The New England Produce Council will hold its Top Golf event Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Top Golf site in Canton, MA. Sponsors are RPE, Taylor Farms, Suja/Vive, Bard Valley, T. Marzetti and R2Fresh Solutions.

The evening will begin with cocktails at 5 p.m., followed by a sponsor presentation at 5:30 p.m., a buffet dinner at 6 p.m., with golf to follow. Clubs will be provided, but attendees may bring their own clubs if they want. Attire is casual.

Chris Dugan has joined FiveStar Gourmet Foods' board of directors following a distinguished career at Chiquita Brands International. Beginning in various sales and operations roles, Dugan quickly rose to senior vice president of sales for both Chiquita and Fresh Express in the U.S. and Canada.

While the weather has challenged several items for ad promotions, there are plenty of potatoes available — and potatoes are the backbone of the produce department. The demand and market have been steady. Idaho Russets are of excellent quality and readily available for ad promotions.

The Mardi Gras pear is back and ready to take center stage in the kitchen and on dining tables around the nation. First hitting the scene in the spring of 2023, the Mardi Gras pear is all about those juicy bites, perfectly balanced with a smooth, buttery finish.

ProduceIQ’s new Quotes tool automates recurring price requests, visualizes quotes against the user's data and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and negotiates concisely. The Programs tool simulates how sophisticated contracts would have performed, allowing users to negotiate and manage optimal programs.

Combined, these create a powerful toolbox, empowering a produce procurement team to save time through scheduled reminders, error-preventing automation and valuable insights.

Tarrytown, NY-based importer Jac. Vandenberg and Austria-based packaging manufacturer VPZ were recognized for their innovation in packaging design at this year’s prestigious PAC Global Awards.