Vero Beach, FL-based Seald-Sweet announced the opening of Seald-Sweet West International Inc. in Visalia, CA. In making the announcement, Seald-Sweet Senior Vice Presidents David Mixon and Mayda Sotomayor also announced that David Muse has joined the company and will immediately assume the position of vice president of operations, sales and marketing at the new location. "This will enable Seald-Sweet to provide its customers with a full line of citrus varieties from all major domestic growing areas," said Mr. Mixon. Previously, we were handling California citrus but not in the manner we

Several board members of the three-year-old Chicago International Produce Market indicate that the move from the historic, but highly antiquated, South Water Street Market was an extremely good one. Market board member Tim Fleming of Strube Celery & Vegetable Co. said, "The market is beginning to work for people. People are beginning to use it like a new tool. The quality of product moving through Chicago has increased with the efficiencies. What people incurred in debt [to build the new market] is made up in efficiency. We are more confident in our product. It goes out better." He added,

Rodger Wasson, president of the California Strawberry Commission since May 2002, announced his resignation from the commission, effective Sept. 15. Mr. Wasson told The Produce News that his decision to resign was reached mutually with the executive committee of the commission and that he had alerted them at several points during his tenure that he felt the day would come when the commission would be better served by finding his replacement. The commission is a state government agency that represents an industry of about 510 growers and 75 shippers and processors. Board Chairman Rich Amirsehhi

While reservoirs across Colorado were nearing capacity in late June and early July and easing a water shortage that in 2002 had thrown 85 percent of the state into dangerously dry conditions, not all farmers were ready to say their concerns over water have ended. However, Mike Gillespie, snow survey supervisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Survey, said at a mid-May press briefing in Denver that year-to-date snow totals were closer to average than the past seven, and most water-storage facilities were at 89 percent capacity or better at that juncture. The USDA Weekly Crop Bulletin

Over much of its 95-year history, produce distributor Sun Valley Fruit Co. (previously known as Hutchinson Fruit) owned its vehicles to pick up products and make deliveries. But about a year ago, the company made a significant change and began leasing trucks through PacLease. For the past 30 years, Sun Valley in Albuquerque, NM, owned a fleet made up of 26 straight trucks and 10 tractor-trailer combinations. The over-the-road fleet of 10 trucks ran 1,600 miles round-trip from Albuquerque to Los Angeles to pick up fresh fruit and vegetables. The loads then were transferred to straight trucks

WASHINGTON -- Issues facing the California specialty crops industry will be showcased Aug. 26 when Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) takes lawmakers with a congressional subcommittee to his district for a field hearing. The House Agriculture Subcommittee wants to hear about the successes and failures experienced under the federal grants program, along with its unique challenges, such as trade issues, pest and disease problems, and conservation difficulties. California is by far the largest specialty crop-producing state in the nation, and California members of the House Agriculture Livestock &