WASHINGTON -- Fruit and vegetable producers continue to push for improvements in nutrition and farm policies, but their agenda may hinge on whether Congress spells relief for an industry struggling to maintain a stable foreign workforce, said Mike Stuart of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association. Speaking at the Sept. 14 United Fresh Produce Association meeting, here, Mr. Stuart said that the industry has opportunities to expand the school snack program and provide more fruits and vegetables to mothers and children on a government feeding program. But "there's a dark cloud on the horizon,"

The talk is over. On Sept. 15, 71 stockholders of the Philadelphia Fresh Food Terminal Corp. put down $15,000 per unit to hold their place in a new wholesale produce market. Sonny DiCrecchio, executive director of the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market, said that the $1,080,000 that had been collected "was the final thing to bring to the state" authorities before the construction project could begin. "This is really good news. Until now, people were saying they were in." Now contracts are signed and the money is committed. Mr. DiCrecchio said that 71 of 72 stockholders in the current market

Liberty Fruit Co. in Kansas City, KS, held its seventh annual golf tournament to benefit Children's Mercy Hospital on Monday, Sept. 18. The tournament was held at Tiffany Greens Golf Resort in Kansas City, MO, and approximately 150 golfers participated. Everyone enjoyed the gorgeous 70-degree sunny day, despite the brisk wind. The Caviar family, led by Arnold and Allen Caviar, owner and president og Liberty Fruit, respectively, presented Dorene Shipley, senior director of operations for resource development for Children's Mercy Hospital, with a ceremonial check for $50,000. The actual amount

The board of directors of Sunkist Growers in Sherman Oaks, CA, unanimously elected Timothy J. Lindgren as president and chief executive officer of the citrus marketing cooperative. He had been serving as interim president and CEO of the organization since June. Mr. Lindgren is the former president of Fruit Growers Supply Co., a sister cooperative affiliate of Sunkist involved in agricultural supplies, packaging and timberland management, a position he held for 26 years before retiring in 2003. With 31 years of experience with the Sunkist-FGS system, he has extensive operational knowledge of

NEW YORK -- As the fall potato harvest gets ready to kick off, the Idaho Potato Commission returned to the media capital of the world Sept. 20 to celebrate and explain its significance, as well as to unveil two new commercials that star fitness icon Denise Austin, its spokesperson. "We are here celebrating the Idaho potato harvest, and [we] think of New York as the second home of Idaho potatoes, as we sell more potatoes in New York state than any other state in the U.S.," Frank Muir, president and chief executive officer of the IPC, said during a morning reception at Chelsea Piers, a well

For the most part, supermarket customers appear to be taking the spinach recall in stride and are not altering their produce purchasing habits significantly. At least that is the view of a handful of retailers interviewed by The Produce News from different regions of the country, which mirrors many media reports across the nation. "We do not believe this has caused our customers to leave the category," said Michael O'Brien, vice president of produce for Schnuck Markets Inc., a chain of more than 100 stores headquartered in St. Louis. "We've had a slight increase in sales in other bagged salad