Thermal, CA-based North Shore Greenhouses Inc. has hired Donald Souther as sales manager.

Mr. Souther replaces Tom Kueneman, sales and marketing manager for the past two years, who left the company recently to pursue an opportunity outside the produce industry.

Having opened a number of new markets in recent years, California's fresh grape industry is now eyeing Russia as a potentially lucrative place to export fresh California grapes.

Susan Day, vice president of international marketing for the California Table Grape Commission in Fresno, CA, traveled to Russia in late February to meet with U.S. trade officials and Russian produce importers. She also met with importers and exporters from all over the world in Berlin, Germany, at Fruit Logistica, an international trade fair for fruit and vegetable marketing.

Ten-year-old Tanner Kohn of Simpsonville, SC, has been announced as the grand-prize winner of the Fresh Express-Do Something Teens for Greens Amazing Search for Fresh Salad Recipe Challenge.

Mr. Kohn's recipe -- Shrimpsational Caribbean salad -- was a "from-scratch" salad that included honey-lime vinaigrette dressing with Fresh Express hearts of Romaine lettuce and toppings such as black beans, shrimp and coconut.

Peter L. Melick, a Hunterdon County fruit and vegetable farmer, was honored Feb. 13 as New Jersey's 2007 Outstanding Young Farmer at the New Jersey agricultural convention held in Atlantic City, NJ.

Two new individuals were named to the Idaho Potato Commission this past August. They are Ray (R.J.) Andrus and Shawn Walters, who replaced departing commissioners Bob Wilkins and Wayne Allen. The commission is a state agency and is directed by a total of nine commissioners, five of whom are potato growers, two are packer-shippers and two represent processors.

In a cookoff that resembled the popular television show "Iron Chef," six well- known chefs and cookbook authors from New York and Philadelphia whipped up healthy Super Bowl snacks using OsoSweet onions in a benefit for The Doe Fund Feb. 2 in New York City.