Curry & Co. to represent Driediger Farms for
West Coast blueberry sales
Curry & Co. has expanded its blueberry program by partnering with Driediger Farms Ltd. from Langley, BC.
Fresh Fruit Cuts introduces new fresh-cut pear product
Capitalizing on the growing popularity of convenience-driven fresh cut snack items and its recent success of Woot Froot sliced peaches and nectarines, Fresh Fruit Cuts has expanded its value-added product line and will begin offering fresh cut pears in July, along with destemmed grapes and multi-pack snack bag medleys.
Consumers can expect large, tasty cherries from CMI
Although volume for the 2014 cherry crop doesn’t look like it will be a record-setter, Columbia Marketing International, headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, anticipates a highly promotable crop. Katharine Grove, a member of the CMI marketing team, characterized the fruit set as moderate, “not overloaded. This most likely will yield larger, better-tasting cherries.” But she cautioned, “It is still a little too early to tell.”
A new venture: The Consalo Group
I’m a proud member of a family that has been in the produce business for over 80 years. Things have changed as much in my family as they have in our industry, but one thing remains: the passion and desire that my great-grandfather started with in 1927 and which burns deep within me.
Northwest pear growers forecast a full-size crop
During annual pear meetings that took place last week in Portland, representatives of the Northwest pear industry met to project the size of the 2014 fresh pear harvest and review program strategies and tactics for the coming season. With reports of a crop of excellent quality from the Pacific Northwest growing regions of Wenatchee and Yakima, WA, and Mid-Columbia and Medford in Oregon, the total projection is showing approximately 18.7 million standard 44-pound box equivalents (or 411,400 tons) of pears for the fresh market.
Sunkist Growers serving up citrus favorites at United Fresh
Sunkist Growers is kicking off summer citrus season at United Fresh 2014, showcasing fresh recipe and usage ideas to help retailers drive consumer excitement about citrus during the warm summer months.
Jon Vessey, longtime California desert grower, dies
Jon Vessey, who grew up in Salinas, CA, in the farming business and then spent his career as a grower-shipper in the Imperial Valley, died on Saturday, June 7, of complications from leukemia.
Early Westside deal expected to have normal volume
As with many commodities in California this year, the start of the melon season on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley — also known as the Central Valley — will be earlier than normal. Some growers expect a start as much as two weeks early, and some just a few days early.
New owners to add significant volume to Murakami Produce onion supplies
Six Treasure Valley onion-grower entities recently formed Murakami Growers LLC and purchased the Murakami Produce Co. LLC membership of retired owner David Murakami.
Associated Potato Growers hires Jeff Lazur
Jeff Lazur of Reynolds, ND, has joined Associated Potato Growers Inc. in Grand Forks, ND, as a sales representative, according to a June 2 release by the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association in East Grand Forks, MN.
Lazur had been with Britton Transport, where he was the reefer division operations manager. He is also in a farming partnership with his three brothers near Reynolds.