Nature Safe Fertilizers welcomes PNW regional sales manager

Mike Ansolabehere
Mike Ansolabehere

Nature Safe Fertilizers recently added Mike Ansolabehere as Pacific Northwest regional sales manager, according to a news release. His focus will be on organic fertilizer needs for specialty crops, including apples, cherries, pears, blueberries, hazelnuts and grapes.

Ansolabehere holds a degree in crop science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and has more than 35 years’ experience in California’s Central Valley, having served as: a retail pest control advisor concentrating on integrated pest management, soil health and plant nutrition, an in-house pest control advisor for a large tree and vine grower, and a national manufacturing representative in both California and Central Washington. 

Established in 1992, Nature Safe has long been involved in organic farming technology and development. 

For more information, visit: Naturesafe.com.

Pearl Sort releases new sorter for blueberries

The Blue Pearl, the latest sorter from Pearl Sort LLC, includes artificial intelligence technology and a service team that can help on site and remotely, according to a news release. 

The Blue Pearl requires only one operator and sorts up to 8,000 pounds per hour. It has undergone five years of development and two years of testing, where it achieved strong results in size, speed and accuracy. The team behind it has a combined 40 years of experience in the agricultural industry. 

The Blue Pearl, a new blueberry sorter from Pearl Sort, is approximately 25 feet long and 3.5 feet wide. (Courtesy Pearl Sort)
The Blue Pearl, a new blueberry sorter from Pearl Sort, is approximately 25 feet long and 3.5 feet wide. (Courtesy Pearl Sort)

“I believe that the company’s innovative solutions will revolutionize the industry and provide tangible benefits for customers,” said Jonathan Reed, sales director of Pearl Sort. “Additionally, the AI software A.D.A.M. (Artificial Intelligence Designed for Agricultural Machinery) has shown an impressive 95 percent accuracy rate in sorting cherries, and we are eager to integrate it into the blueberry market.”

For more information, visit: pearlsort.com.

AgroFresh acquires Pace

AgroFresh Solutions Inc. recently announced the acquisition of Pace International LLC, including its domestic and overseas operations, according to a news release. Prior to the transaction, Pace was a subsidiary of Valent BioSciences LLC, a Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. group company. 

Pace manufactures and supplies edible fruit coatings, fungicides, cleaners and sanitizers, sustainable storage treatments and application equipment for fresh produce. Integrating the Pace business expands AgroFresh’s postharvest solutions to a broader portfolio of technology, services and digital solutions in both the organic and conventional produce categories, furthering AgroFresh’s ability to support customers in accomplishing their mission of protecting produce quality and freshness, according to the release.

“This acquisition enables us to take another important step towards our vision — to be regarded by customers as the postharvest partner of choice,” said Clint Lewis, CEO at AgroFresh. “We are excited to bring the combined portfolios, technical expertise and services of both companies to customers.”

For more information, visit: agrofresh.com and paceint.com.