Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission awards $3,000 to recipe contest winners
The Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission in Baton Rouge, LA, and Louisiana Cookin' magazine have concluded the first Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest for canned sweet potatoes, naming four first-place winning recipes and one grand-prize winner. Over 400 entries from 38 states nationwide were narrowed down to 10 recipes in four categories: soups, sides, desserts, and breads and breakfast. These 10 dishes were then prepared for judging by students in the Culinary Arts program at Delgado Community College in New Orleans.
Pride Packing taps Oppenheimer as marketing partner
Capitalizing on a strong stone fruit market and looking ahead to future opportunities, The Oppenheimer Group and Pride Packing Co. have joined forces.
The recently announced alliance with the Wapato, WA-based Pride represents Vancouver, BC-based Oppenheimer's first full-scale venture into domestic stone fruit marketing.
U.S. apple crop a bit smaller than in 2004
CHICAGO At the U.S. Apple Association 2005 Apple Crop Outlook & Marketing Conference, held here at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago Aug. 18-19, James R. Cranney Jr., vice president of the hosting group, told the audience of apple marketers that the total U.S. apple crop this season will be down 6 percent over 2004 and should total about 234.2 million bushels, which is, however, 3 percent above the five-year average.
RETAIL VIEW: Pennsylvania bringing retailers to underserved areas
Earlier this month, the state of Pennsylvania gave $500,000 for a small local supermarket chain to open another unit in Philadelphia. The state made a similar investment in Shop Rite late last year, which has resulted in the development of another Philadelphia supermarket that is already up and running. And the state has about $19 million more earmarked for similar investment.
Stage is set for Fair Trade Month in October
Plans for the second annual Fair Trade Month to be held in October are being finalized through Oakland, CA-based non-profit TransFair USA, the only independent third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States.
Fair Trade certification is a business model that aligns the interests of growers, farmworkers, the industry and consumers. Fair Trade growers are guaranteed a minimum return designed to cover the cost of sustainable production and a decent standard of living for farmers and farmworkers.
Enjoying a family business to the fullest
He graduated from college and went to work the very next day. That was how Jason Sardilli recalled his official start in his family's produce company, Sardilli Produce & Dairy Co. Inc., where he works alongside his father, Don, and his older brother, Devin. And although he hails from a produce family and "helped out" at the wholesale distributor in Hartford, CT, while he was growing up, his joining the company was never assumed or pre-ordained.
Greenhouse Produce Co. appoints Fried De Schouwer president
The board of directors of the newly formed Mission, TX-based Greenhouse Produce Co. LLC has announced the appointment of greenhouse pioneer Fried De Schouwer as president.
Mr. De Schouwer, a greenhouse tomato industry leader, left Eurofresh, where he was vice president of sales and marketing, after 14 years in 2004. During his tenure, Mr. De Schouwer was the cornerstone of the company's rapid growth in sales from $3 million to more than $85 million by 2004.
Frieda Rapoport Caplan Family Business Scholarships awarded
The United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association in Washington, DC, has announced the recipients of the 2005 Frieda Rapoport Caplan Family Business Scholarships.
Produce industry sets hopes on COOL compromise
WASHINGTON -- The produce industry is eagerly awaiting news on whether retailers -- a critical voice in the country-of-origin labeling debate -- will support a compromise country-of-origin labeling package that, in turn, would help sell the proposal on Capitol Hill.
Produce Marketing Association announces general session lineup for Fresh Summit
The Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition is expected to attract over 17,000 attendees from 70 countries and 800 exhibitors when it convenes Nov. 4-8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
"We may be an industry steeped in tradition, but we also have our attention focused on the future," said PMA President Bryan Silbermann. "PMA's Fresh Summit reflects the heart and soul of our membership through a diverse program that offers buyers and sellers value they can connect to and take home from Atlanta.