Dean Davis was tired of watching farmers get short money for their efforts. He also was tired of eating taste-challenged fresh produce that results from farmers harvesting their product too soon in order to meet market demands. A lifelong farmer and now retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. Davis decided to do something about his concerns. The result is FromTheFarm.com, an on-line store that brings farmers and consumers together. "I wanted to create a platform to connect farmers and customers to get the farmer a better return for his product," said Mr. Davis, general manager and

The Mushroom Council is the latest fresh-produce industry group to partner with Weight Watchers. There will be a variety of national promotions surrounding mushrooms being tagged as Weight Watcher's Pick of the Season from July through September. The National Watermelon Promotion Board has twice worked with Weight Watchers, enjoying the status of Weight Watchers Pick of the Season. According to a press release issued by the council, the partnership with Weight Watchers is "a major health initiative that spotlights how fruits and vegetables can be part of a healthy lifestyle. The Pick of the

WASHINGTON -- Another attempt to secure legal farm workers for labor- starved producers failed May 20 when the Senate struck down an H-2A overhaul that was attached to the emergency war-spending bill. On May 15, the Senate Appropriations Committee agreed by a 17-12 vote to attach the agriculture worker language to an emergency spending bill requested by the Bush administration to pay for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Agriculture needs a consistent workforce," Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) said as the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee weighed the amendment. "Without it, they can't

The Nunes Co. is merely dipping its toes into the local food movement this year, but it is taking a proactive approach and will grow, ship and sell some East Coast vegetables this summer. "Is it a fad or is it a trend?" Tom Nunes Jr., president of the Salinas, CA-based company, which markets "Foxy" brand vegetables, asked about the local movement. Mr. Nunes believes that the local food movement, which embodies sustainability and environmental responsibility, may be here to stay. He said that the idea of reducing food miles and a company's carbon footprint makes sense, and so he wants to see

Mark Affleck, who has served as president and chief executive officer of the California Avocado Commission in Irvine, CA, for the past 20 years, has resigned from the post to pursue other interests. The commission's board of directors accepted the resignation May 15, which was effective immediately, and the resignation was announced by the commission in a May 16 press release. Rick Shade, chairman of the commission, announced in the release that Tom Bellamore, senior vice president and corporate counsel for the commission, has been named acting CEO. Mr. Bellamore has been with the commission

Four consecutive days of high heat the week of May 12 found grower- shippers in the Salinas Valley making allowances for the heat before it hit and evaluating their crops once the heat wave passed. On Friday, May 16, the heat registered as high as 98 degrees in Salinas, CA. Andy Cumming, president and managing principal of King City, CA-based Metz Fresh, told The Produce News Wednesday, May 21, that he didn't experience a big impact from the heat. Knowing that weather reports had called for the heat wave, Metz made sure everything was well irrigated, he said. "Some spring mix items grew faster