"We will have an exceptionally good crop of fresh, field-grown Florida tomatoes available this fall in November and December," said Samantha Winters, marketing director of the Florida Tomato Committee. "The timing couldn't be better for holiday menu-planning and gift-making." Ms. Winter's words are the message the committee hopes to convey to consumers through media releases recently issued by its New York City public relations firm of Lewis & Neale. The recent release suggested that editors remind consumers that homemade treats from the kitchen are always welcome as holiday gifts. "One size

SALINAS, CA -- Irvine, CA-based Western Growers Association has taken to the road to gauge support for its proposed Western Growers University, an initiative designed to tailor practical training for its members at a nominal cost to them and with little paperwork hassles. WGA was to be hosting three informational seminars that detail its plans to provide state-subsidized training for its members. Western Growers human resource representatives will meet with California's Employment Training Panel in early 2007 in hopes of procuring a $1 million grant to launch Western Growers University. WGA is

The New York Apple Association stretches its promotional boundaries as a sponsor of the ING New York City Marathon every year, and the Nov. 5 event proved to be the biggest and best one yet. The number of major retailers that support the event also increases each year, and stores in this year's participation list included Gristedes, D'Agastino, Agata & Valentina, Fairway Foods, ShopRite/Wakefern Stores, Foodtown, Key Food, A&P, Kings, Pathmark and Balducci's. The stores displayed door posters identifying them as official retailers of the McIntosh apple. NYAA also provided the stores with

Rick Eastes, director of global sourcing for Sunkist Global LLC, has elected not to renew his agreement with the Sunkist subsidiary company beyond Nov. 30, and Mark Tompkins, produce industry veteran and former head of Sunkist's domestic sales network, is returning to replace him. Mr. Eastes joined the newly created Sunkist Global as its first employee Feb. 1, 2004, with the charge of developing counter-seasonal and complementary citrus from sources outside the United States under the "Sunkist" brand. In 2006, Sunkist Global was able to source nearly 2.5 million boxes of "Sunkist" branded

WOODLAND, CA -- Timco Worldwide Inc. in Woodland, CA, announced Nov. 14 that it is voluntarily recalling its "Sundia" brand cantaloupe because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Five hundred and four cartons of cantaloupe were distributed between Oct. 30 and Nov. 6 in Phoenix, Colorado Springs, Dallas and Okeechobee, FL. The cantaloupe was distributed for sale in bulk in cardboard cartons, numbering either nine or 15

"Every indication is that the Maine crop will be good this year," said Tim Hobbs, director of development and grower relations for the Maine Potato Board, headquartered in Presque Isle, ME. "Growers here always hold their breath that tropical storms and hurricanes won't come up the East Coast and aim in our direction, but we were fortunate this year to get through the season unscathed. We've had good growing conditions across the board, and the majority of the crop was harvested by November 1." Maine currently has more than 400 potato growers who farmed on 59,000 acres this year, an increase