Locally grown isn’t just for fruits and vegetables anymore. Flower growers are also reaching out to retailers and consumers in their area. Buyers can now locate local specialty flower farms with a new online search directory launched March 26 by the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers in Oberlin, OH. The association announced the new online search service in a news release.

The harvest of fresh market and storage onions in California’s San Joaquin Valley got underway in early June and was expected to continue into September. Acreage industry-wide is believed to be similar to last year, and growers say they are expecting good quality due to favorable growing weather, although some smaller-than-normal sizing is manifesting itself in the early crop.

Chris Veillon, the former marketing director at Mastronardi Produce in Leamington, ON, who left the company in August 2010, has returned to lead marketing at the company.

South African summer citrus growers of the Western Cape Citrus Producers Forum have established the Summer Citrus Soccer Star Award, which will honor eight U.S. Youth Soccer players from across the United States.

U.S. Youth Soccer is the largest youth sports organization in the country, with more than 3 million registered players. The forum is a longtime supporter of U.S. Youth Soccer.

Winners will be selected for their display of courage, imagination, commitment, determination and success in adverse situations both on and off the playing field.

California Tomato Farmers announced June 11 that it has hired AG Association Management Services Inc. and has appointed Chris Zanobini to serve as CTF president and Nick Matteis will be the new director of food safety.

Domex Superfresh Growers, located in Yakima, WA, is gearing up for a limited nationwide rollout of its new proprietary cherry variety, the Orondo Ruby, this season. “It was a chance seedling discovered in a Rainier cherry orchard in 2001,” Loren Queen, marketing and communications manager, said May 14. “It was sweeter than the Rainiers around it.”