Tony Bianco and Blaine Carian, two third-generation Coachella Valley grape growers and marketers, had a clear vision when they started their firm in 1993. They wanted to start a growing and shipping operation of their own to compete in the very short-lived desert grape deal every year.

Mr. Bianco, who serves as the company’s president and handles the marketing of the crop grown mostly by his partner, said the operation has proceeded as expected. “We both were third-generation grape growers so we knew what we were getting into and we have stayed on course.”

Franz De Klotz, Carrie Briones and Nick Bozick of the Richard Bagdasarian Inc. sales staff.

Several years ago, Steve Root, the president of Coachella, CA-based East West Unlimited LLC, greatly increased his plantings of green grapes. This year, that action is bearing fruit, literally.

“I believe I will double my production of green grapes this year,” he said. “I put in a bunch of new grapes of the Sugraone variety awhile back and this year they are producing.”

FRESNO, CA — “Our cherry program is growing,” Atomic Torosian, a partner in Crown Jewels Produce Co., here, said April 3.

While many early season watermelons are coming off early, Jackson’s Farming Co. in Autryville, NC, has its first Florida crop coming in right on time from the area around Sarasota, FL, about an hour south of Tampa Bay.

“It originally was scheduled to come off around the 7th of May, now we’re looking right around May 1, the first set’s coming off and will run on through May,” said Matt Solana, vice president of operations/supply chain for Jackson’s Farming Co.

REEDLEY, CA — This year will be the sixth year in the cherry business for Family Tree Farms Marketing LLC, here, and to date the company’s cherry program has been relatively small. But “over time you will see our cherry operation grow significantly,” said Don Goforth, marketing director.

“We have some [cherry] growers, we have our own cherries, and we sell for some cherries for growers in the valley,” said David Jackson, founder and managing partner. “We aggressively seek and pack the highest quality.”