Colorful Harvest's new crop of Ruby Jewel sweet red corn is now being harvested near Merced, CA, in the Central Valley, and barbecue enthusiasts are flocking to local stores to get their share.

Once a secret of chefs who use the raw or roasted kernels to add color and crunch to their recipes, backyard barbecue chefs have taken to grilling the unusual corn to bring out the naturally sweet flavors.

Ruby Jewel sweet red corn is a special variety developed through traditional plant breeding methods and grown only by Colorful Harvest.

Andy Gustavson, produce manager for Ben Lomond Market in Ben Lomond, CA, and produce supervisor for sister store Scotts Valley Market in Scotts Valley, CA, told The Produce News in late July that strawberries were selling well but that August brings competition for other items.

August signals a push in peaches, plums and melons - and locally grown corn.

Strawberry volume typically is high in April, May and June.

Chiquita Brands International launched its new blend of artisanal packaged salads on a nationwide basis. The salads bring the taste of the four seasons with ingredients cultivated by artisanal growers and picked throughout the year for optimal freshness and taste. "The new Fresh Express artisanal salad line is the most recent example of our commitment to meeting consumer demand for a delicious and unique salad eating experience," Brian Kocher, president of Chiquita North America, said in an Aug. 10 press release announcing the release of the line.

Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc., a leading provider of fresh berries based in Watsonville, CA, unveiled a new logo and label design that will be used throughout all areas of sales and marketing.

The new look will begin to hit the U.S. market within the next few weeks.

Walter Mills Tindell, who for some 14 years presided over Blue Anchor, an agricultural packing and marketing cooperative that was long a dominant force in the California fruit industry, died Tuesday, Aug. 3, in Sacramento, after a prolonged illness. He was 81.

Mr. Tindell was born May 25, 1929, in Lodi, CA, graduated from Lodi High School attended the University of California-Berkeley, where he met Barbara Green who would become his wife of 59 years.

California had a small Hass avocado crop last year and finished shipping in August. This year, the state has a large crop which, for a variety of reasons, got off to a slow start and as of late July was at peak volume with still roughly 40 percent of the harvest to go. Volume was expected to continue strong into October, with some shipments extending into November.