Sunny Valley International is a supplier of imported and domestic blueberries, with strong supplies in the category 12-months a year.

“Our import program includes programs out of Peru, Chile and Mexico,” said Tom Beaver, director of sales and marketing for the Glassboro, NJ-based company. “Domestically, we supply berries out of the Southeast, the West Coast and British Columbia, but our most noteworthy domestic program is our New Jersey deal.”

Produce and citrus industry veterans have teamed up to form World Groves, a new company specializing in global lime and citrus sourcing with a strong North American distribution team.

World Groves is lead by Alex Teague, who throughout his 40 year career in citrus has held roles all the way from field to operations at the C-Suite level. Others on the team include Bill Locker, who has worked with Teague for decades and brings a diverse background of business management experience to this new venture.

The Northwest cherry season may just be a season long, but farming is a year-round process. Winter is a time for pruning for light and size, explained Catherine Gipe-Stewart, director of marketing at Superfresh Growers.

“Many of our orchard blocks are showing nice size potential for this summer crop due to pruning from earlier this year,” said Gipe-Stewart. The Yakima based grower said they will have plenty of promotional opportunities for their jumbo cherry brand, Super Cherry."

Michael Aucoin has taken the helm as the new CEO for Courchesne Larose Ltd., a leading player in the Canadian fruit and vegetable industry for over 100 years.

Grapeco Farms LLC, a new venture that was formed this year by industry vets Robert Cadena and Jared Lane, is working to offer a year-round supply of high-flavor tri-color varieties to retailers.

“We set out to have the best quality fruit for the correct customers,” said Jared Lane, CEO for the Delano, CA-based company.

Together, Lane and Cadena offer a combined 50 years of experience and a united philosophy of providing the highest quality grapes to customers while maximizing the return to the grower. 

The Ugly Co., a farmer-led producer of upcycled dried fruit snacks, opened a new fruit processing plant in Farmersville, CA. The facility represents a significant milestone in the company's mission of providing nutritious snacks sourced from funny-looking but perfectly edible fruit that would otherwise be thrown out.

Furthering its growth momentum and solidifying its mission, The Ugly Co. also unveiled new packaging that will better illustrate its brand story and clearly define its products.