Sage Fruit Co. and Oregon Cherry Growers announce joint venture
Yakima, WA-based Sage Fruit Co. and The Dalles, OR-based Oregon Cherry Growers have announced a joint-venture packing company, Pacific Coast Cherry Packers, to pack and ship both companies' fresh cherries.
The new packingline and facility located on Valley Fruit's site in Wapato, WA, will feature a jointly owned Van Doren cherry line and will be fully operational and equipped for fumigation for the upcoming 2007 cherry crop.
Doug Thurston joins PakSense
PakSense Inc. announced that industry veteran Doug Thurston has joined the Boise, ID-based company as director of North American sales.
Mr. Thurston comes to PakSense from Bolthouse Farms in Bakersfield, CA, where he was director of sales since 2002. He was also employed for more than 20 years by Albertson's, where he served at various regional locations in a number of roles including procurement manager, buyer, produce manager and in quality control.
WESTERN IMPRESSIONS: Wal-Mart has big shoes to fill
That big collective groan you heard was from produce industry trade journalists across the country reacting to the news that Bruce Peterson is leaving Wal-Mart.
There will be much written about Mr. Peterson's impact on Wal-Mart and the produce industry. He held a lofty position for more than 15 years and helped guide the perishable component of Wal-Mart's meteoric rise during his tenure there. He came aboard when there were six Wal-Mart supercenters selling fresh produce. He is leaving at the end of this month with 2,258 supercenters under his watch.
FSGA names executive director
Shawn Crocker joined the Florida Strawberry Growers Association Feb. 5 as its new executive director. He steps into the position previously held by Chip Hinton.
Before joining the association, Mr. Crocker was director of procurement and field operations in the orange juice division of Cargill AG in Frostproof, FL. Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services that operates in 63 countries.
Al Murray promoted to assistant secretary of New Jersey Department of Agriculture
TRENTON, NJ -- Alfred W. Murray, a 23-year veteran of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the director of the department's Division of Marketing & Development for the past six years, has been named assistant secretary of agriculture for New Jersey.
Mr. Murray, a 45-year-old resident of Audubon, NJ, and a former mayor of that borough, will continue serving as marketing director while adding the duties of assistant secretary, according to New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus.
Leafy Greens board to be named
California Department of Food & Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura was expected to shortly announce the 13 members of the California Leafy Greens Advisory Board, which will administer the newly enacted California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement.
Lynn Morgan, chief of CDFA's marketing branch, said Feb. 6 that 19 handlers representing almost 61 percent of the volume of leafy greens in the state had signed the marketing agreement.
More tools for the trade in CPAC 2007 marketing
Although total crop yield may be down 10 percent or so, Colorado potato marketers are not trimming their efforts and in fact have voted to allocate additional support to help shippers sell more.
"In addition to our merchandising effort with retailers, we are also devoting part of our budget toward more category research and tools to help our local shippers," Linda Weyers, administrator of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, said in a statement.
'Irresistible California Avocados' theme throughout marketing
IRVINE, CA -- "We have been having a lot of fun with this year's campaign. It is the most integrated approach we have taken to marketing," said Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing for the California Avocado Commission, here. The common theme running through all the commission's marketing programs this year, including consumer advertising, public relations, and retail and foodservice programs, is "Irresistible California Avocados."
CPMA launches food guide
The Canadian Produce Marketing Assiociation announced that the new version of its food guide, Health Canada, has placed vegetables and fruits on the higher tier of the rainbow and has emphasized their significant place in a healthy diet.
National Apple Month crowns display contest winners
VIENNA, VA -- The National Apple Month program has announced the winners of the fall 2006 National Apple Month retail and military display contests, bringing the apple industry's fall generic apple promotion to a close.
The annual contest, which kick-starts the domestic apple industry's marketing season, provided retailers and the apple industry with increased sales and gave consumers easy access to great-tasting, healthy apples.