It has been about 15 years since Homegrown Organic Farms in Porterville, CA, opened its doors and it has been steady growth ever since.

The company began with citrus and tree fruit and those commodities continue to be the main focus of the operation, but it has also expanded into blueberries and enlarged its citrus line. Chief Executive Officer Scott Mabs said, “Right now, the growth we have experienced is in easy-peel mandarins and blueberries.”

Potato growers in Colorado have seen a wide range of weather and weather-related conditions this season, with late summer rainfall bringing some areas a much needed, although temporary, respite from the state's ongoing drought.

In the San Luis Valley, where the majority of Colorado's potatoes are grown, fewer acres were planted this spring due to the water shortage. Expectations at harvest were for lower yields in the early varieties, but the August rainfall was seen as helping size the later spuds.

Stevco, a California-based table grape grower, has hired Matthew DeCarlo as its new chief executive officer, effective Sept. 23. DeCarlo succeeds Steven L. Gilfenbain, who founded Stevco in 1974 and is retiring as CEO.

Dole Food Co. Inc. announced the expiration of the “go-shop” period, during which it did not receive any alternative proposals from third parties, and will move forward with its previously announced merger agreement with David H. Murdock, Dole’s chairman and chief executive officer.

Following completion of the transaction, Dole will become a privately held company owned by Murdock, and its stock will no longer be listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Tom Wason, president of 20/20 Produce in Heyburn, ID, said heat has taken some toll on onion production this season. “So far, [the crop is] looking more mature than normal,” he told The Produce News in early September. “The heat definitely had some impact, with 70 days over 90 degrees and 13 days over 100 degrees. So currently, reviews are some fields are looking great and others are not.”

Kay Riley, president of Certified Onions Inc., said the nonprofit’s membership base has grown to 26 members this season. Members include DeBoer Farms, a shallot grower in Nyssa, OR.

Members voluntarily undergo stringent testing for off-label pesticide use and random maximum residue levels. Third-party auditing is performed at both the field and shed levels. Pathogen testing is also available.