KING CITY, CA -- Elephant Garlic Kings began shipping certified-organic elephant garlic the week of Aug. 20. The company, based here, received its organic certification May 1 by Agricultural Services Certified Organic. According to Elephant Garlic Kings partners Chris Pope and Pier Azcona, the company is the first to grow organic elephant garlic in any real volume. Mr. Pope anticipates that the company will have 50,000 pounds for sale this first year, mostly to existing customers. "[Organic is] another outlet for our products," Mr. Azcona said. "It's a better margin, and it's filling a demand

Imagination Farms, based in Indianapolis, continues to expand distribution of the "Disney Garden" brand with the addition of a comprehensive potato category, supplied by Rigby Produce of Rigby, ID, and Russet Potato Exchange of Bancroft, WI. Glen Reynolds, East Coast sales manager for Imagination Farms, said in a press release, "Potatoes are an important category in every produce department. The use of the 'Disney Garden' brand creates unique opportunities for us to introduce kids to the health attributes of potatoes." He added, "Rigby and RPE are leaders in the potato industry, providing

The California Tomato Commission, which has not been in full operation since early spring, will suspend all operations early next year because an overwhelming majority of producers approved suspension in a recent referendum vote. The California Department of Food & Agriculture announced Aug. 16 that assessments would continue to be collected through the remainder of the 2007-08 season but that the commission will close its doors by the Feb. 29, 2008, statutory deadline. The commission has not actually conducted any activities since a CDFA audit this spring resulted in the suspension of the

SALINAS, CA -- Jim Bogart of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California and two attorneys closely connected with agriculture held a forum Aug. 20 for area grower-shippers on the Social Security mismatch rule. About 100 people attended the forum, which was held at the Richard Nutter Ag Conference Center. Joining Mr. Bogart in making presentations were Terry O'Connor, a labor and employment attorney who specializes in agriculture, and Blanca Zarazua, an attorney who represents the Farm Labor Contractors Alliance and is counsel for Mexico in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. Based on

PHILADELPHIA -- Like wandering nomads seeking a new home, Philadelphia's produce wholesalers have endeavored to find a new market location for the last five years. Potential sites have come and gone in a series of mostly political events. The effort to move this spring was even disrupted by a bald eagle's nest on a proposed site that was reclaimed by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. In an exclusive interview with The Produce News, Sonny DiCrecchio, general manager of the Philadelphia Fresh Food Terminal Corp., said that he has one last opportunity for the market to move to an affordable location

San Leandro, CA-based Bay Cities Produce Co. Inc. recently received organic certification from Agriculture Service Certified Organic. Bay Cities is the largest exclusive restaurant purveyor in the San Francisco Bay area. The company also services institutions such as clubs, hospitals and cruise ships with a full line of fresh, frozen and prepared fruits and vegetables. Its coverage extends west to the coast, south to San Jose, north to Richmond and east to Livermore. Bay Cities worked with Agriculture Service Certified Organic certifiers, whose responsibility it was to ensure the validity of