The latest Grower Spotlight from Eagle Eye Produce features Randy Bowns, an onion grower in eastern Oregon. Bowns is a recent addition to Eagle Eye's onion program with the newly formed partnership between it and Central Produce Distribution Inc. 

Four second-generation and five third-generation families work together full-time to make this family farm successful, and Bowns is a big part of it. He grew up on the farm and remembers happy childhood memories of farming with his dad and family.  Bowns is passionate about growing a good crop and seeing his hard work pay off every season.  This

C.H. Robinson announced today that Arun Rajan will be joining the company as chief product officer, effective Sept. 1. Rajan will report to CEO Bob Biesterfeld and will lead all global product development and innovation across C.H. Robinson’s platforms.  

“Arun is a seasoned leader, with a long history of developing and deploying products that enrich the customer experience and create value at industry leading companies," said Biesterfeld. "I am incredibly excited to have him join the Robinson leadership team. As we continue to focus on creating differentiated value for the nearly 200,000

The Kroger Co. has named Keith Shoemaker as the president of its Dallas division. He succeeds Adam Wampler, who died suddenly earlier this month.

Shoemaker, who most recently served as vice president of operations for the Dallas division will report to Senior Vice President Valerie Jabbar.

“Keith is a highly-regarded leader across the grocery retail industry and will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience having served in various positions in the Dallas/Fort Worth market for 39 years,” said Jabbar.  “We are confident, Keith’s infectious dedication to the company’s promise to be friendly

Eric Valenzuela has filled the newly created position of director of food safety at Bobalu LLC. He will focus on grower support, facility safety operations and working with the company’s third-party auditors to optimize food-safety practices throughout the operation.

Valenzuela will also manage the technical and administrative aspects of the food-safety system and serve as the primary point of contact with auditors and customers responding to their food-safety compliance needs.

“We are excited to have Eric on board providing his leadership and experience to continue to elevate our company

Ocean Mist Farms, a leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announced its 2021 scholarship recipients. Since 2018, the Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarship Program annually awards seven scholarships to recipients who demonstrate the guiding values of Ocean Mist Farms – integrity, quality, passion, and success – with $1,000 toward their college tuition.

“We are thrilled to announce our scholarship recipients for the class of 2021,” said Jonelle Wong, scholarship committee chairperson at Ocean Mist Farms. “At Ocean Mist Farms, one of the most rewarding things we do each

La Casa Del Aguacate (House of Avocado) has hired Rick Johnston as its vice president of sales. Johnston will be responsible for all aspects of North America and export sales for the company's year-round Mexican avocado supply, though his focus will be on the development of retail, wholesale and foodservice customer relationships as the company's 52-week supply of conventional and organic Mexican avocados grows in volume along with consumer demand.

Johnston brings over 25 years of fresh produce experience domestically and international to the growing CDA team. Most recently serving as the