In an effort to come up with more appetizing fruit and vegetable dishes for kids, the Produce Marketing Association held a Sensory Experience Contest at its most recent convention.

As sweet potatoes begin to appear in holiday spreads and sweet potato lovers nationwide are preparing for the ninth annual Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest, the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission is launching a new creative advertising plan to promote Louisiana sweet potatoes.

The 2012 harvest of Medjool dates in the Bard Valley of California is “significantly larger than last year, which was larger than the year before, so this growth curve we are on continues,” said David Anderson, marketing director for the Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers Association in Bard, CA, in an interview with The Produce News.

The Giumarra Cos. announce the hiring of Gary Caloroso to its avocado and asparagus sales staff. He will serve as director of marketing and will be based in the firm's Escondido, CA, office.

Kingston & Associates Marketing LLC, based in Idaho Falls, ID, announced that it is increasing its import volumes of mangos from Ecuador in response to high customer demand and holiday promotions.

Misionero Vegetables, a family-owned-and-operated business, showcased its new flavorful and nutritional salads at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit in Anaheim, CA, and was awarded Best New Product Launch.

“We looked at emerging trends in the fresh-cut category and found consumers are incorporating vegetables with a high nutrient content or ‘super foods’ into their diets,” Alicia Blanco, marketing manager, said in a press release. “Our Baby Kale and Superfood Blends are the perfect fit for the savvy consumer.”