a heartbeat away from the Presidency? I mean this guy was laughing all the time in vice presidental debate about Iran obtaining a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching Cincinnati. Nice to know the nation’s VP thinks ICBMs in the hands of Islamic martyrs are laughable.
I don’t know, maybe it’s me and the fact that I’m getting older, but it just seems that common sense has left this country and moved to China. You know, the place where Jeep is putting in a new factory and according to our nation’s leaders they will never import Chinese made Jeeps to the U.S.
Oh well, I think I’m just going to take the “Bloomberg common sense” solution to all of this. Instead of ordering a 20 ounce margarita I’m going to order two 12 ounce ones instead! I guess that’s the new math.
Larry Oscar is a graduate from the University of Tulsa and holds a degree in electrical engineering. He is retired and lives with his wife on a lake in Oklahoma where he brews his own beer, sails, and is a member of numerous clubs and organizations.
As with many other produce shipments this year, vegetable loadings out of Kentucky and Tennessee are late due to whacky weather conditions of past months, but movement is finally picking up.
Most of the loading opportunities are for deliveries within the regions, generally 300 to 500 miles at most, and often less distance.
Kentucky produce shipments, as well as Tennessee produce shipments include items ranging from green beans to peppers, watermelons and squash. Be on the alert for quality problems, especially with squash, which is susceptable to exessive rains, the region has had in some areas this spring and summer.
New Jersey
Peach shipments from the southern part of the state are increasing, while blueberry volume is in a seasonal decline.
Eastern Shore
The Eastern Shore area of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia has light to moderate shipments of mixed vegetables, ranging from tomatoes to potatoes, sweet corn and squash.
South Carolina
Squash shipments and other mixed vegetables are increasing in volume from the Lexington district. South Carolina also has moderate shipments of peaches, primarily from shippers south of Columbus. Tomatoes loadings are increasing from the Charleston-Beaufort district.
Georgia
Watermelons are one of the heaviest volume items being shipped averaging about 1,000 truck loads per week. Some south Georgia veggies such as squash are coming to a seasonal end…..Vidalia onions from Southeastern Georgia continue in moderate volume….Fort Valley area peaches are providing moderate loadings.
Georgia watermelons, peaches and veggies – grossing about $3200 to New York City.
Southern New Jersey produce items – about $900 to New York City.
There has long been research — both anecdotal and data-based — suggesting a positive link between the eating of fruits and vegetables and healthy outcomes, including disease prevention.
The National Mango Board is working to pursue the connection, specifically with mangos, and has some research on its side. The board is publicizing early results of some studies and refining the nutrition message as it promotes mango and green papaya salad.
New mango nutrition research on obesity and cancer are the subjects recently presented at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology in Boston. The research identifies important findings that merit further investigation to determine whether mangos can potentially have a positive effect on blood sugar in obese individuals and help to limit inflammation.
An Oklahoma State University study examined the effects of daily mango consumption on the obese. Twenty adults participated in the study, consuming significant amounts of mangos in a dried form for 12 weeks. Blood sugar levels at the conclusion of the study were significantly lower than the baseline in both male and female subjects, but there were no significant changes in body composition for either gender.
Texas A&M had another study on the effects of polyphenols found in fresh mangos on cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells, which were examined. This study suggests that mango polyphenols might limit inflammatory response in both cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells. Because this was an in vitro study, more research is needed to determine whether mango polyphenols can have the same effect in humans.
The National Mango Board is actively marketing the nutrition message, which claims that mangos are a nutrient-rich fruit containing more than 20 different vitamins and minerals. The NMB states that mangos are an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamins C and A. Vitamin C is important for wound healing and immune function; and vitamin A is critical for vision and helps maintain healthy skin.