Louis Pandol of Pandol Bros. Inc. in Delano, CA, has been elected as the new chairman of the California Table Grape Commission, succeeding the prior chairman, John V. Zaninovich of Vincent B. Zaninovich & Sons. John D. Zaninovich was elected as vice chairman.

One sure sign of spring is the new crop of Walla Walla Sweet Salad Onions, early Walla Walla Sweets shipped by Sweet Clover Produce in Walla Walla, WA.

Sweet Clover Sales Manager Bill (Sweet Willie) Brownfield told The Produce News on May 1 the salad sweets would start shipping the week of May 5, and the short window will extend through the month.

Pallavi Joyappa was named as chief operating officer of Union City, CA-based Emerald Packaging.

In her new role, Joyappa will be responsible for the implementation and optimization of the company’s daily operations, including account and product management, new program and project development, quality assurance and compliance.

“It’s all about water right now,” said Barry Bedlow, president of the California Grape & Tree Fruit League in Fresno, CA, when asked about the major issues currently facing the industry.

In reality, for 2014 the tree fruit industry in California is better off than many with regard to water, because most growers have enough to get them through the current season. But if California’s three-year drought continues another year and some regulatory relief is not found, the impact on all of California agriculture, including the tree fruit industry, could be severe.

LAKE PARK, GA — The family farm is alive and thriving in Lake Park, GA. At Ken Corbett Farms, a new generation of Corbetts is growing the family business with the same love and tender care they put into their vegetables.

“It’s a family affair, we all grew up on the farm working together and have a passion for what we do,” said Justin Corbett, 27, operations manager for Ken Corbett Farms.

The hard work is paying off. “We’ve grown substantially from a 50-acre bell pepper farm to 400 acres over the last 10 years,” he added.

TUBAC, AZ — Santa Cruz is one of the poorest counties in Arizona. There is a 54 percent poverty rate and 28 percent unemployment, according to Chris Ciruli, chief operating officer of Ciruli Bros. LLC, located in nearby Rio Rico, AZ.