Bill Nardelli, president of Nardelli Bros. Inc., in Cedarville, NJ, told The Produce News that the company has had a good season so far in the state, although crops started a little slower than usual this year.

“The weather has been cooler and wetter than usual from the deep south to the north,” said Nardelli. “We were delayed a little in the early part, but then we got one extremely warm week. It cooled off again after that, and now we’re seeing normal temperatures. Crops are coming on fairly well, but some things could be about a week or so late.”

Citing the need for continuity and expertise in environmental issues, the California Strawberry Commission board of directors  announced its unanimous decision to name Rick Olivares Tomlinson as its next president, effective immediately.

Tomlinson fills the position after previous president Mark Murai transitioned out of the role to pursue a new opportunity in the private sector. Tomlinson has served as the commission’s vice president of public policy for the past eight years.

Kelly Bros. Inc. out of Exeter, CA, is an up-and-coming fruit company devoted to working hands-on with its suppliers and customers. The company is just three years old and has built a devoted customer base of fruit processors and distributors across the United States.

MORELIA, MEXICO — A group of U.S. chefs and food writers spent several days in Mexico over the Memorial Day weekend being immersed in Mexican cuisine, with a special focus on using avocados in a variety of dishes.

The culinary tour was sponsored by Avocados From Mexico and was held in conjunction with Morelia en Boca, one of the more important food and wine events in Mexico.

Tom Page, whose career in the retail food industry spans over 40 years, will be retiring from Supervalu Inc. this coming June.

Page, who is based in Lakeland, FL, is East Coast-import procurement manager for Supervalu, which is headquartered in the Minneapolis suburb of Eden Prairie, MN, and which has around 3,000 stores under a variety of banners throughout the United States, he noted.

On May 21, 2013, vegetable growers from around the Southeastern United States gathered at the Seminis research station in Felda, FL, for a close look at more than 100 recently commercialized and pre-commercial Seminis varieties of vegetables, including additions to the company’s premium watermelon line. Among the featured products was a pre-commercial pollenizer hybrid watermelon, showcased as a new pollenizer option for SV0241WA, a high-quality 45/60 count watermelon hybrid with an average of three to four fruits set per plant.