Another random sample by state officials prompted Dole Fresh Vegetables to recall 1,077 cases of bagged salads for the potential for Listeria contamination, the company said June 23.

The company notified customers after North Carolina inspectors found a positive result of Listeria monocytogenes in Marketside Leafy Romaine salad. Dole Fresh Vegetables said that it is coordinating closely with regulatory officials and has received no reports of illnesses linked to the products.

Growers Express LLC in Salinas, CA, has taken over the operations of Salinas-based Frisco Farms, which is the precursor to adding Merrill Farms LLC as a partner in the operation, beginning with next year's crops.

"We have taken over the responsibility of marketing the crops of Frisco Farms and organizing the sales operation," Jamie Strachan, chief executive officer of Growers Express, told The Produce News. "And soon Ross [Merrill] will join us as a partner in Growers."

Michigan’s tree fruit growers sustained serious losses this production season following a rollercoaster cycle of warm weather and subsequent freezes. March temperatures soared upward as tree buds began to open early. The warmth was followed by killing freezes in April that stopped production dead in its tracks for apples, cherries, peaches and grapes. Blueberries, which move into production later in the season, were relatively unharmed.

Double D Farms in Coalinga, CA, is CCOF-certified organic grower, packer and shipper of West Side melons and various other commodities. In melons, “we primarily focus on organic cantaloupes and honeydews,” said Gurdeep Billan, director of sales. “Our whole program is organic.”

With regard to acreage, “last year was a substantial year for us and a lot of our customers experienced significant growth in the organic category,” he said. “We were able to provide our customers with consistent supplies throughout the entire summer.”

Favorable growing conditions in the Northwest are boding well for the 2012 stone fruit crop, and according to Joe Brand, sales manager for E.W. Brandt & Sons in Wapato, WA, pricing is also good.

Fresh-cut produce innovator Ready Pac Foods Inc. introduced a new line of organic single-serve salads available for national distribution. New Ready Pac “Bistro” Organic Bowl Salads feature four varieties that combine the convenience of the company's unique single-serve salad bowls, 100 percent organic ingredients and recipes that deliver the culinary adventure sought by target consumers.