The Callippe Preserve Golf Course in Pleasanton, CA, served as the venue for the ninth annual Northern California Golf Tournament of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council held on Friday, May 16.

More than 100 golfers teed off in the scramble format, which saw the foursome of Brian Arbini of Fresh Express, Greg Corrigan of Raley's, Fernando Azevedo of Mann Packing Co. Inc. and Brad Raffanti of Edge Sales & Marketing, come in with top honors.

California Giant Berry Farms announced the addition of Jerry Connery as the new bush berry category manager for the company. Connery is a veteran produce industry professional with sales experience both domestically and internationally.

Food Lion has unveiled a new chain-wide strategy: "Easy, Fresh and Affordable...You Can Count on Food Lion Every Day!" The announcement launches a multi-year initiative to make shopping easier for Food Lion customers at the company's more than 1,100 stores, while keeping the low prices customers expect.

Princeton, FL-based New Limeco LLC announced the return of Doria Blonder to its sales team.

Blonder will once again take on the role of sales and marketing director, handling sales, marketing and advertising for the tropical fruit company.

With over 14 years of experience in the produce industry, specializing in tropical fruit and vegetable sales, Blonder said she is excited to return to New Limeco.

On Tuesday, Dec. 31, just prior to Bill De Blasio being sworn in as the new mayor of New York City, the New York City Economic Development Corp., then still under the leadership of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, announced that the city had renewed the Hunts Point Produce Market lease for an additional seven years.

Some feel that the extension is a short-term solution for a long-term problem, while others say that it’s at least a sign that the city government does want the terminal market to remain at Hunts Point.

“We certainly are happy to have winter behind us,” Bruce Klein, director of marketing for Maurice A. Auerbach in Secaucus, NJ, told The Produce News in late April.

“While we did not really miss any work days, it was just a pain to live through,” he continued. “There was ice on our driveways for a solid month and half. People’s pipes were bursting, water was leaking in homes. The temperatures were simply too low for anyone to go outside. It just made for a very messy and uncomfortable winter for everyone.”