Strawberries
Miles Reiter is the CEO of Driscoll’s again, with Kevin Murphy planning to leave the position at the end of the year.
Salinas, Calif.-based Naturipe Farms has implemented a rebrand that speaks directly to younger consumers.
A research effort behind the rebranding of Naturipe Farms studied the attitudes of nearly 4,000 participants in the U.S. and Canada to gain consumer insights, company officials said.
Plentiful rain over the winter quenched thirsty fields across California, but will delay fruit and vegetable supplies out of Santa Maria during the spring season.
While above-average rainfall in California this winter put a damper on early supplies of strawberries, grower-shippers expected heavy volume of high-quality fruit once the rain stopped and temperatures started to rise.
Berry supplier Driscoll’s, Watsonville, Calif., has been recognized for its comprehensive approach to labor compliance.
The Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission has a wealth of programs on tap this season to encourage consumers to buy California strawberries.
Plant City, Fla.-based Harvest CROO Robotics has developed a new version of its Harvest CROO — Computerized Robotic Optimized Obtainer — harvester and expects to begin commercial harvesting late this year.
Last week watermelon and orange content dominated Produce Market Guide searches. Strawberries, lettuce and celery rounded out the top five searches on the platform that connects produce buyers and sellers.
California Giant Berry Farms has chosen the chefs who will participate in its second-annual Chef Invitational competition.
Global Cooling Inc. is marketing its Jet-Ready Precoolers as solution for keeping the cold chain for berries and cherries intact.
Organic fruits and vegetables typically have failed to make a significant inroad to the foodservice segment, but there are a few exceptions, and some suppliers are optimistic about future foodservice business.
Berry lovers that are loyal to California Giant Berry Farms can now easily find what retailers in their area carry the brand.
California’s strawberry crop seemed to be gradually returning to normal volume this spring after a rainy winter that delayed picking early in the season.
The U.S. slapped 25% tariffs on a number of fruit and vegetable imports from China, from cauliflower to garlic and certain berries.
China’s latest round of tariff retaliation hit frozen fruits and vegetables but appeared to spare additional hikes on imported U.S. fresh produce.
California’s 2018 strawberry season got off to a rousing start, with volume as of March 3 more than double that of last year — 7.78 million trays compared to 3.7 million trays in 2017.
Organic strawberries account for 11.8% of the acreage in California, according to the California Strawberry Commission, and growers say volume has been holding steady or making small gains over the past few years.
Superior Fruit has selected Joseph Rumley as its chief financial officer.
Catch up on late season developments with a bunch of berry companies from around North America.
What’s in store for holiday produce shoppers this season? Traditional favorites like sweet potatoes and green beans of course, but fresh, ripe strawberries have become a year-round staple, too.
Big California volume was contributing to low shipping point prices and strong promotion opportunities for California strawberries in mid-May.
Watsonville, Calif.-based California Giant Berry Farms has been talking with consumers, and conversations from the first quarter of 2018 are in.
Salinas, Calif.-based Naturipe Farms LLC has an earlier peak on organic blueberries that was expected to begin at the end of April in California, said Brian Vertrees, director of business development-West.
Dave’s Specialty Imports Inc. has hired Tom Rawles as operations manager, focused on grower relations.
High temperatures in parts of California in July had no effect at all on berry growing areas, industry leaders said.
The beginning of the Florida strawberry season has started off lighter than usual but should find strong volume in January.
Florida’s fastest-growing strawberry variety also is its newest.
The time for automated harvest of strawberries is getting closer, said Gary Wishnatzki, co-founder of Harvest CROO Robotics and president, CEO and owner of Wish Farms, Plant City, Fla.
Wholesum Harvest, Wholesum Berries and Wholesum Family Farms will be collectively known at Wholesum, as the company undergoes a brand refresh.