I Love Produce donates money to local Peru village school
I Love Produce, a pioneer in importation of organic ginger from Peru, took part in a new harvest celebration and ceremony to commemorate its donation of $13,440 to the local village school called the "Antonio Raymondi" secondary school. The school donation program was initiated by I Love Produce to give back to the local native Asháninka Community of Churingaveni where the ginger is from. The Asháninkas are the second-largest indigenous group living in the rainforests of Peru with a culture that dates back to the time of the Incas.
Crown Jewels expects 20 percent bump in grape volume with new growers on board
“Overall, we are up a little in tonnage this year” in table grapes, said Atomic Torosian, a partner in Crown Jewels Produce LLC in Fresno, CA, in an interview with The Produce News.
“We have contracted with a few more growers, so Crown Jewels’ production is up by at least 20 percent from last year,” he said. Those increases are “mostly towards the mid- to late season, not so much on the front end.”
Simonian Fruit offers specialty Champaign grapes from July into September
Simonian Fruit Co. in Fowler, CA, which grows, packs and ships an assortment of California tree fruit and grapes, will start off the grape season with some specialty grapes, according to Jeff Simonian, vice president of sales.
“We will have the red Champagne grapes” beginning the week following the Fourth of July, Simonian told The Produce News. Those will be followed a week later with some green Champagne grapes. “That is the front part of our grape deal.”
Sage Fruit teams up with Marvel to 'snack like a super hero'
Sage Fruit announced the release of an exciting new product line that will feature Marvel characters.
NatureSweet announces return of Homegrown Tomato & Chef’s Challenge
NatureSweet Tomatoes announced the return of the Glorys Homegrown Tomato & Chef’s Challenge tour for 2014 on July 28. The contests will put green thumbs and cooking skills to the test with four events beginning Aug. 9 and concluding Sept. 6.
T&A introduces George T's Special Colossal Romaine Heart
Tanimura & Antle introduced a new lettuce variety, George T's Special Colossal Romaine Heart, in honor of company co-founder George Tanimura, who is celebrating his 100th year in 2014.
Driscoll's-Wegmans partnership sponsors Strawberry Days fundraiser
Driscoll's once again partnered with Wegmans Food Markets to sponsor the eighth annual Strawberry Days fundraiser to benefit The Children's Home Society of New Jersey. The three-day fundraising event aims to promote a healthy summer snack while raising awareness and critical funds for the at-risk babies, children and families of New Jersey.
Associated Wholesale Grocers' Chuck Sinks gets married
Chuck Sinks, senior produce specialist at Associated Wholesale Grocers in Kansas City, KS, married Caitlin Prentiss June 28 in St. Charles, IL, just west of Chicago. Sinks, 28, started working for AWG in August 2013; his wife is a third grade school teacher. The couple, who live in Overland Park, KS, honeymooned on the Caribbean island of Jamaica.
Lantao opens new fruit import distribution facility
Lantao, which imports premium fruit from around the world into China, has opened its seventh fresh fruit import distribution facility in Qingdao, Shandong Province.
Jim Provost of I Love Produce LLC and John Wang, chief executive officer of Lantao, were on-hand to help kick off the celebration. Shandong is one of the top farm export provinces in China, and Provost and Wang are partners in exporting organic vegetables, ginger and garlic from Shandong to North America.
Pandol Bros. will identify bagged premium grapes by variety
This year, Delano, CA-based Pandol Bros. Inc. will offer its premium table grape varieties in retail packaging that identifies the variety by name, according to John Pandol, a director of the corporation.
Other grape varieties from Pandol Bros. will continue to be identified by color, such as red seedless or green seedless, in “a generic bag,” Pandol told The Produce News.
In both cases, the grapes will be packed in laminate pouch or stand-up bags “which I think are the new standard,” he added.