‘Nature goes commercial’ is theme at Blooming of Beloit
BELOIT, WI — At Blooming of Beloit, the slogan might be, “Nature goes commercial.” Shlomo Danieli, the owner and founder of this specialty cut-flower farm in Beloit, WI, spent three years testing 60 varieties of flowers and plants in 100- to 300-item plantings. He chose those that nature did best, and planted them on a large scale, and now has 60,000 trees and plants.
Female moxie, hard work, determination result in Frey Farms’ success
Sarah Frey-Talley, chief executive officer of Frey Farms LLC, headquartered in Keenes, IL, founded the company 20 years ago — when she was 16. Today it farms approximately 12,000 acres in numerous locations, in addition to sourcing from growing partners.
Members of Congress, health officials get look at California leafy greens food-safety program
The leafy greens fields of California’s Salinas Valley were visited by government officials charged with oversight and implementation of new food-safety regulations and by two members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
On Aug. 25, at the invitation of California Congressman Sam Farr, Congressman Jack Kingston of Georgia made his first visit to the Salinas Valley and toured the "salad bowl of the world" for the first time. Rep. Kingston chairs the House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee. Rep. Farr is the ranking member on the same committee.
First-quarter exports of Peruvian onions show hefty increase
Exports of onions from Peru continue to grow. According to the Society of External Commerce of Peru, export volume showed a 22 percent gain in the first quarter of 2012 when compared to the same window in 2011. The value of Peruvian onion exports for this period was $5.5 million. According to the website, www.agraria.pe, the value of fresh onion exports in 2011 for the same quarter was $4.4 million. Growth in 2012 was attributed to increased onion consumption in Colombia, the United States, Panama and the Netherlands.
Greg Schlaffer now with Dade Service Corp.
Daytona Beach, FL-based Dade Service Corp. announced that GREG SCHLAFFER has been named project manager. In his new position, Mr. Schlaffer will be responsible for overseeing the construction phase for many of the company’s future distribution facilities and ripening room projects, according to a company press release.
Heath & Lejeune relocating to new high-tech facility in Los Angeles
On Aug. 23, David Weinstein, sales manager for Heath & Lejeune Inc. in Los Angeles, told The Produce News that the company is moving to a new, cutting-edge facility over the Labor Day weekend. The new facility is only 10 minutes away from its original location.
"Our old facility is 17,000-square-feet with six loading docks and between 8,000 and 9,000 square feet of cooler space," said Mr. Weinstein. "The new facility is 43,000 square feet, it has 18 loading docks — providing us with an unbroken cold chain — and it has 15,000 square feet of cooler space."
Veritable Vegetable's goal is to have zero emissions by 2013
San Francisco-based Veritable Vegetable Inc. is one of the longest-running organic produce distributors in the United States. "We have operated since 1974, and we have always focused on organic fruits and vegetables," said Karen Salinger, co-owner of Veritable Vegetable.
Hailstorm does not dampen prospects for Stemilt Growers
Roger Pepperl, director of marketing for Stemilt Growers Inc. in Wenatchee, WA, said there’s a catch phrase in Washington that may describe the dynamics of the coming apple season. “Big crops get bigger. Small crops get smaller,” he told The Produce News on Aug. 20. Hard data about the impact of a July 20 hailstorm and other weather-related events in Washington will not be determined until later in the season. But Mr. Pepperl said the numbers have begun trending upward, and this is a hopeful sign.
Mast: 'We’re optimistic there’s a nice crop out there to work with'
The apple harvest is underway at Columbia Marketing International, located in Wenatchee, WA. “We’re packing our first Galas today,” Vice President of Marketing Bob Mast told The Produce News on Aug. 21.
As is true for other Washington apple producers, CMI has only begun the process of assessing actual damage to its 2012-2013 crop following the July 20 hailstorm. “We had a good-sized crop,” he commented. “We’re looking to get a good read on what can make it into the box. We’re optimistic there’s a nice crop out there to work with.”
Apple season shaping up nicely for Pacificpro
Pacificpro Inc. is not expecting any major disruption to its apple marketing program this season. “Pacificpro works with a large percentage of the preeminent growers and packers statewide,” said Vice President Randy Hartmann.