Baldor Specialty Foods, one of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic’s largest produce and specialty foods distributors, has appointed Scott Crawford as vice president of merchandising and Scott T. King as vice president of sales.

Crawford comes most recently from Fresh Direct, where he was chief merchandising officer. He previously led the prepared foods division at Whole Foods Market across several regions and has an extensive background in kitchens across America. 

In the farming world, each year presents new challenges and new opportunities. For Leger & Son, the challenges and opportunities this season revolve around a tighter supply of watermelons.

Jordan Carter, director of marketing for the Cordele, GA-based watermelon grower, said warm weather early in the season in south Florida resulted in an early start to watermelon harvest. This will likely cause a supply gap later on in the Florida deal and timing for the rest of the season could be thrown off the typical schedules.

New Jersey is known as the Garden State — and for good reason. Our farmers produce over 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables and rank in the Top 10 in production of many including eggplant, squash, peppers, blueberries, cranberries, asparagus… the list goes on. Our microclimates and great soils combined with the dedication of New Jersey’s farmers and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety team all combine to assure you of the freshest, most flavorful, and safe produce you can offer your customers.

Plenty has opened the Plenty Compton Farm, an advanced indoor vertical farm designed to grow up to 4.5 million pounds of leafy greens annually in a single city block in Compton, CA. The farm is made possible by dozens of Plenty’s patent assets, including the company’s unique 3D vertical architecture that drives yield of up to 350 times the yield per acre of a conventional farm. 

The International Fresh Produce Association recently held the first Fresh Impact Tour stop in Salinas, CA, in partnership with host, Taylor Farms. The tours bring IFPA team experts to the industry in their own backyards and facilities.  There are two more tour stops on the calendar right now, with more to come throughout the year.

The upcoming tour stops include:

The Southeast Produce Council has awarded 43 SEPC Member Scholarships worth a total of $64,500 this year. The council said dedication of its members is key.