After 35 years in the produce industry, John Kalil, president of Houston's Finest Produce Co. in Houston, said that shutting his doors and filing bankruptcy was the last thing he wanted to do. But that was the move he made Jan. 29. Mr. Kalil told The Produce News that he owes the produce industry about $2 million and has assets in the neighborhood of $1.5 million to $1.6 million. He said that the filing of Perishable and Agricultural Commodities Act claims in early January "forced" him to take the severe step of filing Chapter 7, which results in the closing of the operation, rather than a

The Vidalia Onion Committee in Vidalia, GA, held its annual industry banquet Feb. 2, at which it named its 2007 award recipients for Grower of the Year and its Hall of Fame. This year's awards ceremony was poignant, as the awards went to a father- son duo that has had significant impact on the Vidalia industry. Rodney (R.T.) Stanley Jr. was awarded 2007 Grower of the Year, and his father, Rodney Taylor Stanley Sr., was posthumously inducted into the industry's hall of fame. Mr. Stanley Sr.'s wife, Louise Stanley, accepted the award. The Stanleys farm and reside in Toombs County, the location

Produce Alliance, a produce management group based in Nashville, TN, has added Upper Lakes Foods Inc. to its membership. Cloquet, MN-based Upper Lakes Foods specializes in helping member businesses grow with a set of tools, services and plans for growth in the produce industry. Steve Sorensen, president of Upper Lakes Foods, said in a press release, "Consistent quality, purchasing programs and the ability of Produce Alliance to acquire and service national and regional multi-unit chain accounts were the compelling reasons that drove Upper Lakes Foods to join the alliance." Upper Lakes Foods, a

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's proposal to overhaul the 50- year-old H-2A guest worker program may be welcome news for agricultural employers, but not all the news is good. The Department of Labor reviewed the H-2A regulations and looked for ways to streamline the program so more than 75,000 workers -- a small fraction of the 600,000 to 800,000 illegal foreign workers currently working in the agriculture industry -- can participate in the program. "This issue must be addressed now or our country will see eroding competitiveness in its agricultural sector, crops being left to rot in

DILLSBURG, PA -- The National Apple Month program has announced the winners of its fall 2007 retail and military display contests, bringing the apple industry's fall generic apple promotion to a close. The annual contest, which jump-starts the domestic apple industry's marketing season, provided retailers and the apple industry with increased sales and gave consumers easy access to great-tasting, healthy apples and the partner products "Kraft" caramels, U.S. peanuts and "Smucker's" peanut butter. "The 2007 apple crop provided some of the highest-quality apples available nationwide, and when

Produce veteran Howard Nager was recently named vice president of marketing at Domex Superfresh Growers in Yakima, WA. The announcement from Domex said that Mr. Nager is responsible for "all marketing and category-management functions related to building brand awareness and loyalty with both the trade and consumer, as well as developing those programs targeted to increase consumption of the company's apple, pear, cherry and summer fruit crops." In his new position, Mr. Nager will work closely with Domex's grower base in addition to various commodity boards and industry organizations. He will