With an early crop of figs and a hot market, Stellar Distributing Inc. in Madeira, CA, has taken advantage of a great marketing season as it kicked off its 2014 California fig season.

The North Carolina bell pepper deal for Farm Fresh Produce, Inc. looked good May 6. Speaking by phone from Amsterdam, where he was checking a sweet potato export arrival, Steven Ceccarelli, company owner, said his pepper harvest would begin in the range of June 20-24.

Farm Fresh’s expanding napa cabbage deal was to begin around May 9 and would run through June 10, Ceccarelli said. This is a late start because of cool early spring weather.

With twice as many Romas as last year in the plans, as well as new acreage planted in grower Harry Singh Jr.'s signature vine-ripe seed, West Coast Tomato Growers and The Oppenheimer Group are entering the third year of their marketing partnership with optimism.

Coming off the success of its current Bistro Salad Bowl line, Ready Pac Foods Inc. is taking the fresh single-serve segment to the next level with even more produce-based, pantry load, complete meal solutions.

Weis Markets announced David W. Gose has joined the company as senior vice president of operations.

In his new position, Gose will oversee the day-to-day operation and management of the company’s stores. He will report to Chief Operating Officer Kurt Schertle.

Top-performing cherry retailers utilize significantly different sales and merchandising approaches than low-performing retailers, according to a new analysis released by Columbia Marketing International. The report identifies key differences between top and bottom performing retailers in U.S.