2015 Northwest stone fruit volume comparable to 2014
James Michael, vice president of marketing - North America for Washington State Fruit Commission, said growers in the Pacific Northwest are expected to produce stone fruit volume this season that is roughly the same as 2014. After conferring with regional growers, he provided The Produce News with insights about the 2015 crop.
Farm Boy to open first fresh market store in Kitchener, ON
Ontario-based Farm Boy 2012 Inc. announced plans to open its next fresh market store in Kitchener, ON, late in fall 2015. The new 22,000-square-foot store will mark the 19th Farm Boy location in Ontario.
Heartland providing safe local produce
KENOSHA, WI — Among the challenges and opportunities of Heartland Produce Co. is providing retail customers in Wisconsin and northern Illinois with safe local produce.
Third-generation family member Ryan Dietz, director of business development, said his customers’ demand for local items is very strong. Heartland wants to assure its customers that their local foods are safe for consumers.
Krichmar Produce Co. making some upgrades to its facility
VINELAND, NJ — Krichmar Produce Co. is making some new upgrades to its facility, here, all designed to better maintain temperature control of the products it handles and ships to its customers — primarily retailers and wholesalers located up and down the East Coast, from Florida to Massachusetts.
The company “will be installing two speed doors to the entrance to the coolers to keep the cold chain more updated,” company President Jay Krichmar told The Produce News Tuesday afternoon, May 12.
Northwest pears early, down slightly from last season
The annual meeting of Northwest pear growers was conducted last week in Portland, with anticipated projections on the 2015 fresh pear harvest set at nearly 20.4 million standard box equivalents, which equates to approximately 451,000 tons of fresh pears. The projection is 2 percent higher than the five-year average, and 2 percent lower than last year’s crop.
SEPC News
The success of all good leaders depends on personal development and relationship building. With that philosophy in mind, the Southeast Produce Council’s Education Committee five years ago wanted to offer a greater understanding of the produce industry to those who have chosen to make this industry their calling. To that end, the Southeast Training Education Program for Upcoming Produce Professionals was formed under the auspices of a group headed by Rick Estess, one of the past presidents of the council.
Ahold initiative to help customers eat more fresh and healthy meals
As part of its ongoing commitment to help its customers include more fresh and healthy meals into their busy schedules, Ahold USA and its retail divisions announced the launch of Savory Fast, Fresh and Easy, a brand new digital content platform and magazine.
Remembering John McAleavey
A trusted dear friend, loving husband, devoted father and grandfather, and a dedicated passionate employee are 15 words that hardly scratch the surface to describe John McAleavey. Each word resonates with John and helps describe his character and his demeanor, but to know John was perhaps the ultimate pleasure and honor of all.
California tomato shipments under way
California shipped its first load of mature green tomatoes on Tuesday, June 2, marking the start of the season, according to the U.S. Market News Service.
Several more loads were shipped during the June 1-5 week, which puts the crop about a week ahead of schedule. If all goes as expected, California will have mature greens through about mid-November. The mature green is a great foodservice tomato and also used by repackers across the country.
United Fresh 2015 kicks off
United Fresh 2015 has kicked off in Chicago, featuring more than 1,000 exhibitors and over 100 hours of education programming. Co-located with FMI Connect and the International Floriculture Expo, United Fresh is bringing together retail, fresh produce and floral leaders.
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