Nissa Pierson, owner and managing director of Ger-Nis International in Brooklyn, NY, spent the week of Sept. 20 in Peru meeting with fair trade and organic producers. She told The Produce News that it's always nice to get to the source. "We like to take the information we gain from the growers to share with our customers, which we’ll be doing at the PMA Fresh Summit in October," said Ms. Pierson. “This includes product information, of course, but it’s also about how growing these products helps growers to survive.” Ger-Nis is heavily involved with, and a strong advocate of, fair trade produce

It is not surprising that Zach Smith sees himself as a custodian of the land for future generations. As a member of the sixth generation to farm the same soil, the 26-year-old is appreciative of what has been handed down, both materially and philosophically. "I'm proud of my family — my ancestors, my heritage here, the fact that they left something great for me to manage," said Mr. Smith, who owns Smith’s Farm Inc. with his father, Greg Smith, first cousin Emily Smith and her father, Lance Smith. “I feel like a steward of this land, and I want to return it to the seventh and eighth generations

When Katy Lesser bought Healthy Living Natural Foods Market in 1986, it was what the company refers to as a "baby," with only 1,200 square feet. On a good day of business, it saw about 25 customers. Today, Ms. Lesser's son, Eli Lesser-Goldsmith, and her daughter, Nina Lesser- Goldsmith, are her partners in what has evolved into a highly successful operation that is located in South Burlington, VT. Mr. Lesser-Goldsmith told The Produce News that the store went through a few evolutions over the years that spurred its development into what is now a 33,000-square-foot retail, deli, catering

Deardorff Family Farms in Oxnard, CA, has been focused on sustainable farming practices since the company's inception in 1937, according to Tom Deardorff II, president. "It is something that has always been important to us as a family, something that we thought we had always been doing," he said. But over the years, the company has become “more intelligent in our approach to it,” he said in a Sept. 24 interview with The Produce News. This year, the company has expanded significantly its organic acreage and the number of organic items it grows and has added two key people to the sales and

As part of its ongoing sustainability and land stewardship efforts, Giumarra Vineyards Corp. has contracted for the installation of a photovoltaic solar and co-generation facility adjacent to its main packing facility in Bakersfield, CA. Giumarra has partnered with California-based HelioPower, an industry leading solar engineering company for the project. The firm has completed large- scale projects worldwide and its North American clients, include Safeway and The Scripps Institute of Oceanography. HelioPower is also a member of the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners and

Mucci Pac has unveiled a new logo and branding campaign. Starting Sept. 16, the Kingsville, ON-based greenhouse grower began using the new "Mucci Farms" logo and redesigned packaging with the new growing season. The new logo brings a fresh look to the family-run business, and the change in branding comes at a time when consumers are looking for a connection to the source of their food. “We're not just a packinghouse or a marketing company,” Danny Mucci, general manager, said in a press release. “Our parents started with 21 acres of field-grown tomatoes for Heinz, and you’ll still find them