Major League Baseball and the produce industry might not exactly go hand-in-hand, but for 26-year-old Brian Lapin the love and pursuit of one led to a promising career in the other.

Peppadew, a pepper-like fruit that is native to South Africa, will be marketed under the “Jersey Fresh” promotional program for the first time this year, with production of the Gold variety of the fruit currently underway in the Garden State.

Additionally, a new facility called Peppadew Fresh Farms & Vineyard will serve as a hub of events and educational activities that revolve around Peppadew.

VINELAND, NJ — With New Jersey vegetables starting early this year thanks to an exceptionally mild winter and early spring, the Vineland Produce Auction likewise opened the 2012 season about a week earlier than normal, according to Joe Bonanno, auction master. Opening day this year was April 12.

Everything old is new again at Vivafresh, which claims a world record of 60 days for holding roses in storage in “pristine shape,” The five-year-old division of Atlas Technologies in Port Townsend, WA, has taken vacuum technology from the late 1960s and made it work commercially for floral products. Its developers think it could revolutionize the way flowers are grown, stored and shipped.

VINELAND, NJ — Krichmar Produce Co. has added one unit to its headquarters in southern New Jersey.

The unit has a cooler that can fit 300 pallets, and provides the company with four additional dock bays.

Taylor Farms California, Inc. of Salinas, CA, this afternoon rescinded a voluntary recall of foodservice bagged salads that were thought to have the potential of being contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Company officials told The Produce News they received notification at mid-day from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the earlier test results were erroneous and “we should have an FDA letter in the next day or so” confirming that “per FDA,” said Taylor representative Alec Leach.