Wada Farms Marketing Group, headquartered in Idaho Falls, ID, is a major supplier of potatoes from both Idaho and Colorado. In its Colorado operation, the company appears well positioned to meet customers’ anticipated needs for Colorado potatoes through the beginning of the 2021 harvest.

“We have a good supply,” said Michele Peterson, head of the Colorado sales office in Monte Vista for Wada Farms. “We estimate it is going to take us through to the beginning of the new crop with good quality and good size profile.”

The new year is often a time for resolutions, many of which include eating healthier, getting more active and physically fit, and improving mental wellbeing. So, when the Viva Fresh Expo announced its second annual Clean Eating Challenge back in October, it was the perfect catapult to a healthier year for eager participants.

T&G’s innovative Jazz apple campaigns are making the brand a top-10 category performer in North America, while delighting consumers with healthy snacks and meals. The apple’s latest Nielsen update highlights year-over-year dollars at a 15 percent increase and year-over-year pounds at increasing 8 percent.

Angie Hanson, Oppy and T&G North America national brand activation manager, said this strong growth has been driven by innovative campaigns, like its latest Super Bowl/Game Day partnership with top chef Joel Gamoran.

The pandemic experience has fundamentally changed the way consumers feel, behave and live. New norms such as working from home, grocery shopping online and wearing a mask when in public, if you dare to venture out, may be here to stay. As we accept these shifts in our day-to-day living, produce brands also must accept the shifts and prepare to redefine their relationship with consumers.

Pear Bureau Northwest is partnering with Psycho Clown, one of the most famous Mexican wrestlers (luchadors), who will tout healthy, delicious pears to his broad fan base. Psycho Clown comes from a luchador family, son of Super Porky, and brother of La Goya, growing up in the luchador community and interacting with lucha libre fans his entire life. He is considered one of the best, most popular luchadors in Mexico and one of the most well-known among kids.

Mastronardi Produce has made several recent moves to spark strong and fast growth in the western region of North America and has now added a new business director to support the company’s sales efforts in that region. Caitlin Tierney, an industry veteran and former senior director of fresh at 99 Cents Only Stores has joined the company in the role of business director, western operations.