Santa Maria, CA-based grower-shipper Babé Farms, has been a leader in specialty vegetables and gourmet salad blends for more than 25 years.

Ande Manos, marketing and new business development representative for the company said that its staff is looking forward to the Produce Marketing Association Foodservice Conference & Expo in Monterey, CA, July 26-28.

Tom Bellamore, the president of the California Avocado Commission, has had a diverse career and life that took him from the Garden State of New Jersey to the harsh climate of the far reaches of Alaska before he began calling sunny and mild Southern California home.

In earlier days, small neighborhood grocery stores were situated on every corner while supermarkets were expanding rapidly. Competition wasn’t so fierce then and the little family-owned neighborhood stores, which focused on offering good service, never marketed themselves in newspaper ads or by any other means except word of mouth.

Craig Carlson, a former produce retail executive who has worked for some of the top chains in the country during his 30-year career, announced the formation of his new firm, Carlson Produce Consulting.

Carlson told The Produce News he had been thinking about forming his own consultancy for a while and the timing now seemed right.

The California Avocado Commission recently promoted June as California Avocado Month through comprehensive public relations outreach and partnerships with noted chefs in 11 markets across the country.

As the middle child in a family of five children, 27-year-old Kevin Vines learned at an early age what it takes to stand out in a crowd.

“Growing up in a big family made it very easy for me to talk to people and also get my point across when it is needed,” said the Redlands, CA, native. “It also molded me into the worker I am today and taught me that you cannot get anywhere in life without hard work and determination.”