SALINAS, CA -- The National Steinbeck Center Museum, here, received a $2 million donation from Rabobank, a leading bank serving the global food and agriculture industry with retail branches throughout California, in a ceremony held March 7 at the center. Rabobank's donation is the largest private donation ever received by the National Steinbeck Center. The $2 million gift will launch the National Steinbeck Center's capital campaign to raise matching funds for its recent $3 million grant application submitted to the California Cultural & Historical Endowment (Prop. 40). The center's grant

California fresh-market carrot production came in at 20.6 million hundredweight in 2005, 2.5 percent higher than both 2003 and 2004, when production came in at 20 million hundredweight. "It was a bit of a surprise to me," said Jerry Munson of the California Fresh Carrot Advisory Board in Dinuba, CA, adding that it is further confirmation of the popularity of the baby cut-carrot market. He said that the full effect of baby cut-carrot production was first noticed in 1998, when fresh-market carrot production jumped into the 19 million range and stayed there through 2002. The California Vegetable

Monterey, CA-based Colorful Harvest has added Robbie Coyle to its sales team as business development sales manager. Mr. Coyle's main focus will be to grow the artichoke, blueberry, raspberry and blackberry business while supporting other sales needs at Colorful Harvest. He brings 18 years of direct produce sales experience to Colorful Harvest in the areas of fresh vegetables and berries. Mr. Coyle is a graduate of California State University- Fresno with a degree in plant science. He moved to Salinas in 1989, where he still lives with his wife of 11 years, Kim, and two children Sydney, 9, and

NOGALES, AZ -- One of the major activities of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, here, according to Lee Frankel, the association's president, is "increasing the number of retail promotions during our peak season." The program was introduced just last year, and it has been going "very, very well this year," Mr. Frankel said. "This year we have seen ads in virtually every market every week for [at least] one of our main products, be it tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, watermelons. & And usually multiple items are featured." Those promotions have "really helped support" the

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. in Coral Gables, FL, announced that its board has authorized a three-year stock repurchase program of up to $300 million of the company's ordinary shares. The timing and number of shares to be repurchased in the open market will depend on a number of factors, including market conditions and alternative investment opportunities. Repurchases are expected to be funded with the company's cash from operations and revolving credit facility. Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and chief executive officer, said that the announcement "demonstrates the ongoing confidence we have

DiMare Fresh Scranton is building a new repacking warehouse facility that is expected to be completed in July. Paul Holmes, general manager of DiMare Scranton, said that the facility will be a state-of-the-art operation featuring the latest technology for packaging and distribution. It is the third new facility constructed by DiMare Fresh, which is owned by Paul DiMare of DiMare Inc. in Boston. DiMare Fresh built its first new warehouse in Tampa, followed by one in Chicago. DiMare's Scranton operation was purchased in January 2003 from Fresh America, which occupied the warehouse once belonging