As attendees of the PMA Fresh Summit this October in Orlando, FL, make their way down the 3600 aisle of the exhibit hall during the upcoming convention, they might be enticed to taste a special melon, which the producer claims is one of the sweetest in the world. "We are going to use our space this year to do as many demos as possible," said Rodrigo Lima, the U.S. representative for Itaueira Farms of Brazil. “We want to show off the taste of this fruit both to new customers and our current customers.” The fruit he is talking about is the yellow-skinned Canary melon, a variety that is produced

DUNDEE, FL -- Dundee Citrus Growers Association announced that effective Oct. 1, its sales and marketing division will be rebranded Florida Classic Growers Inc. to align with the cooperative's well-known "Heritage Citrus" label. Formerly known as Diversified Citrus Marketing, the subsidiary of Dundee was founded in 2001 to sell and market its fruit directly to customers. Florida Classic Growers represents one of the older and more established grower cooperatives in the state, which has more than 13,000 acres of Florida oranges, tangerines and grapefruit. In nine years, it has become a premier

WASHINGTON -- Comedian Stephen Colbert grabbed the headlines Sept. 24 after he testified -- in character -- at a House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on immigrant agricultural workers. Mr. Colbert was invited to testify by subcommittee Chairman Zoe Lofgren (D- CA), both of whom picked beans and packed corn during a 10-hour stint in upstate New York under the United Farm Workers of America's Take Our Jobs initiative that invites Americans to work in agricultural jobs. After his experience as a farmworker, Mr. Colbert said, "Please don't make me do it again. It's really, really hard."

Cris-P Produce Co. Inc. in Nogales, AZ, an organic produce and greenhouse grower, announced Sept. 23 that it has changed its name to Wholesum Family Farms as part of a recent rebranding campaign. The company enlisted the support of FreshXperts, a full-service produce consultancy, to lead its rebranding efforts. Ken Hopps and Anthony Totta, co- owners of FreshXperts, told The Produce News that Wholesum Family Farms' practices exemplify the new name. "In addition to 'Cris-P Produce,' the company also previously operated under the 'Natura Organic' brand name," said Mr. Hopps. "It wanted a name to

Mehmet Oz may host a popular television and radio show, but he didn't win over friends in the produce industry when he warned the public to fear pesticide residues in certain fresh fruits and vegetables. After a Sept. 24 segment of the "Dr. Oz Show" listed the "dirtiest produce items," four fruit and vegetable trade associations fired off a Sept. 28 letter refuting the charges. The host of the Emmy-award winning show drew the ire from Produce Marketing Association President and Chief Executive Officer Bryan Silbermann, who e-mailed members to say that the industry groups wanted to correct what

Over the past several months, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. has made quite a bit of news. However, most of it has been bad. The one-time retail giant continues to lose money on a regular basis; its stock has lost 75 percent of its value since January. Store closings and layoffs have been announced several times. The company has sold numerous outlets to other retailers, reportedly for operating cash, and The Wall Street Journal recently reported that a financial consulting firm has been hired to explore the possibility of selling Food Emporium, certainly the most upscale and possibly the