In the opinion of Robert Dobrzanski, president and sales manager of Atlas Produce & Distributing Inc. in Bakersfield, CA, some consumer packaging for dates and date products does not show the product well because the label tends to hide the contents of the package.

New packaging from Atlas goes the other direction, increasing the visibility of the product.

“Here at Gourmet Trading, we expect an increase of approximately 30 percent over the 2011-2012 [berry] season,” said Scott Hulsey, vice president of procurement for Los Angeles-based Gourmet Trading Co.

Julia Inestroza, marketing director for the company added, “Blueberries are the fastest growing segment of the berry category for us. In addition to the incredible growth of existing blueberry packs, new packs such as our ‘Green Giant Fresh’ brand blueberries with the ‘Box Tops for Education’ label are increasing sales. This equates to more profit for retailers.”

Mike Madsen has been elected as the newest commissioner for the Washington State Potato Commission. The election took place during the WSPC’s quarterly meeting Sept. 6. Mr. Madsen will fill the WSPC’s vacant at-large position and begin serving his term immediately.

Mr. Madsen has worked in the potato industry for over 40 years and has spent the last 18 years of his career with AgriNorthwest. He currently works as a farm unit manager for AgriNorthwest’s Plymouth Farms, where he is responsible for all aspects of production including planting, harvesting, storage and monitoring.

With substantial new plantings coming into production, Medjool date production in the Bard Valley, located along the lower Colorado River, is on the rise.

Tim Feit, executive director, and Linda Prehn, chairperson of United Cranberry Growers Cooperative in Wausau, WI, spoke with The Produce News in early September to announce the initiatives of the new and fast growing organization.

New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and Patricia Dombroski, regional administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Service Mid-Atlantic Region, joined a panel of middle and high school students, school district officials and other dignitaries at Secaucus High/Middle School in Secaucus, NJ, in sampling new school lunch menu items that meet healthier federal guidelines enacted this school year.