SAVANNAH, GA — Reigning Florida Watermelon Queen Brandi Harrion was named the 2014 National Watermelon Queen at the association's 100th anniversary celebration Feb. 22, here.

The NWA convention not only celebrated the association's 100th year, it also marked the 50th year of the queen competition.

Due to the significant growth in volume of strawberries and other berries moving across the border from Mexico into the United States at McAllen, TX, TransFresh Corp., which provides to the berry industry a modified-atmosphere pallet packaging system called Tectrol, has put “significant capital infrastructure into the key coolers down there,” according to Rich MacLeod, vice president of the TransFresh Pallet Division North America.

California Giant Berry Farms, based in Watsonville, CA, has created a new staff position focused on field-level education and training and recently hired Jazmin Lopez as the new food safety coordinator.

The intimate atmosphere at Southern Exposure gives Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers ongoing opportunities to strengthen business relationships and build new ones.

The company is headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, and was one of Washington’s first exporters of apples. Today, the company offers its domestic and international customers a wide array of quality apples, pears, cherries, stone fruits, table grapes, citrus and other commodities.

Looking to bump up its overall summer production significantly this year, Sweet Clover Produce of Walla Walla, WA, began planting new-crop onions in the Northwest during the week of Feb. 17.

According to Sales Manager Bill (Sweet Willie) Brownfield, the company is still shipping 2013 storage single-center Red Wing reds from Quincy, WA, as well as sweet yellows and yellows. Brownfield said 2014 planting began about a week later than normal, and the famed Walla Walla Sweets, Washington’s State Vegetable, are expected to start shipping the second or third week of June.

A recent consumer shopper insight study conducted by the Hass Avocado Board, reported that product display, quality/ripeness and price are three key purchase motivators.