Among its longtime customers, Moorpark, CA-based Muranaka Farm Inc. has a reputation as a "good, quiet company," according to John Killeen, vice president of sales and marketing for Muranaka. "We've done what we said we were going to do," said Mr. Killeen, who joined the company in June. But Mr. Killeen concededthat he has reached out to folks who didn't know that the grower-shipper is one of the larger shippers of bunched green onions in the United States. Muranaka offers year-round supplies of more than a dozen vegetables, including core products such as radishes, cilantro, parsley, Italian

The United Fresh Produce Association has opened registration for its United Fresh 2009 show, which will be held April 21-24 in Las Vegas, NV. One of the event highlights will be the keynote address delivered by Steve Forbes, president, chief executive officer and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine. People interested in attending the show and Mr. Forbes' How Capitalism Will Save Us keynote address may register on-line at unitedfresh.org or contact United Fresh at 202/303-3400. A two-time presidential candidate, Mr. Forbes oversees the magazine that bears his grandfather's name and also chairs

MONTEREY, CA -- The Culinary Center of Monterey, here on Cannery Row, has plans for expansion that would open itself even more to the fresh produce industry. As it stands, the state-accredited vocational school provides training for aspiring chefs. In addition, the center offers one-day hands-on classes for the general public and cooking aficionados as well as customized corporate programs tailored to each client's needs. The list is long of produce companies in and around the Salinas Valley that have sampled their wares for customers at the center as prepared by the center's chefs. In

Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce in San Diego, which grows tomatoes and other products in Baja California, Mexico, during spring, summer and fall and in the Culiacan area of the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, from December through April, will have an overall growth in volume of around 30 percent from Culiacan this year. The Culiacan product is shipped through an Andrew & Williamson distribution warehouse in Nogales, AZ. "We are expanding the program fairly significantly," Mark Munger, vice president of marketing, told The Produce News Dec. 22. "Last year, we had actually slowed things down a

The California Raisin Marketing Board, based in Fresno, CA, announced the hiring of Gary Schultz as president and Rick O'Fallon as marketing director. Mr. Schulz brings more than 25 years of agriculture business experience to his position as president of the raisin board. Previously, he was general manager for the non-profit International Agri-Center for more than 15 years and managed the world's largest agriculture trade show, World Ag Expo. More recently, he has consulted on organization management through his own consulting firm. Along with his position as president of the raisin board, Mr

WASHINGTON -- Short on funds to pay for implementing the new country- of-origin labeling program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to reach over and grab $3 million from the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to cover the shortfall. But specialty crop producers are trying to put the brakes on the deal by alerting members of Congress. USDA is operating under a Continuing Resolution, a short-stop funding measure, and with money tight, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer had to choose among eliminating a program, not implementing COOL or using a "small portion" of specialty crop