MONTE VISTA, CO -- With the ultimate goal to deliver a comprehensive potato message of nutrition, taste and convenience, the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee is tailoring its marketing plan to include foodservice and retail buyers as well as the end consumer. Leading into the new year and various shows and expositions, a major project being undertaken by the committee is the development of point-of-purchase collateral material, which is being designed for specific audiences. According to CPAC Administrator Linda Weyers, the multi-faceted campaign for 2010 will take in the America

WASHINGTON -- Only about a third of retailers audited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are in full compliance with mandatory country-of- origin labeling and recordkeeping rules, a top USDA official said Jan. 19 during a webinar sponsored by the Produce Marketing Association. While that is an "outstanding attribute" for stores learning the ropes of the new COOL law, there is still room for improvement, said Martin O'Connor, chief of the Standards, Analysis & Technology Branch of the Livestock & Seed Program at USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. Mr. O'Connor shared results from the

CMI and fitness expert Leslie Sansone announced the release of Ms. Sansone's new and unique DVD that combines indoor walking with Pilates. Each DVD includes a card touting Ambrosia apples and a $2 off any current in-store Leslie Sansone DVD. CMI is the exclusive grower-shipper of U.S.- grown Ambrosia apples. Ambrosia apples have a skin that is bright with an almost iridescent pink blush over a creamy background. The flavor is sweet and the flesh is tender and juicy, with a very fine, crisp texture. It is a sweet, low-acid apple with a pleasing aroma. CMI developed a shipping container that

Garrison Cold Storage, situated eight miles from the port of Long Beach, CA, fired up its new refrigerated storage facility Jan. 18. "We're mainly designed to handle fresh produce," General Manager Steve Karo told The Produce News Jan. 22, adding that the business handles both domestic and imported product. According to Mr. Karo, the 46,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility includes nine receiving doors and seven separate self-contained refrigerated rooms capable of handling a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Optimum temperatures are set in each room to ensure product quality. A

Guatemala was dominating the cantaloupe business in mid-January as Honduras and Costa Rica were nearing their seasonal increase in exports to the United States. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture movement reports on Jan. 20, for the young year to date, arrivals in the United States of Guatemalan cantaloupes totaled 5,403 40,000-pound (truckload) units. This far exceeded Guatemala's melon volume of 2,165 truckloads by the same date a year ago. Tampa, which includes Port Manatee, received 3,370 of these units. Fresh Quest and Del Monte, two of the United States' larger melon importers

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would very much like Douglas Fisher to continue in his post as the state's secretary of agriculture. To that end, the governor released the following statement of support Jan. 26: "Secretary Douglas Fisher has proven to have a deep appreciation for New Jersey’s agricultural community that will be a valued addition to the Christie administration. I support his position as secretary for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and look forward to working with him to promote and protect our state’s natural assets." Under state law, Mr. Fisher, 62, a former