Produce Pete coming to Springfest

AUGUSTA — A television celebrity — Produce Pete — will be visiting the Springfest Garden Show at the Sussex County Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 17 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Produce Pete, from "Weekend Today in New York" seen on WNBC, has plenty of advice and knowledge about his topic: produce. Here's one of his nuggets:"Apples with a stem are less mealy." His book, "Farmacopeia," will be available for purchase and he will sign autographs as well. Pete has been in the produce business his whole life. He started out selling produce off the back of a truck at auctions and at his parents' roadside stand. From 1972 to 1997, he managed and operated the farm/produce business for retail, wholesale and fruit baskets in Bergenfield. In 1992, he was hired by WNBC Channel 4 "Weekend Today in New York" show with a 52-week contract as Produce Pete/Pete Your Produce Pal and ­he's been there ever since. Some may also remember him as the spokesperson for Pathmark and many other national and international radio and TV appearances. Produce Pete is considered by many to be a leading expert in everything from artichokes to zucchini. For more information, visit his Web site: wwww.producepete.com.