All Hammonton, NJ, blueberry farmers will answer the same regarding weather and geographic location. The blueberry picking and packing season usually begins around mid-June and ends in early August, punctuated by the annual Red, White & Blueberry Festival in the Blueberry Capital on June 30, 2024. Hammonton, NJ, a town that we can all be…
The Logistics Manager’s Index (LMI) recorded 55.3 in June, slightly down (-0.3) from May’s reading of 55.6. The index has expanded for seven consecutive months and 10 of the last 11 months. Inventory Levels (+0.8) contracted for the second month at a rate of 47.4. With inventories down, we also saw associated dips in the…
Many traffic safety experts consider Memorial Day through Labor Day the “100 deadliest days” for teen drivers. Those 100 days are typically when there is a spike in teen traffic fatalities, resulting in a 20% increase in teen traffic deaths, averaging seven every day. According to David Reich, the director of public relations at the…
The 2023 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard provides valuable insights into the changing traffic patterns in major U.S. freight markets. It identifies the most congested freight corridors in the nation. The busiest stretch of highway was I-4 Westbound near Orlando between the Beachline Expressway and the Western Beltway. Commuting on this route daily at 5:00 PM…
The peak hot dog season is in July, National Hot Dog Month. During this time, Americans are expected to consume about 7 billion hot dogs, with 55% of the total annual hot dog production being consumed in this period. This translates to around 16,000 refrigerated truckloads. On Independence Day, Americans are estimated to eat 15…
Following a recent decline in farm machinery sales, John Deere is making strategic changes, including layoffs at its factories in Iowa and Illinois. The estimated number of job losses stands at around 890 employees this year. As part of its global expansion plans, Deere is considering a new factory location in Ramos, Mexico, to manufacture…
California avocado production is, so far this season, the best since the start of the Pandemic in 2020. According to the USDA, shipment volumes are up 41% year-over-year (y/y), with approximately 60% of the crop already harvested and about 40% of the California avocado crop still maturing and sizing on the trees. Based on findings…
According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), sales of farm tractors and combine harvesters continue to lag the 5-year average by around 30%, based on the latest numbers. U.S. sales of 4-wheel-drive tractors increased 9.4% in May compared to 2023, although total farm tractor sales are down 11.5% y/y, while combine harvester sales dropped…
In Stockton, home to the largest cherry-producing country in Lodi, CA, growers know that Washington, the following critical cherry-growing region on the West Coast, is early this year. While some light harvesting began at the end of April, heavier harvesting began in late May and continued through this week in CA. According to the USDA,…
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) reported recently that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.3 months in May, according to a member survey conducted from May 20 to June 4. The reading is down 0.6 months from May 2023. The ABC monthly Construction Backlog Indicator is a forward-looking national economic indicator that reflects the amount…