Some 100 leaders will get the chance to work with four top marketing experts on ways to turn the 2009 sour economy into fresh opportunities at the Jan. 13-15 Leadership Symposium, sponsored by the Produce Marketing Association. The Dallas event is a good opportunity to "recharge and look at the big picture, which I think a lot of people are ready to do after the year we've had," said Nancy Ferguson, PMA's public relations manager. "It's very strategic and not skill-focused," she said. The meeting is capped at about 100 attendees "to maintain a really intimate, collegial atmosphere." High-level

George E. Boyhan, professor at the University of Georgia's Department of Horticulture & Extension in Athens, GA, issued a report Dec. 1 stating that Vidalia onions continue to be the greatest revenue generator among vegetables in Georgia, totaling almost $140 million in 2008. "In terms of acres, sweet corn is number one, passing even watermelons, which require a lot of room to grow," Mr. Boyhan told The Produce News. "Sweet corn represents 22,657 acres, watermelons are at 21,852 acres and snap beans comprise 13,219 acres. While Vidalia onions are fourth, at 11,680 acres, the item is number one

WASHINGTON -- New enforceable safety standards for fresh produce are due out next October, the Food & Drug Administration announced Dec. 7. FDA plans to propose regulations for fresh produce safety at the farm and packinghouse based on lessons learned from Good Agricultural Practices and the July 2009 commodity-specific guidance documents. "The proposed rule also would emphasize the importance of environmental assessments to identify hazards and possible pathways of contamination and provide examples of risk-reduction practices recognizing that operators must tailor their preventive controls

S. Strock & Co. Inc., headquartered at the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, MA, hosted several hundred guests Dec. 3 at the grand opening of its new banana ripening and tropical produce facility. The facility, which is now fully operational, is located in Chelsea, but not on the produce center grounds. Michael Strock, director of business development and a fifth-generation Strock family member to work for the company, said that entering the banana and tropical categories, and developing the new facility to handle the products, represent the most significant recent initiatives the firm

OVIEDO, FL -- The "Dandy" brand Meyer lemon season in California is in full swing. Due to the growing popularity of the citrus fruit, Duda Farm Fresh Foods is offering a new, two- pound clamshell to provide retailers with added benefits for the citrus category. Duda focuses a significant amount of time and resources in product innovation to meet the needs of its customers and consumers alike. With the new, two-pound Meyer lemon clamshell, the company has provided retailers with a means to help consumers differentiate the product from others that share the same shelf space. Initial customer

WASHINGTON -- Tom Stenzel, United Fresh Produce Association's president and chief executive officer, released the following statement Dec. 15 on the introduction of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for Americas Security & Prosperity Act of 2009 by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL): "The United Fresh Produce Association applauds the efforts of Rep. Luis Gutierrez and his colleagues in the House in introducing the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for Americas Security & Prosperity Act of 2009. We are particularly gratified to see inclusion of the AgJOBS legislation, which is broadly supported as