Cherry growers from the Pacific Northwest will continue to be able to take advantage of state-of-the-art packaging options offered by PeakfreshUSA, located in Lake Forest, CA. Last year, the company named XPEDX, a division of International Paper, as its exclusive Northwest distributor. XPEDX has been servicing Northwest growers for over 26 years with programs that include equipment, fulfillment and packaging consumable solutions.

It is not a new product for Tanimura & Antle, since the Salinas, CA-based lettuce giant started offering shrink-wrapped lettuce about 10 years ago. But Diana McClean, director of marketing, said that the trend is coming back to shrink wrap and away from naked lettuce, so T&A is introducing this concept once again.

“We have had more calls for wrapped product, so we are bringing it back and have redesigned the packaging,” she said.

California Giant Berry Farms in Watsonville, CA, has moved into the peak of its season with excellent volume, great quality and strong demand.

Cindy Jewell, the firm’s director of marketing, said that the company continues to push the “berry patch” concept to retailers as the best way to merchandise the various types of berries the company sells.

Three crop peaks and a significant overall increase in production is being forecast by Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers of Wenatchee, WA, for its 2012 cherry season.

Dan Wohlford, national marketing representative for Oneonta, told The Produce News on May 21 that the operation is "looking at a 16 percent increase over last year's crop."

Coastline Produce believes its lettuce variety that is a cross between Butter lettuce and Romaine hearts can create a bigger ring at retail and help transition consumers to higher-margin items.

There was a time when the vegetable-producing arm of A. Duda & Sons Inc. Inc., flexed its muscles and expanded its product lines.