For the third year, Access Organics Inc., Kalispell, Mont., will be sourcing product from the Navajo Pride Organic program starting around Aug. 19, said Access Organics president Bonnie Poux.

About 23% of the fruit produced by Sage Fruit Co. LLC, Yakima, Wash., is organically grown, and that makes Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing, a happy man.

Pacific Organic Produce, San Francisco, has hired Gerry Chua, Manuel Pinon and Tina  Barnes to it sales and grower relations teams.

With avocados ranking No. 1 on the Environmental Working Group’s Clean Fifteen list of produce items, you might think sales of the organic version of the fruit would be minimal.

The organic produce category may not be expanding at the dizzying speed it was a few years ago, but the growth rate remains significant, and grower-shippers don’t see a substantial drop-off anytime soon.

Viva Tierra Organic, Inc. has introduced a new line of packaging for California grown certified organic apples and pears.

BrightFarms, Irvington, N.Y., has hired Steve Platt as CEO.

Watsonville, Calif.-based A&A Organic Farms is shipping organic lemons in partnership with growers in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Not everybody grows or handles organic potatoes in Wisconsin, but those who do say it’s a worthwhile category.

Chelsea, Mass.-based Arrowfarms will celebrate Gold Bell’s 40th anniversary this year with charitable donations and sustainability initiatives.