Kings Food Markets continues its tradition of bringing customers the freshest, highest-quality ingredients with the 2014 launch of its exclusive 24 Hour Just Picked Promise.

It’s not just the bees that have been buzzing in cherry orchards in the Pacific Northwest. Growers are raving about perfect conditions, which are expected to translate to strong volume and quality fruit as cherry production ramps up in June.

“We’re very excited about the crop,” said Mac Riggin, director of marketing for Chelan Fresh Marketing in Chelan, WA. “This year it’s spread out well, not compressed. And barring any weather events, it’s lining up to be one of the best cherry crops in years.”

Freshway Foods will introduce a line of new summer salads at the upcoming IDDBA Dairy-Deli-Bake Conference. The new summer salads contain a broad variety of superfoods, including kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, beets and mangos.

Samples of the company’s Super Veggie Detox and 5-A-Day Plus salads will be offered at the show.

Members of the Western Watermelon Association, which include growers from California and several other Western states, donated nearly 30 tons of ice-cold watermelons last year to attendees at a Los Angeles-area watermelon festival, which was held at the Rose Bowl for the first time in the festival's 52-year history.

Doral, FL-based Vega Produce, a grower, packer and importer of a broad line of Asian and conventional fruits and vegetables, is now operating a pre-cut division called Vega Precut, which is expected to begin within the next few weeks.

Lauren Del Rosario, a staff member at Gourmet Trading Co., a Los Angeles-based distributor of fresh asparagus and blueberries, has been named to the first Fresh Produce & Floral Council apprentice program.