Mike Madden, the founder and president of Macadu Fresh, and his employees know that they have to try a little harder to make an impact in the always hyper-competitive produce industry.

The entire Macadu Fresh team at the Vineland, NJ-based company, now just four years old, vow that they are completely hands-on in the entire process of getting their produce items out to market and into the hands of consumers.

Orchard View Cherries is gearing up for a fruitful season, with an outlook of consistent, large sizing and mature sugars. Exclusively marketed by Oppy, the team eagerly awaits its first pick on June 13.

After a challenging few years of weather events, the season is progressing well, experiencing moderate conditions for excellent quality. “It’s the most normal season we’ve experienced in a while, with cool mornings and temperate days,” said Brenda Thomas, president of Orchard View.

A brief mid-week heat wave in Central California will bring inland temperatures into the upper 90s in the Salinas Valley. The San Joaquin Valley will see the first triple-digit temperatures of the season Friday. While short-lived this warm up is a welcome relief from the generally cooler temperatures this spring; weather patterns continue to hold back acreage.

The American Floral Endowment has began a new project that aims to further advancements in floriculture by focusing on helping industry members approach and become more actionable with sustainability.

As of July 1 Héctor Enrique Luján Valladolid will take on the role of CEO for Hortifrut, leading the company's worldwide operations. Luján will initially be based in the United States.