PARMA, ID -- With more than a century of farming expertise at work in many of its orchards, Idaho has long contributed to the production of Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Rome, Jonagold, Jonathan and Braeburn apples of the western United States. Last year, as the result of spring freezes, the state saw a reduced crop, but 2008 is shaping up to be a good season for Idaho's apple varieties across the board. "The Idaho apple industry is optimistic about this crop," said Candi Fitch, executive director of the Idaho Apple Commission. Ms. Fitch told The Produce News in

WASHINGTON -- United Fresh Produce Association announced in mid- September that it has hired Kam Quarles as its new vice president of government relations and legislative affairs. With the addition of Mr. Quarles, United Fresh continues to bolster its presence on Capitol Hill for the remainder of 2008 while strengthening the association's role to address the key policy issues that affect the fresh produce industry before a new administration and Congress take office in 2009. Mr. Quarles, knowledgeable in both agricultural policy and the inner workings of Congress, has served for the past four

NAPLES, FL -- The Florida Tomato Committee is aggressively going after consumers with several new marketing programs to let them know that Florida tomatoes will soon be back on store shelves and are safe to eat. The committee will utilize print, radio and "guerrilla marketing" tactics to target shoppers and get in front of them at home, in their cars and where they shop and play to generate consumer awareness in an unexpected way, Samantha Winters, the committee's director of promotion and education, told attendees at the organization's annual meeting, held here at the Ritz-Carlton Naples as

The famous Green Giant is getting bigger than ever with a new look on "Green Giant Fresh" brand produce packaging. The Sholl Group II, the Minneapolis-based marketer of select "Green Giant Fresh" brand produce products, is changing the packaging and increasing the size of the Jolly Green Giant on all of its "Green Giant Fresh" products in grocery stores nationwide. In a move that will completely take advantage of the immense equity and recognition of the Green Giant, the top third of the packaging is now devoted entirely to the Green Giant, his logo and his valley. "We decided to increase the

Imagine a device that would allow for farm-to-fork traceability with integrated temperature monitoring and country-of-origin labeling capabilities. Impossible? Not for PakSense Inc. and YottaMark Inc., whose new Ultra T3 label, powered by HarvestMark, accomplishes all three. "We've partnered with YottaMark to integrate our temperature-monitoring solution with their HarvestMark traceability solution that provides three food- safety tools in one product: farm-fork traceability with instant traceback to point of origin; integrated temperature monitoring as the product moves forward through the

Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Canada's largest retailer with 1,690 supermarkets nationwide, has restructured its senior produce management team. Mike Venton, who is now in his 29th year at Loblaw, recently became the chain's senior vice president of produce in its produce business unit. Mr. Venton started his career at the age of 16 at a Zehrs store -- one of Loblaw's banners with 55 stores in southern Ontario - in Waterloo and moved into produce part time while he was still in school. He worked his way up to managing the produce department full time and then into store management, advancing all the way