Continuing the celebration of its 60th anniversary, the Quebec Produce Marketing Association will hold its 60th annual convention Aug. 23-25 at the Fairmount Tremblant in Mont-Tremblant, QC. With the theme "60 Years of Love," convention attendees will be treated to many exciting activities at the world-renowned resort town nestled at the foot of the Laurentian Mountains about 90 minutes from Montreal. The convention location is a special one for the QPMA, as it held its 50th convention there 10 years ago. "It is a memorable place for the association, and I really think that it is amazing that

WASHINGTON -- Next month, the so-called "no-match" regulation designed to crack down on employers who hire illegal workers goes into effect, and the rule is likely to devastate agriculture and other industries already struggling with a weakened labor force. Starting in mid-September, the Social Security Administration plans to begin sending out 15,000 letters a week under the so-called "no-Match" regulation. If an employer has a significant number of employees without accurate identity information, the administration will send a "no-match" letter. The employer must take steps to rectify the

Whole Foods Market Inc. and Wild Oats Markets Inc. announced Aug. 16 that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has denied the Federal Trade Commission's request for a preliminary injunction related to the proposed merger between Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets. "The District Court's ruling affirms our belief that a merger between Whole Foods and Wild Oats is a winning scenario for all stakeholders," John Mackey, chairman, chief executive officer and co-founder of Whole Foods Market, said in a statement. "We believe the synergies gained from this combination will create

Naturipe Farms LLC, based in Naples, FL, announced that Bruce Peterson has joined the company as president and chief executive officer. Mr. Peterson is a 37-year veteran of the produce industry who is best known for his 15-year stint at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., where he launched and built that retail giant's perishable foods division before leaving the company in early 2007. Earlier this year, he presided over his own consulting firm, Peterson Insights Inc. "The board of directors and principals of Naturipe Farms are excited that Bruce has joined our company," Edmundo Ruiz, chairman of the board

ORADELL, NJ -- Armed with charming smiles, a wealth of information about kiwifruit and a cool kiwi-green sport utility vehicle, a team of young men and women are blanketing the New York metropolitan area to help spread the word about "Zespri" brand New Zealand kiwifruit. The "Power Up" tour, sponsored by Zespri and The Oppenheimer Group, the brand's Vancouver, BC-based marketer, was one week into a six-week sojourn to New York-area retailers, where team members are holding sampling events to help raise awareness of the nutritional properties of the delectable orbs. "Our goal basically is to

Production numbers for California apples for the 2007-08 season likely will come in a little lower than the 3.4 million boxes of fresh apples shipped during the 2006-07 year, according to Alex Ott, executive director of the California Apple Commission. Mr. Ott said that estimates have this year's shipments at 3 million to 3.1 million boxes. The final tally for the 2005-06 season wrapped up at 3.6 million boxes; 2004-05 was 3.9 million boxes. "We were delayed last year," Mr. Ott said. "Galas didn't begin until August." Though volume has slid incrementally year over year for the past several