Page 203 - Roduce Editorials News Today

Sweet potatoes are no longer just for the holidays. They have been developing into a very popular item on a regular basis. Thanks to very favorable weather conditions during the growing season, the North Carolina new crop sweet potatoes are at peak performance. There is moderate demand on a steady market with a good supply for promoting.

Fresh Farms, a year-round grower, shipper and leader in table grape and vegetable distribution, has hired David Watson as its new senior vice president of sales and marketing. Watson will head the Arizona and California sales teams, leveraging his past experience to complement and improve sales strategies and current processes.

LG Herndon Jr. Farms has partnered with the Gary Sinise Foundation for the 2022 Vidalia onion season. This partnership will have two periods during the Vidalia onion season where the onions will be shipping with special co-branded packaging that highlights the work of the foundation, the Memorial Day Promotion (May 16-30) and the July 4th Promotion (June 20-July 4).

Pear Bureau Northwest President and CEO Kevin Moffitt has been appointed to the Produce for Better Health Foundation finance and audit committee. Additionally, Jim Morris, marketing communications manager, has joined the management board of the Alliance for Food and Farming.

Fresh Street, a Chicago-based startup, is re-thinking the way people shop for groceries through the launch of its integrated online platform. Available via mobile app and desktop, the company will offer over 4,000 SKUs, including national and local favorites, for pickup within 30 minutes of order. By focusing solely on the online grocery shopper, the platform promises users no substitutions, no hidden or extra fees, and a focused assortment that enables users to avoid an in-person trip to the gr...

The Fresh Produce & Floral Council held its first-ever outdoor membership luncheon on Wednesday, March 16, at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, CA.  More than 150 industry professionals listened to featured speaker Tom Stenzel, current co-CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association and past president of United Fresh Produce Association, speak about the challenges the fresh produce industry and other food-related businesses faced during the past two years.

Bobalu Berry Farms is celebrating a 60-year run of growing California strawberries. “This is a big year for us,” said Cindy Jewell, marketing director at Bobalu. “We are excited about having a larger crop and working with our trading partners to set up promotional opportunities during key volume periods.”

As its name implies, Vidalia onions are the company specialty of Vidalia Sweet Produce LLC. Since 2008, the farming corporation has been a big-time player in the production, shipping and sales of Vidalia sweet onions. “Sweet onions make up 75 percent of the company’s total sales,” said Tina Collins, chief executive officer of the Cobbtown, GA-based company. “We do everything from seed-to-table.”

The Nunes Co. has a rich and long history with California-grown lettuce with iceberg lettuce being the company’s flagship item. “Iceberg lettuce was the first item The Nunes Co. sold when the company began in 1976 and it is currently the largest selling item,” said Stephanie Cantero, communications and marketing coordinator for the Salinas, CA-based company. “Through the years, the segment has evolved to fulfill customer demand and adapt to consumer preferences.”

In the last 12 weeks apple sales were up and accounted for 6 percent of produce department dollars on a total U.S. basis.