Tim O'Connor announced the formal launch of his marketing and strategy consulting group, Tim O'Connor & Associates, specializing in the fresh food industry.

The Washington State Potato Commission and the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee made sure that food banks in their respective states are the true winners of this year’s Super Bowl. Last week, both organizations agreed to a friendly wager on the outcome of the NFL’s championship game. The bet was that for every point scored in Sunday’s game, 500 pounds of potatoes would be donated to a food bank in the city of the winning team by the organization from the state that was home to the losing squad.

The California Table Grape Commission has awarded 37 teaching grants worth up to $750 each to schools in the table grape-growing regions of California's San Joaquin and Coachella valleys.

C.H. Robinson, a leading worldwide produce and logistics company based in Eden Prairie, MN, continues to expand Welch's fresh grapes globally. To mark the occasion, Welch's fresh grapes and other produce offerings will be showcased at the C.H. Robinson booth during the Fruit Logistica show in Berlin, Germany, from Feb. 5-7.

Melissa’s World Variety Produce in Los Angeles is consistent in its mission of providing organic product year-round.

Melissa’s, a major distributor of specialty produce items, entered the organic category about 15 years ago.

Robert Schueller, director of public relations, said that today the company’s organic lineup includes just over 550 fresh and dried produce items, some of which are seasonal.

Stellar Distributing in Madera, CA, has spent decades growing its fig and kiwi deal. Now, the company is growing its organic deal, and not only in figs and kiwis.

Stellar offers organic figs half of the year, while shipping organic limes and kiwi throughout the entire year. The firm also recently began shipping organic pomegranates and persimmons from October to December. In addition, Stellar will ship baby Thompson grapes.