The Texas onion season got off to such an early start for Rio Queen LLC of Mission, TX, that Mike Martin did not even know what kind of market he was heading into. Already the Lone Star State’s largest onion grower, Mr. Martin decided during the offseason to go against the grain and increase his plantings significantly this year.

The gamble has paid off as Texas is cruising into a solid onion market as Northwest storage supplies and fresh Mexican product are dwindling.

Creekside Hot House recently announced it will add a 10-acre specialty tomato facility in South Surrey, BC.

The family-run farm is headed by Ravi Cheema, a fourth-generation farmer. “My dad started farming in Canada back in 1977, when he was growing strawberries and raspberries,” Mr. Cheema said. “He eventually moved into a variety of outdoor crops, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and sprouts.”

BRENDA MAINWARING will be promoted to Union Pacific Railroad's vice president of public affairs for the Southern Region, effective April 15, succeeding Joe Adams, who will retire May 31.

Ms. Mainwaring joined the railroad in 1997, serving as director of public affairs for Iowa and Nebraska since 2007. She worked in Washington, DC, with the U.S. government prior to joining Union Pacific.Ms. Mainwaring earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in anthropology from the University of Iowa.

Cool weather has delayed or slowed watermelon production in the southern United States and consumption in northern states, but steady supplies from farther south have been adequate to meet demand as the Florida and Texas deals come on in earnest this month.

WeatherBug is forecasting a summer season similar to 2012 for much of the continental United States. For summer 2013, it indicated a distinct threat for above-normal temperatures from west Texas across the Great Plains into the central and Southern Rockies, and across the Mid-South. Areas around the Great Lakes and the Southeast coast should favor near-normal seasonal temperatures. Only one small pocket of slightly cooler-than-normal conditions is expected along the coast of the Pacific Northwest.

Responding to strong consumer demand for vegetable salads that taste great and are packed with nutrient-dense superfoods, Apio Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Landec Corp. and a leading national producer of fresh-cut vegetable products, is introducing its new Eat Smart ginger bok choy vegetable salad kit.