Dulcich & Sons in Delano, CA, along with its marketing arm, Sunlight International Sales Inc., said that it is experiencing one of the better years for its California grape deal due to ideal growing conditions in the San Joaquin Valley.

Dulcich’s “Pretty Lady” Flames, which are currently being packed and shipped, are showing excellent color and flavor, according to Nick Dulcich of Sunlight Sales.

TRAVER, CA — “We’ve increased our acreage about 40 percent across the board, all varieties,” said Louis Scattaglia, managing partner of Scattaglia Growers & Shippers LLC, here, in an interview with The Produce News July 7. Much of that acreage will be in production this year, with “the balance coming on next year.”

With the new acreage coming on line this year, the company expects “about a 30 percent increase in volume over last yea” for the 2011 season, he said.

“All of which is in response to strong customer demand,” added Dave Parker, marketing director.

STRATHMORE, CA — Homegrown Organic Farms, here, which has been handling a wide assortment of certified organic fruits and vegetables, has made the decision to “step out of any of the veg items we were doing previously” as well as other row crop items such as melons, and to focus “specifically on our permanent crops,” said Scott Mabs, director of marketing.

Longtime produce veteran Christopher (Chris) Gardella, who has been in the produce business since 1977 and was most recently director of business development for Unifrutti of America Inc. in Philadelphia, has joined R.B. Sandrini Inc. in Delano, CA, as director of sales and marketing. He started in April.

“We’ve got increases in varieties really across the board” for the latter part of the season this year, said Louie Galvan, a partner in Delano, CA-based Fruit Royale Inc.

The early part of the company’s grape program, basically the months of July and August and the first part of September, will be “pretty much status quo for us,” he said. But “our fall program is going to increase by about 30 to 40 percent” due to new vineyards coming into production and some vineyards that have been grafted over to new varieties coming on line.

“This will be our first year with Autumn Kings,” said Justin Bedwell, a partner in Bari Produce LLC in Madera, CA, which was formed in 2009 as a marketing arm for Logoluso Farms, also in Madera. Logoluso Farms is a grower of stone fruit and grapes packed mainly in the “Logoluso” and “Bari” labels.

The company will have a good volume of the Autumn Kings this year, and “each year we should have more and more production” as new vineyards come into bearing, Mr. Bedwell said.