Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association, headquartered in Fishers, NY, told The Produce News that the organization is, as always, exhibiting at the upcoming New England Produce & Floral Council Expo in Foxboro, MA, on April 25. He noted the new and interesting venue where the show will be held this year.

New York Apple Sales is increasing its offerings with a new import.

John Cushing, vice president of New York Apple Sales Inc., headquartered in Castleton, NY, told The Produce News that the company is exhibiting at the New England Produce Council Produce & Floral Expo, being held this year at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA, on April 25. The company will be represented at booth No. 106 by Mr. Cushing and Scott Seeberger, sales representative.

Bland Farms LLC is headquartered in sunny south Georgia — in Glennville, to be precise. But the company is no stranger to the New England Produce Council expo, where it has exhibited for the last four years.

Daily Fresh Distributing Inc., a Nogales, AZ, founded in fall 2011 by Paul Bachelier, who was previously in sales with Omega Produce Co., will embark on its first season of handling grapes from Mexico with the start of the Sonora grape deal in early May.

But while grapes are new to the company, they are not new to Mr. Bachelier, who has been involved in grape sales for 18 years.

“We are up in volume a little bit” in the Mexican grape deal this year, said Atomic Torosian, a partner in Crown Jewels Produce Co. in Fresno, CA, April 3. “We should be looking at around 800,000 to 850,000 cases of grapes this year” out of Mexico.”

The start date should be a week to 10 days earlier than last year, which was later than normal, he said.

Bruce KleinBruce Klein, director of marketing for Maurice A.