Winston-Salem, NC-based Lowe's Food Stores Inc. is test-driving a new value-driven retail concept in its home state with the opening of two new Just$ave stores.

The 2011 California fresh fig harvest started in early May and is expected to continue through the end of the year, carrying over into the first half of January.

"With the combination of above average rainfall and warming temperatures, we anticipate outstanding quality and production," said Karla Stockli, chief executive officer of the California Fresh Fig Growers Association in Fresno, CA, in a written statement to The Produce News received May 10.

Steve Probstfield, a produce industry veteran with more than 40 years of experience working with fresh fruits andvegetables, has joined greenhouse grower Clifford Produce, based in Ruthven, ON as director of

California’s Salinas Valley has long been called the “Salad Bowl” of the nation as its 225,000 irrigated acres have been home to the country’s largest concentration of commercial vegetable production for decades.

And that is still the case. But today the contents of that salad bowl have become more diverse and even include some fruits. In fact, over the past two years, strawberries have become the top-valued individual crop grown in Monterey County, which encompasses the Salinas Valley. The valley itself stretches about 90 miles from north of Salinas to south of King City, CA.

Galaxy Nutritional Foods Inc., headquartered in North Kingstown, RI, got its start in 1972 as Fiesta Foods & Galaxy, which was founded by Angelo Morini in Pennsylvania. The company relocated to Orlando, FL, in 1991, where it established its own manufacturing plant and was renamed Galaxy Cheese Co.

"The company's strong growth enabled it to go public in 1987," Jamie Schapiro, director of marketing, told The Produce News. "It reached approximately $60 million in gross sales in 2000-2001. In November 2000, it was again renamed to Galaxy Nutritional Foods."

“Ocean Spray” brand fresh blueberries will be available a month early this year thanks to The Oppenheimer Group’s shipments of the pint-sized powerhouse from North Carolina.

The Carolina Blueberry Association in Garland, NC, has teamed up with The Oppenheimer Group and Ocean Spray, which is based in Lakeville-Middleboro, MA, to enhance Ocean Spray’s branded fresh blueberry program, which also includes fruit from Argentina, Chile, New Jersey and British Columbia.