ANAHEIM, CA — Apio's Mike Casazza and Harrison Higaki of Bay City Flower Co. were honored with the annual Fresh Produce & Floral Council produce and floral awards, respectively, at the FPFC's Southern California Expo, held Tuesday, July 16, at the Disneyland Hotel, here.

BC Tree Fruits, based in Kelowna, BC, has partnered with Sutherland S.A. Produce to manage the export of the 2013 BC Tree Fruits cherry crop.

The partnership provides BC Tree Fruits access to international markets and the ability to forge new relationships for future produce export opportunities.

Sutherland S.A. Produce, with North American offices in West Kelowna, BC, and Los Angeles, has over 25 years experience exporting and marketing cherries to destinations worldwide.

Tampa, FL-based At The Table Public Relations is celebrating 30 years of public relations service to clients around the world with a focus on food.

From placing media appearances for chef and TV personality Hugh Acheson for the Georgia Blueberry Commission to gracing the pages of Relish magazine for the Georgia Pecan Commission, At The Table Public Relations' mission incorporates those who produce food, serve food and love food.

Pepin Heights Orchards, based in Lake City, MN, announced the addition of BILLY WHALEN and JOHN GILLUND to its sales and marketing team.

Whalen has joined the company as director of sales and marketing. His background includes marketing and sales for major consumer product brands in the beverage industry. Before joining Pepin Heights, Whalen worked as the division marketing manager for Neuro Drinks.

In a very extensive cross-promotion, California Giant Berry Farms is joining Sony Pictures Animation, Feeding America and some other top grower-shippers in a marketing campaign tied to the release of the production company’s new animated feature, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.”

Beneath it all, “gourmet” means a food, beverage and/or presentation that is unique, highly flavorful and typically more expensive than commodity items.

Whip up a holiday appetizer like Chef Sally Hursts’ (chefsallyjane.com) roasted fingerling potatoes with caviar and smoked salmon, which she did for the Today Show’s online cooking class last December, and you’d be pretty hard-pressed to call it anything short of gourmet.