The Oppenheimer Group will market its first-ever organically grown blueberries out of Chile in early 2012, expanding the Vancouver, BC-based distributor’s organic category to include kiwifruit, mangos, apples, pears, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

“This is an exciting time to be part of the organic community,” Rachel Pagano, who was appointed as Oppenheimer’s organic category manager last August, said in a company press release.

“We broke ground on our new greenhouses in Amado, near Nogales, in Arizona,” Anthony Totta, director of business development for Wholesum Family Farms Inc., better known as Wholesum Harvest, in Nogales, AZ, told The Produce News. “We purchased land on the U.S. side to duplicate the glass greenhouse acreage of our Mexico farm. The Arizona facility will start with 12 acres in its first phase, with up to 60 acres planned through expansions in the future.”

Mr. Totta added that the company will be harvesting its first crop at the new Arizona greenhouse in the fall of 2012.

The exposition portion of the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit in Anaheim, CA, in October of this year has been reduced from three days to two with the elimination of Monday's show hours.

Homegrown Organic Farms, based in Porterville, CA, recently acquired an organic lemon ranch located in the hillside microclimate of northern San Diego County.

Homegrown Organic Farms owners and growers John France and Tom Avinelis will be implementing all farming and management operations for the new ranch effective immediately.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ -- The decision by the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey and the State Board of Agriculture to co-locate their conventions has apparently paid off handsomely as the two groups drew enthusiastic crowds to the 2012 New Jersey Agriculture Conventions, held Jan. 17-19 here at the Trump Taj Mahal.

After a 42-year career in agriculture marketing order management, Jerry Munson was surprised with a Jan. 6 retirement dinner attended by his former clients, colleagues, family and friends. Mr. Munson has been a principle in Dinuba, CA-based Monfort Management Services Inc. since 1969, when he founded the business with partner Gordon Monfort.