Longtime peach industry advocate steps down, new advocate hired
Charles Walker, managing director of the National Peach Council since the early 1990s, stepped down in September after serving the industry for more than 17 years, and Kay Rentzel, a veteran of the apple industry, was hired in December as the new managing director of the council, it was announced Jan. 26.
D'Arrigo Bros. salesman
Greg Heinz competes in mountain bike races on a white and pink mountain bike. The bike has pink cables, and Mr. Heinz accessorizes with pink gloves and pink glasses. Pink is the color used by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, most often seen with its pink ribbon logo. Breast cancer awareness is a cause that Mr. Heinz's employer -- Salinas, CA-based D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California -- has actively supported for years. In fact, D'Arrigo has a popular, decades-old "Andy Boy" label that is pink.
Innovation and stewardship part of corporate culture at Stemilt Growers
Innovation. Environmental stewardship. Social responsibility. The phrases are now commonly used in the fresh produce industry. But 20 years ago, Stemilt Growers Inc., based in Wenatchee, WA, saw the wisdom of incorporating the concepts into its business practices. And the commitment continues to be recognized nationally.
"Our founder, Tom Mathison, was a believer in innovation," said Roger Pepperl, Stemilt director of marketing. "It's in our culture here."
Produce for Kids raises funds for PBS Kids
The final numbers are in and Produce for Kids, an organization that promotes the benefits of healthy eating and supports worthy causes for children, raised more than $162,000 this fall as part of the "Eat Smart for a Great Start" campaign.
The funds benefit PBS Kids, which provides content, resources and tools that support the positive development of the whole child - the cognitive, emotional, social and physical.
At Verdelli Farms, two key family members depart
Harrisburg, PA-based Verdelli Farms Inc., a subsidiary of Salinas, CA-based Fresh Express Inc., is undergoing personnel changes as a result of the transition to becoming a Fresh Express entity.
Brothers Dan Verdelli and Mike Verdelli, former executive vice president and vice president of sales and marketing, respectively, are no longer part of the company's day-to-day operations.
CurrantC has completed its first major production run
CurrantC has just completed the first major production run of its black currant nectar and nectar-juice blends.
The Staatsburg, NY-based firm has started shipping the first cases of its six new flavors, which are original black currant and black currant-juice blends with boysenberry, blueberry, clementine, passion fruit and strawberry/kiwifruit. The products are destined for the United States and Canada, said Mark Sherburne, CurrantC's director of sales and marketing for North America.
White House review may delay COOL
WASHINGTON -- The country-of-origin labeling program, scheduled to go into effect in March, may once again be delayed because the new administration has directed all federal agencies to review former President Bush's end-of-the-term regulations.
In a Jan. 20 memorandum, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel directed federal agencies to stop all pending regulations and yet-to-be-implemented rules, and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials confirmed that the Jan. 16 COOL regulation would be reviewed by new management at the department.
PMA calls for strong produce presence in Dietary Guidelines for Americans revision
NEWARK, DE -- Produce Marketing Association has urged the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to maintain the high profile of fruit and vegetables as it works to revise the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for the 2010 edition.
In testimony provided to the committee Jan. 29, Kathy Means, PMA's vice president of government relations and public affairs, noted that Americans have a long way to go to reach even the current fruit and vegetable consumption guidelines.
Florida freeze hammers corn, lettuce and beans, but strawberries and tomatoes spared
Crop damage assessments caused by the freeze that blanketed Florida Jan. 21 are still coming in, but early reports indicate that corn, lettuce and beans, predominantly in the Lake Okeechobee region, suffered about a 95 percent loss.
"The losses were very significant," said Paul Allen, co-owner of R.C. Hatton Farms in Pahokee, FL. "It was, in my opinion, the worst freeze we've had since 1989. About 95 percent of both corn and green beans in the Lake Okeechobee area were destroyed."
Founder of To-Jo Mushrooms dies at 53
Respected mushroom industry leader and innovator Joseph D'Amico, founder of To-Jo Mushrooms Inc. in Avondale, PA, died Jan. 17 after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 53.
Mr. D'Amico began his career with his family's business in 1974. In 1980, he established To-Jo Mushroom, named after his two sons, Tony and Joe, to pack and distribute fresh mushrooms.