Flavor 1st Growers and Packers in Hendersonville, NC, takes its name very seriously. With a focus on quality, Flavor 1st will soon be bringing sweet corn, Southern vegetables and tomatoes — including the new high-flavor “Tasti-Lee” — to market from its Bainbridge, GA, deal.

Calvert Cullen, president of Northampton Growers, headquartered in Cheriton, VA, told The Produce News in mid-April that some of the company’s Georgia products will be from 10 days to a couple of weeks early this year due to the warm winter and spring weather.

San Miguel Produce, based in Oxnard, CA, introduced a new line of salads and salad kits for spring.

The Flavor Tree Fruit Co. LLC in Hanford, CA, is expecting a “good crop” of its proprietary Sequoia cherry variety, up from last year, and “our Yosemite variety has a good crop as well, so we will see a significant increase in production there,” said Maurice Cameron, managing partner, April 11. In fact, the company is also looking at “a pretty good sized crop” overall.

Flavor Tree is a partnership between Mr. Cameron and the Warmerdam family, which owns Warmerdam Packing in Hanford.

The California Avocado Commission in Irvine, CA, is launching a series of contests and sweepstakes to encourage demand for California avocados in season.

Ready Pac Foods Inc. in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products, announced a new line of fresh, healthy and convenient foods themed to Disney's most beloved characters and films. The Disney collaboration will leverage Ready Pac's expertise in fresh foods with Disney's universal appeal.