Total Produce plc, located in Dublin, Ireland, announced Dec. 17 that it has brokered a deal to acquire a majority interest in The Oppenheimer Group, headquartered in Vancouver, BC.

Under the terms of the deal, Total Produce will control 65 percent of the company in a two-phase deal. In January, Total Produce will acquire 35 percent of Oppenheimer's shares. The remaining 30 percent of shares will be acquired in 2017 at a price based on future profits.

Despite the impact of frost to the 2012 potato crop from the Red River Valley, the region’s growers are moving their largest crop since 2008. “It would have been larger if we hadn’t lost 2,100 acres to frost late in the harvest,” said Ted Kreis, marketing director for the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association in East Grand Forks, MN. “That cost us a half million hundredweight of potatoes.”

As part of Richard Bagdasarian Inc.'s commitment to sustainability, President Nick Bozick recently employed an advanced 300kW photovoltaic solar energy system at its packinghouse in Mecca, CA.

Earl A. Cronk Jr., a senior category manager for the Golub Corp's Price Chopper division in Schenectady, NY, died of a sudden and massive heart attack Dec. 7. He was 45.

Bland Farms, a sweet onion category leader, appointed Bryce Edmonson the company’s new chief executive officer, effective Jan. 13. Mr. Edmonson brings more than 25 years of industry experience to the nationally recognized sweet onion company and replaces Bruce Peterson, who has served as interim CEO since July 1, 2011. Mr. Peterson will remain on the Bland Farms board of advisors.

Crown Jewels Produce LLC in Fresno, CA, will be featured on the Discovery Channel's "American Farmer" broadcast that will air initially on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Standard and Pacific Standard Time, according to a press release from Crown Jewels dated Nov. 30. There will be subsequent airings as well, but dates and times have not yet been specified.

"Crown Jewels was selected by 'American Farmer' to present the bounty of California agriculture and educate consumers across America on where our produce is grown," the release stated.