Diana Ybarra has joined Baloian Farms as an account manager, bringing with her more than two decades of experience in sales, account management and customer service within the produce industry. Ybarra is well-versed in all aspects of the supply chain. "We are very excited to have Diana join our team, exclaimed Jeremy Lane, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Baloian Farms. "Her extensive experience, strong work ethic and dedication make for a perfect fit within our culture here. Diana is an enthusiastic, highly motivated, results-driven professional with a natural ability to forge

The Colombia Avocado Board partnered with Weis Markets Inc. to launch the Heart of Colombia Avocado Display Contest, a retail campaign designed to drive consumer excitement and increase impulse avocado purchases. Running from March 27 through April 23, the promotion was activated in 200 Weis stores across three regions, combining custom displays bins, point-of-sale materials and team incentives to generate consumer excitement and spark impulse purchasing. Produce managers were challenged to create an eye-capturing displays that placed avocados from Colombia at the center of their department

Beginning in mid-June and lasting deep into the summer, the Duke blueberry variety from New Jersey is a very important factor in the year-round blueberry program for Trucco Inc., which is headquartered on New York Hunts Point Market in the Bronx.

It’s been a big year for Ben B. Schwartz & Sons. “We made several, key sales hires to help support our expansion efforts into new areas, such as Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois and Wisconsin,” said Bill Loupée, chief operating officer for the company. The three new salespeople added to the team are Josh Harrison, Scott Bagan and Paul Suttmiller.

Bob Lockett has been selected to lead Schnuck Markets Inc.’s human resources team as its new chief people officer as of June 16. Lockett’s professional background includes most recently serving as chief people officer at CAE and, prior to that, chief diversity and talent officer at ADP. In total, he possesses more than 25 years of experience in HR leadership, with additional prior roles at Harrah's Entertainment, USAA, Limited Brands and Frito-Lay. In this role Lockett will oversee a wide range of critical functions including teammate benefits, talent acquisition and retention, labor relations

The International Fresh Produce Association joined nutritionists and scientists in raising concerns about the Environmental Working Group’s latest publication. "The claims in this report are not only misleading — they’re dangerously counterproductive to our nation’s public health goals. Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet and one of the most effective tools we have for preventing chronic, diet-related diseases. Yet, today, 90 percent of Americans fall short of the recommended daily intake of these essential foods — a public health crisis we can and must urgently address