In response to food safety concerns from retail and foodservice customers, Mission Produce Inc. in Oxnard, CA, took a proactive position and began encouraging its avocado growers to become Good Agricultural Practices certified. GAP certification helps prevent food safety issues. The program seeks to identify all potential sources of food contaminants that may exist on a farm or ranch, and it is designed to give growers all the tools they need to control and monitor any potential contamination sources they encounter. Mission Produce is a global packer, importer, processor and distributor of

BOUCHERVILLE, QC -- The Quebec Produce Growers Association is getting closer to finalizing its plans to relocate La Place des Producteurs or Growers' Place, Montreal's wholesale produce market. The association, which manages the facility, has been in negotiations with the owner of the land on which the market sits to move La Place des Producteurs to a location at the far eastern end of Montreal by the spring of 2011. Andre Plante, the association's general director, told The Produce News here at the QPGA annual banquet at the Hotel Mortagne Nov. 20 that the organization had "approved and

LOS ANGELES -- The San Diego County Farm Bureau recently named grower Henry William (Bill) Witman its 2009 Farmer of the Year. The farm bureau presented the award to Mr. Witman Nov. 11 at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, CA. Mr. Witman supplies avocados to Giumarra Agricom International LLC, based in Escondido. "We are proud to be associated with Bill Witman not only as a grower and partner but also as a friend. It's dedicated growers like Bill that are the foundation for 'Nature's Partner' avocados," Bruce Dowhan, general manager of Giumarra Agricom, said in a Nov. 30 press

Johan van den Berg has been reappointed president and chief executive officer at Eurofresh Farms in Willcox, AZ, the company he co-founded in 1990. The firm emerged from bankruptcy Nov. 18 after restructuring its debt, which reportedly reached $300 million when it filed for bankruptcy protection in late April of this year. Since 2005, Mr. van den Berg has served as chairman of the board. With the reappointment of the former founder of the firm as CEO, three of the company senior executives have left the organization, though there are currently no details concerning their departure. Sources

Dennis Jackson, who worked for the Pear Bureau Northwest in the New England region as a category manager, is joining the staff of FirstFruits of Washington. Mr. Jackson was hired as a category manager and will also serve regional marketer. He will be based in New Hampshire. FirstFruits officially opened its doors in August. It is a grower cooperative based in Yakima, WA, which currently represents Broetje Orchards, headquartered in Prescott, WA, and Columbia Valley Fruit, located in Union Gap, WA. Kevin Moffitt, president and chief executive officer of the Pear Bureau Northwest, had nothing

This holiday season, consumers can toast to suppertime savings with a multi- partner retail promotion offering coupons on "all the fixings," including Idaho potatoes. Through the end of the year, Frontera Wine will feature bottleneck coupons offering $1 off Idaho potatoes, Kitchen Basics cooking stock, Bruce's Yams and Reynold's Wrap -- some of the essentials for holiday entertaining. The coupons, which prominently feature a photo of a five-pound bag of Idaho potatoes and the "Grown in Idaho" seal, will be available in retail outlets nationwide that sell the Chilean wine. Whether consumers are