LAS VEGAS -- Today's consumers are living in a fast-paced, changing world, and they are changing just as quickly. To capture these customers, supermarket retailers are going to have to reach out and find new ways to do business. That was the general message delivered by Kevin Coupe, a former reporter who monitors the retail sector and who spoke at the Retail-Foodservice Super Session April 23 during the United Fresh Produce Association convention, here. Mr. Coupe, who publishes a daily on-line retail blog, used the encyclopedia to illustrate how fast the world is changing. It was more than 500

WEST ORANGE, NJ -- The Eastern Produce Council elected a new president and vice president at its dinner meeting April 28 at the Manor in West Orange, NJ. Dean Holmquist, director of produce and floral for Foodtown Inc., is the organization's new president, replacing Joe DeLorenzo, director of produce merchandising and operations for Alpha 1 Marketing and who served as the council's president for the past four years. Paul Kneeland, vice president of produce and floral for Kings Supermarkets Inc., is the council's new vice president. Four members were also reinstated for four-year terms on the

John Tanimura, a first-generation member of the Tanimura family that began a farming relationship with Bud Antle and his family in 1948, died in his sleep April 27 in Salinas, CA. He was 88 years old. For a short period in the mid-1960s, Mr. Tanimura and his four brothers, George, Charles, Tom and Robert, joined in a partnership with George Higashi and Shiro Higashi to form H&T Packing. The Tanimura family continued farming during all those years with the Antle family; in 1982 this relationship culminated in the formation of Tanimura & Antle, now Tanimura & Antle Inc. T&A is a leading family

TORONTO -- It was somewhat of a trial by fire when Julian Sarraino started working full time at Fresh Taste Produce Ltd. as an apple and grape buyer in May 2008. Mr. Sarraino, 24, represents the fourth generation at the wholesaler run by the Sarraino family and located here at the Ontario Food Terminal. "My dad and grandfather threw me right in without a lifejacket and the water was deep with nothing to grab on to," Mr. Sarraino said. "I learned pretty quickly what to do and what not to do." With his first year under his belt, Mr. Sarraino has learned a lot from his family and the firm's

LAS VEGAS -- With traceability now perhaps the key issue for consumers and the produce trade alike, YottaMark is seeing increased interest in its two- year-old HarvestMark traceability solution, as evidenced by three major produce marketers that have adopted the program in the last month alone. Camarillo Berry Farms, which markets "Foxy" brand strawberries, California Giant Berry Farms and Sun World International have begun using the HarvestMark product as of the middle of April. There are now more than 40 companies that use HarvestMark, with a quarter of a billion items carrying the label

Members of the apple industry have lost a friend and colleague with the passing of Bill Gammie, who died April 10 at the age of 81. Mr. Gammie was the founder of the Jack Frost Fruit Co. in Yakima, WA. Mr. Gammie, born June 6, 1927, in Hallonquist, Saskatchewan, grew up on a family farm. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. During one mission, he was captured by the Nazis, but freed three days later by soldiers in the Danish army. As a college student, he commuted to Washington State College in Pullman from his Canadian hometown, and was involved with the school's