Aldi Inc. announced that it has made a structural adjustment to its senior leadership organization in order to support the retailer’s further expansion both in the U.S. and internationally.

Jason Hart, who currently serves as president for Aldi U.S., has been promoted to a new role, effective April 1, 2015. Hart will become chief executive officer for Aldi U.S. and will be supported by Chuck Youngstrom and David Behm, who will continue in their roles of co-presidents for Aldi U.S.

Potatoes are shipping from facilities across the country, and the russets grown in Colorado’s San Luis Valley are “one of the better quality crops out of the continental U.S.,” according to David Tonso, manager of the RPE facility located near Monte Vista.

“Quality is excellent,” Tonso told The Produce News on Nov. 14. “The potatoes are just as good as last year with a better size profile.”

Adding to the enthusiasm for 2014’s season is the fact that “demand is crazy” in the run-up to the holidays, he said.

Despite several challenges, the fall red potato shipping for Associated Potato Growers Inc., is “going OK,” said Paul Dolan, manager of the Grand Forks, ND-based grower-packer-shipper.

“In the last couple of weeks” movement has picked up, he said Nov. 17. “Demand has picked up some.” But prices “are just OK. They are below last year by a couple of bucks, probably. We had to get down there to compete with russets.”

Iceberg lettuce, celery and cauliflower are the three core items that have kept California-based Santa Barbara Farms thriving since Ron Berghoefer opened the doors of his company in 1997. Previously, Berghoefer had managed another company’s local deal.

The company, which is headquartered in Lompoc about an hour’s drive north of Santa Barbara, has built its business around year-round supplies of these three commodities.

Iceberg lettuce is the firm’s top-volume item, and is joined by cauliflower and celery on the sales sheet.

“Our volume of the ‘Kiku’ club variety is up considerably this year,” John Rice, president of Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, PA, told The Produce News. “We are getting close to our marketing quota, which means that we have a nice supply of this outstanding apple variety this season. Under our licensing agreement, we’re permitted to sell 100,000 packed boxes annually, and this year we are up to about 75,000.”

As the holiday season approaches, GloriAnn Farms and partner Five Crowns Marketing are getting into the giving spirit. After two months of promotions, GloriAnn Farms announced this year’s charitable contributions totaled just shy of $40,000. For the third year in a row, donations were made to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc.