Green Tree International hires Mike Prather, opens eastern office
Cary Crum, director of sales and marketing at Green Tree International Inc. in Visalia, CA, has announced that Mike Prather, formerly senior category manager of produce for southeastern retailer Bruno?s Inc., has joined Green Tree as director of business development, a newly created position.
Mr. Prather will be based in Helena, AL, where Green Tree will open an office in late March.
Gov. Schwarzenegger takes aim at junk foods in school
The fresh-cut produce industry wasted no time in praising California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for remarks he made at a recent press event calling for a ban on junk foods in school vending machines and stressing the need to replace them with nutritious fruits and vegetables.
PMA applying to boost Mexican produce handling
NEWARK, DE " The Produce Marketing Association, here, will submit an application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for funding that would ultimately develop the Mexican market for U.S. fresh produce exports.
Nancy Tucker, PMA?s vice president for global business development, told The Produce News March 7 that the PMA proposal is to USDA?s Emerging Markets Program, which is a subset of USDA?s Marketing Assistance Project.
Marriott adds another branch to family's lineage at Family Tree
For Duncan Marriott, a rising star at Family Tree Farms in Reedley, CA, the decision to make the produce industry his career was an easy one. ?I was born into it " I didn?t have a choice," the 28-year-old commodity broker said with a laugh. "And don?t get me wrong " I love it." Mr. Marriott can trace his produce roots back well over 100 years, and his personal family tree branches into many areas of the business.
RETAIL VIEW: Cut-greens firms target African-Americans
Ethnic marketing has been a popular concept in the produce industry for the past few years, but purveyors of this niche marketing are usually talking about the growing Hispanic or Asian communities. While African-Americans have long since assimilated into the U.S. melting pot, as a group they do have some specific buying habits that do allow for niche marketing " though reaching that segment offers its own challenges.
California fresh fig growers contemplate marketing order
On a voluntary basis with dried and processed figs, the California fresh fig industry currently participates in the activities of the California Fig Advisory Board. However, according to Richard Matoian, manager of the board, that could change soon.
?There is a potential that we are going to be voting on a [fresh] fig marketing order here in the next few months," he said. If that comes about, "it is likely the Fig Advisory Board is going to be the umbrella organization representing both the fresh and the dried marketing orders."
Bella Sicilia delivers delicious citrus to the U.S. market
?We look to Italians, including those in Sicily, to teach us in the U.S. about food," Paul McGowan, director of preclearance programs at USDA, APHIS, plant protection and quarantine division, said in his address and presentation on U.S. import protocol to Sicilian and American dignitaries and citrus industry professionals in Catania, Italy, in early January. "The Italians, as well as the French, are considered the world?s experts on food, and their cultures have our highest respect."
Mantelli rejoins Christopher Ranch
Garlic producer Christopher Ranch LLC in Gilroy, CA, has hired Mike Mantelli as its general operations manager to oversee and analyze company operations from the ground up.
?I?ll be working on strategies to advance Christopher Ranch?s position in the produce industry," said Mr. Mantelli.
Winter pepper program strongest to date for Oppenheimer
With more than 1.5 million cases of under-glass peppers produced by the Divemex group of Mexican greenhouse growers, The Oppenheimer Group is seeing its strongest winter program to date, according to Mike Reed, category director.
Mr. Reed said that Divemex?s early winter production in its southern growing areas "has allowed us to offer customers a seamless supply of bell peppers when Canadian production dropped off in late October."
Incredible Fresh?s produce and dairy lines sold to partnership
Naples, FL-based Incredible Fresh, which bought and sold a full line of fruits and vegetables including imported specialty items, has sold its produce and dairy lines to a partnership made up of three separate partners.