Latest News From California

With an early prediction of a larger 2020 crop, the California Avocado Commission is working on promotions to build consumer anticipation.

Mission Produce Inc., Oxnard, Calif., has big plans in Colombia.

Iconic fall crops such as pumpkins are doing well just before harvest, even though temperatures are still hovering in the 90s in several U.S. regions.

The California Table Grape Commission, Fresno, has hired David Dudley as marketing director of category management.

The 2019-20 California navel crop is down 7% from last season, according to the first U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate.

Santa Paula, Calif.- based Calavo Growers, Inc. has announced the publication of their first sustainability highlights report.

Setton Farms and HMC Farms won kudos from a judge's panel of retail buyers at the California Food Expo.

Marcy Martin is the new president of the Citrus Research Board, Visalia Calif., which administers the industry-funded California Citrus Research Program.

Fresno County’s agriculture production in 2018 hit a record $7.89 billion, a 12% increase over 2017 numbers.

Strawberry lovers will be happy to hear that a new crop of summer-planted California berries is just around the corner.

California pears will be available through most of October, and total shipments may equal about 2.2 million bartlett pears and 500,000 cartons of bosc pears.

LOS ANGELES — Seventy vendors touted their wares for customers and potential customers of LA & SF Specialty at the company’s seventh Cultivating Our Community.

Compared to all other parts of the years, the fall selling season used to be an afterthought to produce merchandiser and retailers.

The California Agricultural Leadership Program will inaugurate 24 new members for its 50th class.

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials have again visited Grimmway Farms, for a listening session on issues facing California farmers, from immigration to water rights.

Shipments of California grapes are down about 8% from last season, but average per-pound prices for the major varieties are the same.

A robotic strawberry harvester known as the T-6 from Advanced Farm Technologies, Davis, Calif., has received a $7.5 million boost from investors in a Series A funding round.

Progressive Produce, Los Angeles, has hired Dominic DeFranco as vice president of sales.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expanded quarantined areas for citrus greening in California, Texas and Louisiana after the disease was detected in plant tissue samples in multiple locations in the states.

Salinas, Calif.-based Markon Cooperative Inc. gathered 26 chefs from its foodservice members and operators to focus on plant-based recipes at its fifth annual Chef Summit.

California’s 2019 avocado crop is winding down, but the state played an important role during a season where volume was low and prices were high.

The California Fresh Fruit Association, Fresno, has hired Courtney Razor as director of member services and communication.

Stater Bros., San Bernardino, Calif., has donated $100,000 and more than 150,000 pounds of fresh produce and other food to food banks in its area this summer.

U.S. avocado volume was expected to increase this fall after a summer of tight supplies.

AgDay National Reporter Betsy Jibben takes us near Bakersfield, California for a look at the sweet potato condition.

Ocean Mist Farms has hired Paul Scheid as vice president of production.

Steinbeck Country Produce, Salinas, Calif., is changing its marketing identity to Nature’s Reward to capitalize on consumer brand recognition, and has a new website design.

Police are investigating a shooting that has left three people dead at the 41st annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, including a 6-year-old boy.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is alerting 8,000 growers designated as “small/very small” by the FSMA of their obligations to follow the law, and when those obligations start.

Fresh-cut greens company San Miguel Produce Inc., Oxnard, Calif., has moved to a new 85,000-square-foot facility that increases its capacity.

SnackNation named Los Angeles-based Wonderful Pistachios Roasted & Salted as the Best Nut or Trail Mix of 2019 in its data-driven SnackNation Insights Awards competition. 

Agriculture Sonny Perdue toured an avocado grove in Escondido, Calif., discussing water and labor issues with growers and industry members.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — It seems like there’s always a new twist at the Fresh Produce & Floral Council’s annual Expo.

Seven Seas, Springfield, Ill., has hired Steve Kim as an account manager in the company’s Visalia, Calif., office.

As California’s fall persimmon season approaches, Giumarra will be asking consumers #DoYouFuyu.

Merritt Bruce has joined Church Brothers Farms, Salinas, Calif., as vice president of retail business development.

Gold Coast Packing teamed up with the Santa Maria Valley (Calif.) YMCA recently to teach children how to grow vegetables and turn them into center-of-the-plate dishes.

Watsonville, Calif.-based A & A Organic Farms has expanded its heirloom tomato program, and has an array of additions, from Persian cucumbers to broccoli, to its product lineup.

Gonzales, Calif.-based Misionero Vegetables will relaunch the Salade du Soleil salad brand, with three new salad blends: Originale, Verte and Rouge spring mixes.

River Fresh Farms, Salinas, Calif., has hired David Martinez as senior vice president of business development.

California’s Citrus & Pest Disease Prevention Committee, a grower-funded initiative, has endorsed a set of best practices for growers in response to the threat of huanglongbing (HLB).

The 2019 California Food Expo agenda is now available, featuring retail and foodservice trends, transparency and sustainability, navigating the digital space and food brand pioneers.

John G. Giumarra Jr., whose legal expertise helped guide not only the family business, but aided in greater grape exports for the overall California grape industry, has died.

Del Rey Avocado, Fallbrook, Calif., has hired Brent Portell as operations manager as the company opens a new facility in Vista, Calif.

California pear grower-shippers say they anticipate ample supplies of fruit, although the first promotable volumes likely will be a bit late during the 2019 season.

California Avocado Month (June) is drawing to a close, but the California Avocado Commission has launched a new program to support the brand through the rest of the season.

The United Fresh Association has announced locations and dates for its next four conventions and expos.

The Equitable Food Initiative is partnering with Costco Wholesale in California, Oregon and Washington to boost consumer awareness and sales of EFI-certified fruits and vegetables.

Los Angeles-based private equity company Butterfly has closed on the $510 million acquisition of Bolthouse Farms, Bakersfield, Calif.

California Avocado Month is June, and that means outreach to consumers involving social media influencers, recipes, public relations campaigns and more.