Larry McIntosh is looking forward to a special present for his 49th birthday later this month. The president and chief executive officer of Winnipeg, MB-based Peak Of The Market said in a press release that the firm's growers will donate 50 pounds of fresh vegetables to the Winnipeg Harvest Food Bank for every person that signs up to receive its free e-mail recipes between now and his birthday, Feb. 27. "I can't image a better birthday present than knowing that thousands of people around the world want to help those less fortunate," Mr. McIntosh said in the press release. "People that, for

Announcing Feb. 12 its new business practice of working directly with "selected strategic dealers and key customers," Nunhems USA will begin a different approach to product distribution in the United States, Mexico and Canada beginning April 1. Nunhems' dealer network is being consolidated to what a company release described as "a few strategic dealers." The company's "key customers" that include grower-shippers and other supply chain contacts will receive more personalized, local service. The statement went on to say that the change is being made "to maximize value for the vegetable seed

The National Watermelon Association's 95th annual convention returns to historic Charleston, SC, for the first time in 35 years. The convention will take place Feb. 18-22 at the Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston, SC, one of the more historic cities in the entire country and the site of Fort Sumter, where the Civil War started. "It is absolutely gorgeous and historic city," Bob Morrissey, the association's executive director, told The Produce News. Mr. Morrissey said that "for anyone in the produce industry, especially suppliers, it is the most cost-effective convention they can go to

VIENNA, VA -- January movement of fresh and processing apples was 7 percent above the same month last year and 14.4 percent higher than the past five-year average in January, according to the U.S. Apple Association's latest storage survey, announced Feb. 13. U.S. fresh-market apple holdings of 74.8 million bushels Feb. 1 reflect a 16 percent decrease from January and a 26 percent increase over February 2008. Apple processing holdings totaled 29 million bushels, 15 percent less than last month and 7 percent less than Feb. 1, 2008. The total number of apples in storage Feb. 1 was 104 million

WASHINGTON -- After nearly five years at the United Fresh Produce Association, here, Amy Philpott, United's vice president of communications, is leaving to pursue a career more focused on crisis communications and issue management. Ms. Philpott earned a master's degree in public communications last May while working full time. During her studies and through her experience at United Fresh, she said via e-mail that she would like to focus professionally on issues management and crisis communications. As such, she is taking a new position with Watson & Mulhern, a public relations agency here that

A new, lower-cost "Snoopy" watermelon bin will be exhibited at this month's National Watermelon Association convention in Charleston, SC. Dan Hinkle, the owner of Hinkle Produce, based in Cissna Park, IL, which owns the license to brand all nuts, fruit and vegetables with Peanuts characters, said that the product costs the same as any other printed bin. Previously Hinkle Produce sold a preprinted bin "which made it cost a little more," he said. The new bin is a direct-print two-color (red and green) on white. International Paper, headquartered in Memphis, TN, produces the bins, and first