Homegrown Organic Farms, a marketer of fresh organic produce based in Porterville, CA, announced that Stephen Paul has been hired as stonefruit commodity manager.

Mr. Paul has a background in California agriculture, with experience in family farm operations as well as value-added fruit programs. He worked for more than 15 years at Pipco Fruit Co., a grower-packer in the Fresno, CA, area and is the founder and creator of Bouquet of Fruits, a gourmet gift company.

Dave’s Specialty Imports, based in Coral Springs, FL, announced in an Oct. 6 press release a major advance in its brand and packaging. A bright, new logo features the image of a berry-sweetening sun rising above the company name.

The forward-looking changes honor the company founder, Dave Bowe, said his son Mike, one of several family members who run the family-owned business.

After 42 years with the Kroger Co., Reggie Griffin, the retailer’s top produce executive, will be retiring on Oct. 29.

“We have been planning this for a while,” said Mr. Griffin, who will retire as vice president of produce and floral merchandising and procurement for the nation’s second-leading retailer, which has more than 3,600 stores. “We bought our retirement home in Hilton Head, South Carolina, about four years ago.”

A custom-built, one-of-a-kind strawberry-themed “Musical Harvest” guitar will be auctioned on Facebook by Colorful Harvest to raise awareness of childhood food allergies.

The unique guitar has been signed by country music superstar Trace Adkins, whose daughter suffers from severe food allergies. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network to support its programs and services in food-allergy awareness, advocacy, education and research.

FoodLink, an on-line network for fresh food retailers, wholesalers and suppliers, announced its status as a certified partner to Giant Eagle Inc. and its produce team.

With 228 supermarket locations, Giant Eagle is one of the larger produce buyers in the country, offering selections from regional growers to global suppliers with a focus on the highest quality and freshness standards.

The Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League presented Fernando Aguirre, chairman and chief executive officer of Chiquita Brands International, with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award for 2011 during the team’s game Sept. 25.

The NFL and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation have partnered to launch the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards during the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The awards honor notable Hispanics in each NFL market who have distinguished themselves and made an impact on America and globally.