Bill Litvin, vice president of sales and national account manager for Giorgio Fresh Co., headquartered in Blandon, PA, said the company is pleased to be exhibiting at the New England Produce Council Produce & Floral Expo 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel & Spa on Sept. 11.

Washington apple producers are rising to the occasion, changing the notion of what the “new normal” is looking like for the state’s industry. This season, the Evergreen State is predicted to market 140.2 million 40-pound boxes of apples, another large crop and anticipated record-setter.

Jon DeVaney, executive director of the Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association, said the growth track has been a calculated one. “These are the kinds of crops people are expecting,” he told The Produce News. “It’s what the industry has been preparing for.”

Capitalizing on the growing popularity of convenience-driven fruit and vegetable snack items, Baloian Farms has expanded its product line with a new offering: sweet mini peppers with fat-free ranch, packaged together in a single-serving cup.

Whole Kids Foundation is kicking off back-to-school season with a goal of raising $3 million to fund salad bars and gardens for schools and nutrition education classes for teachers.

On Tuesday, Aug. 26, 164 golfers teed it up for the annual FPFC Southern California Golf Tournament at the Tustin Ranch Golf Club in Tustin, CA. The first place team was comprised of Dan Acevedo of West Pak Avocado; Kristyn Lawson of Good Foods Group; Chad Miller of Sprouts; and Heath Shoup of West Pak Avocado.

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LIMA, PERU — Peru is becoming a bigger player on the global agriculture stage, and that was reflected at the recent Expoalimentaria trade fair, held Aug. 27-29, here.