July is National Blueberry Month, and Naples, FL-based Naturipe Farms, one of the larger producers of fresh blueberries globally, is celebrating fresh blueberries as an ideal "hero" with which to mark America's independence. A true native American species, fresh blueberries grown by family farmers in 38 states are both a healthful and delicious fruit. July is peak season for American blueberries and a prime time to delight in these little wonders. Fresh blueberries are now a staple on the American table. No longer a specialty item, fresh blueberries continue to increase in per capita

SAYREVILLE, NJ -- Although the United States is in the midst of the worst economy it has experienced since the Great Depression, Gene Shvedov is upbeat. Mr. Shvedov, vice president of business development for National Refrigerated Trucking, told The Produce News at the firm's headquarters in this central New Jersey town that "my grandfather told me, 'In business, you have to help people. You can figure out how to make money later.' We live in a time that presents challenges and opportunities. If you have not been hit, you can benefit." National Refrigerated Trucking is helping to provide

Founded in 1932, Caruso Inc. is a privately held storage, distribution and re- pack company located in Sharonville, OH. Jim and Steve Caruso now own the company that Sam Caruso, their grandfather, founded 77 years ago. For three generations, Caruso has been re-packing and distributing a variety of products - primarily produce - throughout a 12-state region. During the past five years, Caruso has diversified its business model to include warehousing and distribution of perishable and non-perishable items for Fortune 200 companies. "We feel it is imperative to reorganize and rebrand our company

Pete Aiello remembers the first time he walked into Uesugi Farms Inc.'s then newly built, 5,400-square-foot cooler at its new facility in Gilroy, CA, in the mid-1990s. "I remember walking in that cooler and wondering how we were going to grow enough stuff to actually fill it up because our original cooler in Morgan Hill, California, was only about 1,500 square feet," he told The Produce News. "Lo and behold, it didn't take long for it to be bursting at the seams." Uesugi Farms recently replaced its second cooler with one that is five times the size, and Mr. Aiello could not be happier. "We

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced July 8 that DHS will be proposing a new regulation rescinding the Social Security Administration's No-Match Rule, a regulation issued by the Bush administration in August 2007 and enjoined by a U.S. District Court since it was introduced. The rule was intended to address an employer's obligations in response to receipt of a social security number mismatch notice from the Social Security Administration. The rule stated that receipt of an SSA no-match letter could be used as evidence that the employer has constructive knowledge

Watsonville, CA-based California Giant Berry Farms just spent a week in Rockefeller Center bringing the authentic Wimbledon experience to fans in the heart of New York City as part of a promotion with the HSBC Presents Wimbledon 2009 at Rockefeller Center event. Throughout the week, partners in the promotion gave fans a taste of all the tournament has to offer including the famous tradition of enjoying fresh strawberries and cream. The New York portion of the program kicked off Monday, June 22, with former world No. 1 ranked players Jim Courier and Jennifer Capriati enjoying fresh California