Johnston Farms constantly planting more specialty citrus and late Navels
Johnston Farms in Edison, CA, has long been in the business of growing and marketing citrus and potatoes. But lately, “the potato deal has not been too kind to anybody’s pocketbook,” Dennis Johnston, a partner in the company, said in an interview with The Produce News Oct. 17. “Demand is down and oversupply is still a big problem” even though an industry cooperative was “supposed to” facilitate a reduction in potato acreage to stabilize prices. “It hasn’t worked,” he said.
Spring Navel program increases at Booth Ranches
Booth Ranches LLC in Orange Cove, CA, a grower, packer and shipper of citrus from California’s San Joaquin Valley, “is unique in that we are a fully integrated company only selling the fruit we grow ourselves,” according to Tracy Jones, vice president of domestic sales. Owner Loren Booth “grows 7,500 acres of citrus stretching across California’s Central Valley,” Jones said in a written statement to The Produce News. “We own and operate two cold storages, both in Orange Cove.” The packing facilities and acreage are all certified under GlobalGAP.
Limoneira has long-range goal to triple lemon production
Limoneira Co. in Santa Paula, CA, one of California’s oldest citrus growers, is a major producer of California citrus and one of the largest producers of lemons in the United States, with year-round availability of Eureka and Lisbon lemons, seedless lemons, Meyer lemons and variegated pink lemons.
The company also grows Navel and Valencia oranges, grapefruit, and an array of specialty citrus such as Cara Cara oranges, Blood oranges, Minneola Tangelos, Satsuma Mandarins and Pumelos.
Olsen will be up in Mandarins with new stem-and-leaf program
“We are going to have a pretty good sized stem-and-leaf program this year,” Jeff Olsen, president of The Chuck Olsen Co. in Visalia, CA, said in an interview with The Produce News. That is something “we haven’t had in the past,” so it will be “new for us in the Mandarins.”
The company also has acreage increases in its Mandarin production this year, with the harvest expected to start in early November in the San Joaquin Valley of California.
The Chuck Olsen Co. also expected to start Navel oranges in the San Joaquin Valley around the same time, followed by lemons.
Suntreat Reserve Citrus program is becoming established with retail customers
Suntreat Packing & Shipping Co. in Lindsay, CA, which was founded by brothers Harry Griffith and John Griffith, has been in the business of growing and packing citrus in California for more than half a century. Recently, the company, which grows several select varieties of specialty citrus in addition to lemons and Navel oranges, introduced the “Suntreat Reserve Citrus” label, which it reserves for its finest and best-tasting fruit.
Pear Bureau Northwest launches fresh consumer advertising
Pear Bureau Northwest is launching a new consumer advertising campaign this season, using print ads to help boost pear consumption and increase the total number of pear consumers.
Bailey Farms recalls Serrano peppers due to risk of Salmonella
Bailey Farms Inc. in Oxford, NC, is voluntarily recalling 6,215 pounds of fresh Serrano chile peppers due to a risk of Salmonella contamination.
The peppers were distributed to Meijer Inc. and may have been sold between Oct. 14 and Oct. 19 at Meijer stores in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
In addition, the peppers were distributed to Publix Super Markets Inc., Merchants Distributors Inc., Walmart, Food Lion, Flavor 1st Growers & Packers, U.S. Foods, Military Produce Group LLC., C&S Wholesalers, John Vena Inc. and Harris Teeter.
PMA Fresh Summit 2014 (Group 4)
On the day that the Produce Marketing Association’s 2014 Fresh Summit opened, Bryan Silbermann, PMA chief executive officer, promised it would be the most well-attended event in the history of the organization. His educated guess proved accurate, as the association announced that a new record of more than 22,400 people attended the three-day event.
Rain delays Texas citrus crop but November supplies on target
On Sept. 7, Trent Bishop, sales manager of Lone Star Citrus Growers in Mission, TX, told The Produce News that there was some rain in the south Texas forecast, and the trees needed it. Three weeks later, he could be forgiven if he said “Enough already!”
“Over the last 20 days of September, we got 15 inches of rain,” he said in mid-October. “It is a very good thing for the long term viability of the crop, but we would have liked to have been able to get in and pick some fruit a bit earlier.”
Live Oak Farms appoints Ed Beckman to newly created COO position
Live Oak Farms announced that Ed Beckman has joined the company as its new chief operating officer, a newly created position that will foster the strategic growth of the family-owned grower-shipper of tomatoes and peppers.