The co-owner of Grand Rapids, MI-based Heeren Bros. was found dead July 7 at his home in Grand Rapids along with his wife, daughter and granddaughter after a shooting rampage that claimed seven people.

Thomas Heeren, 51, who operated Heeren Bros. along with his brothers and cousins, was shot to death along with his wife, Rebecca, daughter, Jennifer, and granddaughter, Kamrie. The shooter, Rodrick Shonte Dantzler, the estranged husband of Jennifer Heeren and father of Kamrie Heeren-Dantzler, killed himself following a standoff with authorities.

California Giant Berry Farms teamed up with KNBR and the San Francisco Giants July 7 to cap off a six-week marketing campaign promoting berries and baseball.

The company set up a large tent in Willy Mays Plaza at entrance to AT&T Park in San Francisco with 2,500 containers of fresh strawberries to share with fans as they arrived for the game.

Deardorff Family Farms, based in Oxnard, CA, has joined forces with a well-known Salinas, CA, grower to expand the firm’s organic celery and leaf lettuce program.

“This gives us a year-round supply of organic vegetables in those categories,” said Tom Deardorff II, president of the firm.

Backyard Farms, a Maine-based grower of vine-ripened tomatoes, has named Chuck Green as its new president and chief executive officer. The appointment was effective June 15.

In the press release, Mr. Green stated that he “looks forward to providing customers with high-quality products,” and is “excited to lead this growing company.”

Dulcinea Farms, a California-based melon and specialty tomato producer, announced three changes to its senior management team. As of July 1, John McGuigan is the new general manager, Monique McLaws is in charge of product development and Tessa Sarrazin is the new director of operations.

As general manager, Mr. McGuigan, Dulcinea’s vice president of sales and marketing since 2008, will oversee all company operations and develop strategic direction. Additionally, Mr. McGuigan will continue his sales and marketing duties.

Stemilt Growers is taking Rainier cherries to an even higher level with a new, state-of-the-art optical sizer and in-line cluster cutter. The new equipment allows Stemilt to size large-sized Rainiers with precision in order to deliver a premium pack to the marketplace.

According to Stemilt’s marketing director, Roger Pepperl, optical sizing has been used on apples for many years, but is especially beneficial to Rainiers, a delicate cherry variety that must be handled gently at every step in the packing process.