Produce promotions - Think green and pot -o-gold sales

Well, we have some St. Patty day promotions in play for this weekend in the Kansas City market, with Hen House promising at 13-hour Pot of Gold Sale from 4 pm on March 13 to noon on March 14. They are not far from the truth, as the 39 cent per pound Dole banana sale caught my eye.

The weekly ad for Hen House (March 11 through March 17) features green asparagus for $1.69 per pound, jumbo white seedless grapes for $1.18 per pound, :luck of the Irish cabbage at 25 cents per pound, new crop onions 3 lb bag, two for $3, jumbo artichokes at 2 for $5, granny smith apples 99 cents per pound, California Cuties at $6.98/five pounds.

Price Chopper's Friday the 13th sale featured green seedless grapes at 99 cents per pound. Price Chopper's main food ad, also March 11 to March 17, features strawberries at $2.99 for a 2-lb clamshell, cabbage at 19 cents per pound, granny smith apples at 99 cents per pound, limes at 4 for $1, artichokes 2 for $5, Wholly Guacamole at $3.99 for 14 ounces, large whole white mushrooms at $1.69 for an eight ounce package, Ocean Mist cauliflower at 2 for $4 and Dole Greener Selectoin at 2 for $4.

Hy Vee one day Friday the 13th ad featured green grapes at 88 cents per pound, with the main food ad showing produce prices of 15 cents per pound for green cabbage, $1.68 per pound for asparagus, 99 cents per pound for Apple Sweets Apple Slices, 99 cents for radishes (16 ounces), 88 cents per pound for Grimmway Farms baby carrots, Stemilt braeburn, fuji or cameo apples for $1.99 per 3-lb bag, Dole broccoli for $1.38 and Blad Farms sweet yellow onions for 59 cents per pound.

Peaches from Cuba and other headlines

My in-laws told me the other day about the experience they had in buying peaches from Cuba. "They were pretty good," my father in law said. I said something like "wait a sec - are you sure the sign said they were from Cuba - are you sure it wasn't Chile?" They assured me, yes, the sign indicated the peaches were from Cuba.

Rather than dispute the facts of the case, I had to admit that, yes, the Cuban peach deal has come a long way. In any case, our future trade and travel to Cuba looks as if it may expand. Here is a report about President Obama's intent to change trade and travel policies. From the Examiner:

In advance of next month's Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, President Barack Obama is ready to lift some restrictions against Cuba, which may signal that a lifting of the decades old trade embargo is near.



More headlines snatched from the Web:


Eight ways to better nutrition wmicentral.com
Decidedly left leaning advice.

Salavation Army's gleaning project PE.com

To help provide fresh fruit to families in need, the Riverside office of the Salvation Army has taken a page from Scripture.

The charity is sending some of its clients to a 3-acre navel orange grove in Riverside, where they pick the oranges for themselves and for other families.

As grocery costs grow, Tucson nurseries see seed sales sprout AZstarnet.com
"Because of the bad economy, young people are putting down their electronics and putting their hands in the soil," she said.

South Korea apple situation and outlook USDA FAS

The aT study showed that imported U.S. apples would sell for 1,700 won/kg, less than half the price for locally grown apples selling for nearly 5,000 won/kg. aT estimated that the price of U.S. apples would fall even further to about 1,300 won/kg under when shipments become duty free under the FTA. This analysis in part explains why the Korean apple industry has been so reluctant to embrace foreign competition.