Following last year’s short supply of Northwest pears, the industry expects a full crop this year, opening the door for pear promotions and more retail shelf space.

FiveStar Gourmet Foods, home of Simply Fresh, has hired Liz Atlee as general counsel and chief compliance officer. 

Atlee brings a distinguished background in legal affairs, ethics and compliance, most recently serving as senior vice president and chief ethics and compliance officer at CBRE, where she led a global program operating in over 100 countries. Her expertise encompasses enterprise risk management, including data and cyber protection, litigation strategy, regulatory policy and corporate governance.

San Diego’s less fortunate were buoyed by a generous — and nutritious — donation by Avocados from Peru as part of the third annual Guac-Off Challenge, held on July 31, National Avocado Day.

Procuring fresh fruit when it’s not in season is hard — grapes especially.

“There’s something fundamental about grapes, which really makes them a challenge,” said Javier Hernandez, a director in global produce sourcing with Walmart Sourcing. “They are very complex, because they’re very perishable. And getting them in stores, flavorful and full, 52 weeks a year, that was a massive challenge.”

Bonipak Produce and Betteravia Farms announced that Kristen Camarena has been appointed executive vice president of farming operations.

A Central Valley native with agricultural roots, Camarena brings two decades of experience and a strong track record of leadership across multiple facets of industry. Her career began in grower relations, where she developed a strong foundation in building long-term partnerships and advocating for the success of growers.

The Pacific Northwest pear crop is showing a strong rebound from last season’s production, which hit a 40-year low as heat, frost and irregular rainfall hit Washington and Oregon orchards.