Bryan Burkhalter has joined Sev-Rend as its new West Coast business development manager.

The company said bringing Burkhalter on lines up with its goals to further service clients in the produce industry with high-performance packaging. This move allows Sev-Rend to expand its footprint even further in the ever-growing fresh produce market.

“Bryan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Sev-Rend team that will allow us to grow in some key areas within the fresh produce world,” said Rob Williams, CEO of Sev-Rend.  “His experience in fresh produce is tremendous, from both the

The Organic Produce Association elected Theojary (Theo) Crisantes Jr., chief operations officer for Wholesum, as its chairman. Crisantes has been serving in an acting capacity since the fall of last year.

Crisantes, a trained agronomist, has worked for over 20 years in the organic produce industry, growing certified organic tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and eggplant at his family’s third-generation farming operation. Wholesum currently supports over 21.8 million square feet of greenhouses and grows 2,500 acres of in-ground produce.

“I am honored to be elected as the inaugural Chair

Produce veteran Richard George Papen, 84, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on April 16, after spending his entire career in the East Coast vegetable business in the family farming operation.

Mr. Papen was born on June 5, 1937, the oldest son of George and Mary Papen. He was born in Somerville, NJ, where his father and his two uncles farmed. When Richard was 15, the farming family moved to the greener pastures of Dover, DE, where Papen spent the entirety of his career, both running Papen Farms Inc. and being its main salesman.

At Caesar Rodney High School in Dover, Papen was an outstanding

FullTilt Marketing, a firm focused on agriculture, fresh produce and specialty food industries, recently expanded its team, welcoming Melissa Edwards as the new marketing manager and Sabrina Wilson as marketing assistant.

Edwards brings over 15 years of experience in agriculture, fresh produce and specialty foods, including as senior project manager for the launch of the Disney Garden Brand under the Imagination Farms label. Following that, Edwards managed a $150 million fresh food category with domestic and international retail, foodservice and government implications. She has also

Daniel Allan Boyer, owner of Ridgetop Orchards and an influential member of the Pennsylvania and U.S. apple industry, died Sunday, Sept. 4 at his home surrounded by his family. He was 68.

"Dan was a larger-than-life figure who brought remarkable passion, experience and energy into the beautiful orchard acres of Ridgetop," the company said in a statement. "His love of the land, dedication to his family and teachings to staff will continue to have a lasting impact in the Chestnut Ridge region he called home."

Born May 21, 1954 in Grove City, PA, to the late Allan and JoAnn (Cuppett) Boyer, he

Sun Belle Inc. has added agriculture marketing expert Jennifer Sparks to its leadership team as director of marketing and communications.

In this new role, which began Aug. 29, Sparks will lead all marketing and promotional activities, including digital marketing, content strategy and reputation management to enhance and elevate the brand presence of the 36-year-old berry marketer and distributor.

“I am delighted Jennifer has joined Sun Belle to direct the company’s marketing and communications,” said Janice Honigberg, Sun Belle founder and president. “We have ambitious plans to grow our