River Point Farms and CIC Partners have created a large, new onion company.

The merger of American Onion Inc. and Rivergate Farms LLC created the new River Point Farms, with a major interest purchased by Dallas-based CIC Partners, a mid-market private equity firm. This transaction places River Point Farms among America's larger growers and processors of yellow, red and sweet onions, expected to produce over 400 million pounds of onions this year.

Price Chopper officials in Schenectady, NY, have announced the addition of more than 1,000 new natural and organic items to an already substantial array of lifestyle products in the chain's 115 stores in six Northeastern states.

Overall reported California new potato acreage in Kern County has dropped just slightly more than 1 percent to 9,213 acres planted in 2007 from 9,314 acres planted in 2006, according to published data from the Kern County Shippers Association.

One major Kern County packingshed does not publicly release its acreage and therefore is not included in the totals.

TRENTON, NJ -- New Jersey has 500 farms that have qualified for the state's food safety training program, according to Charles Kuperus, the state's secretary of agriculture.

"We are being as proactive as we can be to really assist farmers to ramp up and meet new standards," Mr. Kuperus told The Produce News, adding that he personally had taken the food safety program in an event that was sponsored by Wegmans Food Markets, based in Rochester, NY. His own training and familiarity with the program were important to help him "understand what a farmer has to deal with."

"Research shows that consumers are looking for convenience in their shopping trips," said Brad Cook, marketing manager for Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc., headquartered in Oviedo, FL. "Merchandising can help provide that convenience by positioning celery product options adjacent to one another. Whole celery, hearts, sticks, straws and branches located in the same display space make it easy for consumers to find and make selections."

Scott Salyer, chief executive officer of international food processor SK Foods, has become the sole owner of Salinas, CA-based Salyer American Fresh Foods Inc., a company established 20 years ago by Mr. Salyer and his family.

As one of the larger fresh produce suppliers to corporate and retail customers nationwide, Salyer American Fresh Foods will become a division of SK Foods based in California in Monterey and the Central Valley.