With its “Foxy” brand of fresh produce, The Nunes Co. in Salinas, CA, has embarked on an ambitious and long range effort to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

“We are taking a long-term view of what we can do at store level to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables,” said Matt Seeley, Nunes’ vice president of marketing. “In our industry we should all be looking for ways to increase sales and consumption and I don’t think there is a better program to do that than juicing.”

Following the expansion of its grower network, Fagerberg Produce will be marketing organic onions this season. “We picked up a few new growers,” said Sales Manager Alan Kinoshita. “One of these growers we took on has a few acres in organic.”

While Fagerberg Produce is not certified as an organic onion grower, Kinoshita said the company is certified as an organic handler.

Fagerberg Produce is based in Eaton, CO, and Kinoshita said the new growers bring more than 200 additional acres into the mix for both conventional and organic onions.

More than 300 produce and floral industry professionals will lace up for the annual PMA Foundation 5K Race for Talent in Monterey, CA, this July. The race benefits PMA Foundation efforts to attract talent into the industry and provide development opportunities for young professionals.

The Southeast Produce Council's 2014 STEP-UPP class visited produce facilities and farms July 8-11 in the Philadelphia and southern New Jersey areas as part of its ongoing learning experience for class members to develop a greater understanding of the industry.

The Diamond State Port Corp. and Chiquita Brands International have reached an agreement by which Chiquita will continue to use the Port of Wilmington as its mid-Atlantic distribution hub for the next five years.

Also, the agreement includes two five-year lease renewal options that will extend Chiquita's relationship with Wilmington until 2029.

With the retention of Chiquita's business, the port will continue to handle more bananas than any other port in North America and retain its claim as "Top Banana."

The 76th annual Grower-Shipper golf tournament and gala events were highlighted by the presentation of the Association's E.E. (Gene) Harden Award for Lifetime Achievement in Central Coast Agriculture to Robert V. (Bob) Antle.

According to GSA, a capacity crowd at the June 21 dinner dance honored Antle for his lasting and significant contributions to agriculture as well as his extensive and longtime generosity to many philanthropic and educational institutions and endeavors in our community.