Month: July 2011

This year, the nation’s fresh pear season is expected to begin in mid July with volume anticipated beginning July 25. At a recent meeting of the California Pear Advisory Board, a pre-season crop estimate of just over 4.1 million 36-pound box equivalents of pears was set by the voting members of the Board. According to the Board, which is represented by growers and shippers from all California pear growing districts, the majority of the crop, 3.2 million boxes, is expected to come from the leading California pear variety, the Bartlett, with the River District accounting for 1.9 million boxes, the Lake District expecting 950,000 boxes and the Mendocino District predicting 350,000. Start dates for the later districts are in mid-August. …

Ontario-based greenhouse grower Clifford Produce was the recipient of awards this month at two separate events, the 2011 PAC Leadership Awards Gala at the Toronto Congress Centre in Toronto, Ontario, and the Coolest Cucumber competition at the Leamington Agricultural Fair in Leamington, Ontario. …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it intends to re-charter the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee for the 2011 to 2013 term. …

L&M announces an exclusive marketing relationship with long-time Yakima Valley grower/shipper, Eakin Fruit, furthering L&M’s expansion in Washington State. This move will substantially add to L&M’s organic apple program, along with increasing the mainline varietal volume. Italian Prunes, as well as Empress Plums, and President Plums are also among the list L&M is excited to add, complementing current soft and stone fruit product offerings. L&M looks to continue expanding the distribution of plums and prunes.
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Spring and summer herald sunny skies, beach weather, and seasonally available produce and seafood. Two premium brands, California avocados and Copper River salmon, are among the stars that make late spring through summer a much-anticipated season in the world of perishables. This year the two brands have teamed up to encourage consumer demand of avocados and wild salmon through innovative usage ideas, recipes and joint point-of-sale materials. …