Dulcinea Farms, a California-based melon and specialty tomato producer, announced three changes to its senior management team. As of July 1, John McGuigan is the new general manager, Monique McLaws is in charge of product development and Tessa Sarrazin is the new director of operations.

As general manager, Mr. McGuigan, Dulcinea’s vice president of sales and marketing since 2008, will oversee all company operations and develop strategic direction. Additionally, Mr. McGuigan will continue his sales and marketing duties.

Stemilt Growers is taking Rainier cherries to an even higher level with a new, state-of-the-art optical sizer and in-line cluster cutter. The new equipment allows Stemilt to size large-sized Rainiers with precision in order to deliver a premium pack to the marketplace.

According to Stemilt’s marketing director, Roger Pepperl, optical sizing has been used on apples for many years, but is especially beneficial to Rainiers, a delicate cherry variety that must be handled gently at every step in the packing process.

Stemilt founder Tom Mathison was honored posthumously by the Washington Agriculture & Forestry Education Foundation, more commonly known as Ag Forestry, with the 2011 Stu Bledsoe Leadership Award.

Stu Bledsoe was a well-known agriculture leader and served as the executive director of the Washington Forest Protection Association from 1978 to 1988.

Santa Maria, CA-based Bonipak, one of the larger produce companies on California’s Central Coast, has launched a new web site to reflect its “Seed to Sale” philosophy of marketing its product.

In 1925, Walter P. Rawl and his wife, Ernestine Price Rawl, started selling farm-canned fresh peaches and vegetables to local markets. That was the beginning of Walter P. Rawl & Sons Inc., now a major provider of fresh and value-added produce headquartered in Pelion, SC.

With a red-hot market for peppers, Boone, NC-based Sy Katz Produce Inc. is well-positioned for a spicy spring and summer, with a focus on bell and variety peppers grown on its North Carolina farms.

The pepper program at Sy Katz has grown steadily in recent years, including a 30 percent jump last season, according to President Owen Margolis.