At its late-October meeting, the Produce for Better Health Foundation's executive committee decided to end its direct involvement in pursuing the development of national promotion board for the fruit and vegetable industry. At the direction of the committee, PBH staff launched the effort earlier in the year to begin a discussion on the viability of an industrywide, marketing order-type program. Discussions were held throughout the year in various forums with many different stakeholders, including a final town hall meeting at the Produce Marketing Association convention in early October. At

Members of the Southern California produce industry let their feet and legs do the talking when they turned out en masse Sunday, Oct. 25, to participate in the City of Hope's annual Walk For Hope, which raises money to fight and cure breast cancer. Dubbed "Team Produce," more than 120 participants joined in the walk and/or participated in the event as volunteers. More than $60,000 worth of produce was donated to the event, all of which was passed out to many of the 9,000 people who walked in the beautiful Southern California sunshine. Produce sponsors Apio Inc., Sambazon, Hollandia Produce, Jo

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service announced Oct. 22 that it had amended its citrus canker regulations to allow fruit from quarantined areas to be shipped to all U.S. states and territories based on results of new scientific research. The ruling was praised in Florida, the only state that was under quarantine for citrus canker, but questioned by other citrus-producing states and territories. Terence McElroy, press secretary for the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services in Tallahassee, told The Produce News that Charles H. Bronson

Were you ever given an exceptional sales pitch when shopping for a new car, television, computer or other item? How about for a specific service such as lawn care, pest control or auto maintenance? How do presentations come across to you when seeking a supplier, equipment or a specialized vendor? What kind of pitches do salespeople give you to get your business? And once they get in the door, are all those golden promises fulfilled? I browsed through some business publications and made it a point to read the stipulations, obligations and commitments companies included in ads to acquire

The Southeast Produce Council will be looking back a decade and forward a decade as it gathers the first weekend in November to celebrate a major milestone: its 10th anniversary. The council will hold its annual golf tournament and offer a variety of events -- both educational and social - for the expected large turnout of members at its 10th anniversary celebration and fall conference, set for Nov. 5-7 at the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort in Braselton, GA. "A typical fall conference draws around 175 people," SPC Executive Director Terry Vorhees told The Produce News Oct. 12. But with the

Dennis Latina, a longtime leader of Philadelphia's fruit import industry, died suddenly at home Oct. 23, one day after celebrating his 60th birthday with family and friends. Mr. Latina was vice president of Delaware River Stevedores Inc., based in Philadelphia. Mr. Latina "was a well-known figure on the docks from Tioga Terminal in Philadelphia to the port of Wilmington in a long and successful career in the shipping industry," according to a DRS press release. "He was recognized as a strategic thinker in world trade with an expertise in terminal management with perishable and project cargoes