Wish Farms, international grower and year-round marketer of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, has established a growing operation in Oxnard, CA.

“This is a move that aligns well with our strategy of smart, controlled growth,” said James Peterson, vice president of sales and marketing.

With its first season in Oxnard under way, Wish Farms began harvesting strawberries mid-January and expects volume to flow into May.

“The Frontera will be our exclusive variety for Oxnard," said Darwin Reich, director of California operations. "Quality and volume has proven favorable and

Ippolito International added Greg Heinz to its sales team. Heinz has nearly 15 years of sales and commodity management experience at D'Arrigo Bros. California, working within a broad range of fresh vegetables.

An alumnus of California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, CA, Heinz started his career while a student intern. He was assigned to work in the cooler, tracking orders, ensuring accuracy and learning cooler operations. From there, he moved into the sales department, where he gained experience managing commodities with a focus on broccoli and romaine hearts. Heinz was also

Cherrylake and IMG Citrus, who are both subsidiaries of IMG Enterprises, a 90-million-dollar Florida agribusiness with diversified operations in citrus, ornamental landscape, ecosystem restoration and real estate, has appointed Melanie Ressler, Timothee Sallin and Chloe Gentry as co-CEOs of the company. Michel Sallin, who is the co-founder of IMG Enterprises and previously sole CEO, will continue on the board of directors.

While restructuring into a co-CEO model is not a widespread practice, there are a number of Fortune 500 companies, including Samsung and Netflix, with co-CEOs. At IMG

The 2020 apple season was a mixed bag of experiences as the domestic production in Washington state was down approximately 15 percent from the previous year, which prompted pricing on mainline varietals to move up with the shorter crop.  Regionally, club varieties had a strong season in both volume and quality. With the price compression on domestic varieties, regional club varieties were competitively priced yet offered more desirable eating experiences compared to standard varieties.  

Ward Dobbins, president of United Apple Sales based in western New York, is a fourth-generation grower who

Are you ready to face the sales figures from last year's COVID-19 panic shopping period? Think you'll match those colossal March produce numbers? 

It looks like corporate management is at it again by handing down some impractical and unattainable sales targets. This reminds me of a time when I first experienced this tactic in my earlier years as a produce director. I believe it's termed, "Live and learn."

We launched a theme called Produce Spectacular. It was a four-week promotion during the summer fruit season. Produce sales were a huge success, exceeding the previous year by a whopping 28

The Southeast Produce Council has announced that this year's SEPC Vorhees Vision Scholarship recipient is Emily Lessard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dave Lessard of The Giant Co.

The Vorhees Vision Scholarship was created to reward the achievements of young individuals who demonstrate a true entrepreneurial spirit in their lives as they pursue their educational goals. This scholarship is named in honor of the late Terry L. Vorhees, a founder and first executive director of the Southeast Produce Council. Because of his vision and efforts, the Southeast Produce Council became and remains one of