VIENNA, VA — The National Apple Month program announced Feb. 14 the winners of its fall 2010 retail and military display contest.

The annual contest provided retailers and the apple industry with an opportunity to showcase apples and apple products along with partner products "Marzetti" Caramel Apple Dips, "Smucker's" Natural Peanut Butter and "JIF" Natural Peanut Butter. These well-established brands are perfect partners for the promotion since their products complement apples perfectly.

VISALIA, CA -- Growers Marketing LLC recently appointed The Fruit Exchange LLC as its exclusive sales agent for Green Giant Fresh citrus for all of North America.

The initial emphasis will be on navels and lemons in the first quarter but will be expanded to include additional category offerings as the program develops. Lobue Citrus, headquartered in Lindsay, CA, will begin packing "Green Giant Fresh" brand citrus the week of Feb. 14, according to Green Giant press release.

"Tropic Moon" red grapefruit from the Edinburg Citrus Association, founded in 1932 in Edinburg, TX, was featured Jan. 28-29 at the historic Driskill Hotel in Austin, TX.

 "Executive Chef Jonathan Gelman and his extremely talented chef staff created culinary magic with the special flavors of the Texas red grapefruit in dishes like Grapefruit-Scallop Ceviche Stack with Spicy Texas Grapefruit Salsa and Spicy Ahi Sashimi with a Texas Citrus Hot Sauce, just to name a few," ECA Marketing Director Paula Fouchek said in a Feb. 14 press release.

L&M Cos. announced in early February that Ken Stewart, former sales manager at Fort Boise Produce in Parma, ID, has taken the position of manager with L&M Cos.' onion shed in Rocky Ford, CO.

Mr. Stewart, who had been with the Parma, ID-based onion grower-packer for a decade, left that operation Feb. 9 to begin work Feb. 14 at the southeastern Colorado office.

In a letter to colleagues and associates, Mr. Stewart said that his position with Fort Boise has been assumed by Ashley Robertson. Ms. Robertson has been in sales at Fort Boise for three years.

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Christopher Ranch started in the 1950s with a number of different vegetable crops before switching its focus to garlic. Today the company grows peppers, sweet corn and several complementary items to its specialty, such as shallots and ginger.

But Bill Christopher, managing partner and son of the company’s founder, clearly believes diversification is overrated.

“Garlic is king,” he declared. “That’s what we do.”

“And we do it well,” added Patsy Ross, who has served as the company’s vice president of marketing for the past 20 years.