POM Wonderful, one of the largest growers and producers of fresh pomegranates and pomegranate juice in the U.S., is kicking off the 2021 California pomegranate season with its largest digital marketing campaign ever to raise brand awareness and continue to drive category growth. Unveiled in the campaign is new branding for POM Wonderful Pomegranate Fresh Arils, the No. 1 aril brand in total sales, brand awareness, and velocity in the U.S.

Each year the nation honors military veterans who dedicated their lives to protecting the United States. After serving, veterans find their way into everyday life, often working jobs that serve Americans in different ways, such as in the produce industry. This year The Produce News recognizes those who served our nation and the produce industry with a special Veterans edition of our Sighting Salutes series.

Table grape stocks are lower than in previous seasons according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture cold storage report. That is particularly true for red seedless grapes as the amount of supplies is lower than in years past, said Pablo Gómez, licensee and quality assurance manager at IFG. “Generally, grape supplies are down by approximately 20 percent,” he said.

The true test of a company’s value and its ability to meet the needs of its customers comes during challenging times. Based on the success Fox Packaging has seen for the past year-and-a-half, it’s clear why the company is regarded as a leader in the produce packaging sector.

“We had an exponential year,” said Craig Fox, executive vice president of Fox Packaging, based in McAllen, TX. “We built new relationships and we were able to onboard new packaging programs.”

A well-known veteran of the produce industry has joined the team at Mastronardi Produce to help support its recently expanded western business operations. The company has announced that JC Myers has joined as senior director of West Coast operations.

“We’re excited about the addition of JC to our team,” said Paul Mastronardi, president and CEO at Mastronardi Produce. “He is a proven industry leader who understands fresh produce retail markets and is passionate about quality and customer service — a great fit for our company and this role.”

The Northern Plains Potato Growers Association serves more than 200 grower members and 250 potato associate members throughout northwest Minnesota and all of North Dakota, providing legislative, operational and marketing support.