Page 155 - Roduce Editorials News Today

Consalo Family Farms has been in the farming industry since the 1920s. “I represent my family’s fourth-generation and have watched our company grow and expand from just one tractor to where we are today,” said Chelsea Consalo, EVP of Consalo Family Farms and the Fresh Wave, which is the sole marketer of all products grown by the Vineland, NJ-based company. “Blueberries are what we do. I am personally very passionate about our blueberry farms and spend my summer managing the operation.”

William H. Kopke Jr. Inc. has unveiled its redesign for the Sweetums family of branded citrus items. The family of branded produce includes citrus, grapes, cherries, pears, kiwifruit and berries, designed to represent a cohesive brand experience for the consumer.

SpartanNash announced the addition of Greg Crane as vice president of finance for food distribution. Crane will serve as finance business partner to Bennett Morgan, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer, and support the food distribution leadership team.

Sun World International and Washington State University have joined forces to develop a new generation of high-flavor sweet cherries that ripen earlier and are more practical to grow. Horticulture associate professor and stone fruit breeder, Per McCord, and Sun World scientists are sharing germplasm from promising cherry varieties under a new research collaboration launched this spring.

In celebration of Marvel Studios’ “I Am Groot,” a Collection of Original Shorts debuting only on Disney+ this year, Wonderful Pistachios launched its “Groot Gets Crackin’” campaign to showcase the plant-protein power of Wonderful Pistachios.

Growing up in Trenton, PA, Cece Krumrine figured her career would be in the food industry. “My mother always had a small garden in the backyard, and she loved to cook. I would come home from school for lunch, and she always made the best things.”

This year is shaping up to be a good one for California table grapes according to Sunview Marketing International. Sunview, headquartered in Delano, CA, has been growing premium quality table grapes in the central valley for more than seventy years. “In our expert opinion, this year’s grape season outlook is looking very strong –– we are excited about supplying our fresh grapes to our retail partners and consumers worldwide,” said Mitch Wetzel, vice president of sales and Marketing.

Fruit Royale’s portfolio of premium table grapes has moved into its California season. Transitioning out of its import holdings in Peru and Chile, and with the Mexican volume beginning to slow down, Fruit Royale’s San Joaquin Valley season is on the cusp of bearing fruit.

The USDA Farm Service Agency announced appointees Al Murray, Erick Doyle, Rajesh Sinha and Anna Trapani, who will serve on the New Jersey USDA Farm Service Agency state committee. Murray was named the chair of the committee.

Before discussing the 2022 New Jersey spring produce deal, Rich Marolda Jr. of Marolda Farms spoke a bit about the weather over the previous winter and so far this spring. “Winter for us was pretty uneventful,” he told The Produce News Tuesday, May 3. “The beginning of the winter was mild, then it came on heavier at the end into the spring. There was some late cold weather into the spring which held us back. Spring has been cold, but the crops come on, and things are starting to level off ...