Village Farms, a grower and marketer of premium hydroponic greenhouse-grown produce, is marking 25 years in business during the PMA Fresh Summit in New Orleans and will be joined by Chef Darren Brown from Fairmont Pacific Rim as guest chef.

Eric and Ryan Jensen, owners and operators of the defunct Jensen Farms in Granada, CO, have filed a lawsuit against Primus Labs alleging that the agricultural producer was given faulty advice by the inspector who reviewed their facility’s operations.

J&J Produce, a grower and distributor of Bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and eggplant based in Loxahatchee, FL, has changed its name to J&J Family of Farms and transformed its corporate brand image.

A delayed Red River Valley red potato crop was very late in revealing itself. But by Oct. 3, about 50 percent of the shipping district’s crop had been harvested, according to Ted Kreis, the marketing director of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association in East Grand Forks, MN.

Datepac, packer and marketer of the "Natural Delights" brand of Medjool dates and date products, will introduce the newest member of its Snack Pack line at the 2013 Fresh Summit.  

Developed to meet the needs of today’s health-conscious and busy consumer, the all new Coconut Date Clusters and Almond Date Clusters are convenient, bite-sized cousins to Natural Delights' already-popular date roll snack products.

“Southern Specialties is in the process of creating an extension to our popular microwavable specialty lineup, all under the popular ‘Southern Selects’ brand,” Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development for Southern Specialties, headquartered in Pompano Beach, FL, told The Produce News. “The line additions will include a French bean medley, which is a blend of green and yellow beans. And our play on the ever-popular peas and carrots will include hand-peeled baby carrots and sugar snap peas.”