In March of 2020, life as we knew it came to a stop. Despite being weeks out from a series of in-person events that were quickly postponed, the Produce Marketing Association pivoted and within days of the first lockdown had held the first of what would become a weekly Virtual Town Hall.  Today at noon EDT, PMA will mark its one-year anniversary of Virtual Town Halls with a special South by Southwest edition.

Wada Farms Marketing Group announces new hires in the company’s National Sales and Marketing Team. Industry veterans Stephanie Bench, Susi Torigian, and Fran Torigian have joined Wada Farms to further develop and diversify Wada’s ever expanding commodity portfolio.

Loblaw President Sarah Davis will retire on May 6. She will be succeeded by Executive Chairman Galen G. Weston, who will become chairman and president in addition to his current role as chairman and CEO at George Weston Ltd. The companies also announced that Robert Sawyer will join Loblaw as chief operating officer and that Richard Dufresne, president and chief financial officer of GWL, will expand his responsibilities to include becoming CFO of Loblaw on May 6.

Fresh Express announced four new flavors across its popular salad kit lines: Bacon Thousand Island and Kickin’ Bacon Ranch Chopped Salad Kits, and Italian Balsamic and Spinach & Bacon Salad Kits. 

The Mexican mango program of Continental Fresh LLC is seasonally gearing up this March, according to Albert Perez, CEO and head of grower relations.

The “Valentine’s Day Massacre” for south Texas’ fruit and vegetable growers spared J&D Produce Inc., a major Texas produce grower based in Edinburg, TX.

“The cabbage is looking pretty good. We dodged a big bullet,” said Bret Erickson senior vice president of business affairs for spared J&D Produce.

On the night of Feb. 14, temperatures in south Texas were below freezing for many hours. Freezing cold continued to blast these fields through that week. Erickson, noted that “cabbage is pretty hardy. That was a bright spot, along with onions.”