The Washington Apple Education Foundation scholarship is currently open and available to students of families in the tree fruit industry, planning to enroll for college in the fall of 2021.

Qualification for WAEF scholarships is based on the employment of the student’s or their parent(s)/legal guardian(s) in Washington's tree fruit industry and/or the applicant's intention to work in this industry after completing their college degree. The application criteria can be found on the scholarship page of the foundation’s website

WAEF is the philanthropic initiative of Washington’s tree fruit

In a year of extremes, 2020 has brought a mix of good news/bad news for the produce industry, according to Snake River Produce General Manager Kay Riley.

The emergence of COVID-19 early in 2020 wreaked havoc on the 2019-20 shipping season, he said. “The end of the 2019 crop year was very disappointing due to the COVID outbreak.  We experienced exceptional movement for about a one-week period right after they shut the country down, and there was an unprecedented run on all things produce with the retailers.  As they scrambled to re-stock, we had great business, but as soon as supplies were

Grower and shipper, Divine Flavor, announced today their distribution center in Nogales just received their certification for the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP), becoming the first produce company in the state of Arizona to be awarded this level of attainment towards their health and safety practices in the company.

Currently, Divine Flavor became the 12th SHARP site (out of 157,000 companies) in the state of Arizona, and joining a list of approximately 1,300 in the nation.

SHARP, which is offered through Arizona’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc., one of North America’s leading marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, is excited to share news of its 2020 Holiday Campaign, which encompasses everything from updated fruit sticker and tag designs to a new message on sustainability as the country enters the holiday 2020 season.

Rolling out now at select retailers nationwide, consumers everywhere can be on the lookout for Fresh Del Monte’s new holiday inspired tags. Featuring fun and festive designs that capture the spirit of the winter holidays, banana and

For both potatoes and onions, “the 2020 crop has come out of the gate very strong,” according to Eric Beck, director of marketing for Wada Farms Marketing Group LLC in Idaho Falls, ID.

“We are very pleased with the quality that we are seeing thus far, and we anticipate the quality will continue to remain strong for the remainder of the season,” he said.

Particularly exciting, he said, is that Wada Farms’ organic program for potatoes “continues to gain strength as customers find convenience in being able to get all their conventional and organic needs at one place when they are shipping out

The California Department of Food and Agriculture seated newly elected California Avocado Commission board members at the Commission’s Nov.19 board meeting. The Board also elected CAC’s  executive officers Rob Grether, chairman; Ryan Rochefort, vice-chairman; Jason Cole, treasurer and Jessica Hunter, secretary, who each will serve a one-year term, from Nov. 1, 2020 through Oct. 31, 2021.

“The CAC Board and management are committed to prudently managing growers’ assessment dollars, ” said California Avocado Commission President Tom Bellamore. “We thank the outgoing 2019-20 CAC Board, under the