Comprehensive immigration reform was the main topic of discussion at a Jan. 14 meeting between Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and officials from the Western Growers Association. "The senator invited us to meet with him so he could learn where we stood on a number of important issues," said Tom Nassif, president and chief executive officer of the California and Arizona grower-shipper association. The Western Growers Association contingent was Chairman of the Board Robby Barkley of Barkley Ag Enterprises in Yuma, AZ; Gary Pasquinelli of Pasquinelli Produce in Yuma; Will Rousseau of Rousseau Farming in

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bronson has requested and received from the state's governor an Executive Order extending for an additional seven days a state of emergency to assist farmers dealing with crop damage from the freeze. The Jan. 19 order directs the state Department of Transportation to extend the lifting of weight, height, length and width restrictions for commercial vehicles transporting vulnerable crops to processing sites. "Growers are taking advantage of the improved weather to salvage as many fruit and vegetable crops as possible to mitigate the

Jolly Green Giant and Tony the Tiger, meet Misty the Garden Pixie. Plant City, FL-based Wishnatzki Farms has debuted "Wish Farms," a new brand for its fresh produce products. The new consumer label, featuring Misty the Wish Farms Garden Pixie, will replace the "Wishnatzki Farms" label on the company's strawberries, bell peppers, squash, cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes sold in grocery stores. To introduce the brand to consumers, the company has launched an on-line campaign that includes a series of humorous videos that are posted on www.WishFarms.com and on www.YouTube.com/WishFarms. The

Bringing three decades of produce knowledge to the newly created position of South American trade manager, industry veteran Bill Lewis joined The Oppenheimer Group Dec. 9. Mr. Lewis, whose began his career as an inspector for the California Department of Agriculture, has extensive experience in the Latin American arena and will lead the Oppenheimer team in Santiago, Chile, focusing on the distribution giant's export programs. Included in his purview are Asia, Europe and Central America. As he refines and implements new export strategies, Mr. Lewis will call on his relationships with Chilean

IMMOKALEE, FL -- Brown is not a color one expects to see here at the western edge of the Florida Everglades. In the aftermath of a record-setting freeze that dipped almost to the southernmost tip of the peninsula Jan 2-12, mile after mile of once-green fields and farms were left looking as desolate as a lunar landscape. "It looks like a nuke landed," U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) said Monday, Jan. 18, from the middle of a Pacific Collier Fresh Co. pepper field here. Rep. Diaz-Balart and U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) conducted a whirlwind tour of Florida Jan. 14-18 in the wake of almost two

The Tioga Marine Fruit Terminal expects to receive a 20-25 percent increase in Chilean fruit volume this season, according to Robert Blackburn, senior deputy executive director of Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. The port authority is headquartered across the street from the Tioga terminal, which is in Philadelphia on the western bank of the Delaware River. The authority owns the terminal, which is managed by Delaware River Stevedores, commonly known as DRS. Mr. Blackburn said the increased business for Tioga will be a credit to DRS, which has attracted new exporters to the warehouse. He