The Vision Cos. adds to La Visiõn brand
The Vision Cos. announced that distribution will start in late April for its La Visiõn label conventional and organic honeydews, squash, cantaloupe, mangos, jicama and conventional cucumbers.
Ocean Mist Farms names vice president of operations
Ocean Mist Farms named Chris Drew as the company’s vice president of operations. He will report to Joe Pezzini, company chief executive officer.
RP Distributing copes with recent death of founder, remains in Mexican grapes
RIO RICO, AZ — Subsequent to the shocking death of Renato Parada, the founder of RP Distributing, his firm is moving ahead.
At age 53, Parada died March 8, just days after learning he had cancer.
The firm’s salesman, Francisco Orrantia, worked for Parada for 16 years and confirmed that Mexican suppliers had all given RP a vote of confidence to continue the sales relationship.
“The company is strong,” Orrantia said. “We will keep doing business as always.”
Atlanta’s Nickey Gregory Co. stretching into Caribbean islands from Miami location
MIAMI — It is fewer than 200 miles from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas. A truck like one of the many from the Nickey Gregory Co. fleet could make the trip in half a day. But the Atlantic Ocean makes reaching the Caribbean islands more of a logistics challenge.
John R. Norton III, father of the PACA Trust, dies at 87
John R. Norton III, a tireless advocate for the fresh produce industry largely credited with establishing the all-important Trust provision of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, died on Sunday, April 17, at the age of 87 at his home in Arizona.
Jamey Higham named president and CEO of Farm Fresh Direct LLC
Farm Fresh Direct, a partnership of multi-generational family potato farms located around the United States, with offices in Denver and Atlanta, has named Jamey Higham president, effective immediately.
Whole Foods honors 2016 Supplier Award winners
Whole Foods Market has revealed the winners of its annual Supplier Awards, the company’s highest honor for producer partners that embody its mission and values. Out of thousands of Whole Foods Market suppliers nationwide, Grimmway Farms earned the grocer’s top “Supplier of the Year” award for outstanding all-around performance in the perishables category.
USDA announces $22 million available to combat citrus greening
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the availability of $22 million in grants to help citrus producers fight Huanglongbing, commonly known as citrus greening disease. This funding is available through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative Citrus Disease Research & Extension Program, which was authorized by the 2014 farm bill and is administered by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.