The 2006 Washington State Potato Conference will be trotting out another first: a chance to taste and evaluate a new potato variety developed by the Northwest (Tri-State) Variety Development Program. The unnamed variety will be offered at the potato bar lunch during the Feb. 7-9 conference. "This is the first time we've offered a taste of a new variety at the conference," said Mark Pavek, potato specialist from Washington State University in Pullman, WA. "In the past, we've used varieties that have been around for a while. We thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce new material

Enrique Lobo, who was previously minister of agriculture in the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, DC, has been reassigned to the agricultural office of the Embassy of Mexico in Ottawa, ON, where he will be minister of agricultural affairs. Froylan Gracia, who was Mr. Lobo's second in command in the Washington agricultural office, has temporarily been appointed to head that office until Mexican Secretary of Agriculture Francisco Mayorga names a new permanent replacement. Mr. Mayorga was named secretary of agriculture last fall when Secretary Javier Usabiaga resigned to run for the governorship

Clifford J. Moquist, a well-known name in the Red River Valley potato industry, died Dec. 19 at age 90 in Melbourne, FL. Mr. Moquist, of Crystal, ND, was a founding partner of O.C. Shulz & Sons Inc., a farming and potato wash plant operation in Crystal. He was born in Minneapolis to Swedish immigrant parents, and grew up in Minnesota, New York City, East Meredith, NY, and Farmingdale, NY. He served during World War II with the 44th Infantry Division and the 726th MP Battalion, first in France and subsequently in the Pacific on Okinawa, preparing for the invasion of Japan. After the war, Mr

Dennis Donohue, president of Salinas-based European Vegetable Specialties Farms Inc., has announced his candidacy for mayor of Salinas. Mr. Donohue is a member of the board of directors of the Salinas-based Grower-Shipper Association of Central California. He also is the newly installed chairman of the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce and a former member of the Produce Marketing Association's foodservice board. Mr. Donohue, who helped build EVS Farms into one of the larger growers of radicchio in the world, in part sees the position of mayor as an opportunity to promote the area's

The Produce Marketing Association's Retail Produce Solutions Conference will be held March 9-11 in Houston. The three-day conference is designed to give executives representing every segment of the supply chain the opportunity to focus on the unique challenges and solutions of the fresh produce industry. A particular focus will be marketing to the "new consumer" segments, namely Hispanics, Asians, GenXers and children. "This conference gives managers and senior executives a chance to collaborate and benefit from what the experts know about the desires and needs of the 'new consumers,' "

In a move that solidifies Los Angeles-based Herb Thyme Farms Inc.'s position as a leading U.S. grower, shipper and marketer of fresh culinary herbs and edible flowers, the company has acquired the business operations of McCormick Fresh Herbs LLC. This acquisition will integrate the fresh herb farms, facilities, employees and management team of McCormick into Herb Thyme. It combines two national leaders in the fresh herb business and continues Herb Thyme's pattern of growth through acquisitions. In early 2004, Herb Thyme acquired New Hampshire-based New England Herb Co. and later that year