The International Fresh Produce Association is committed to empowering people who can lead from wherever they are — in their current roles and the roles they aspire to. The Leadership Path offers progressive leadership development programs — from entry-level staff to next-gen leaders to the C-suite. Three of nearly a dozen programs opened in early June for applications. Others open later this year or are on-demand online.

Steve Mayer has been promoted to president of Bashas’. In his new role, he will lead the Bashas’ organization in Arizona and New Mexico, including all store and distribution center operations, as well as sales and merchandising. Mayer will continue to report to Keith Knopf, president and CEO of The Raley’s Cos., and serve on the Enterprise Leadership Team.

The blueberry industry is a key piece of New Jersey’s agricultural history. Elizabeth White developed the first cultivated highbush blueberries in the Garden State and was the first woman to receive a citation from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. She also helped form the New Jersey Blueberry Cooperative Association in 1927.

For Sonny Boy Produce, blueberries are its No. 1 seller throughout the year.

“Our family has been involved in pushing blues for over 40 years and has been at the forefront of the growth of the item,” said Tom Consalo, president of the company. “We were among the first to make deliveries into Canada and many other market areas. During the local New Jersey season, many areas rely on us for their supply and expect quality product which we pride ourselves on delivering.”

Longtime New York produce wholesaler and importer Sal Vacca, who died March 22, 2023, at the age of 93, appears to be one of those rare people who was universally respected and loved.

Trucco Inc., the importing/distribution sister company of wholesaler A.J. Trucco, which has been around for more than eight decades, first operating in downtown Manhattan and eventually becoming a staple at the Hunts Point Terminal Market in the Bronx in 1965, is expanding in blueberries.

It’s a category the company first entered about 10 years ago, and today it offers fresh, sweet blueberries from an international network of growers year-round.