Produce Marketing Association's 2009 Foodservice Conference & Exposition, the only conference dedicated to produce and foodservice, heats up July 24- 27 with a new daylong food-safety session and the release of a new study that will help the produce industry, foodservice distributors and restaurants break down barriers to offering more produce on menus. The popular annual conference in California is expected to attract some 1,500 attendees this year and is currently sold out for exhibitors. "We fill Monterey to capacity," Julia Stewart, PMA's public relations director, told The Produce News

Mastronardi Produce/Sunset Ltd., located in Kingsville, ON, introduced its "Sunset Kidz" program at the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit last October in Orlando, FL. The project is scheduled for launch in fall 2009, just in time for the beginning of the new school year. "The 'Sunset Kidz' program lineup is uniquely designed," said Chris Veillon, marketing manager for Mastronardi Produce. "All package sizes are geared toward kids' lunch boxes, backpacks or totes. The labeling is highly graphic and colorful, and was designed to attract kids and their parents. These fresh produce

The New York Apple Association this fall will once again be offering a full- service promotion support program for retailers promoting new-crop apples, tying in with the huge buy-local produce trend. "We're going all out to push fresh, local fruit," Jim Allen, president of the Fishers-based New York Apple Association, which represents the state's 695 growers, said in a press release. "Our apples this fall will be coming straight from the orchard - not fruit from storage." A key component of the program is newly designed point-of-sale signage promoting new-crop McIntosh and Empires, and generic

An agreement recently reached between Japan and Washington state eliminates delays associated with fumigating fresh cherries and should boost exports of the fruit to that Pacific Rim nation. A press release issued earlier this month by the office of Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire stated, "After several years of research and a pilot program, Japan has agreed to allow an inspections protocol as a substitute for pest treatments previously required for imported cherries. Research has shown that Washington cherries do not pose a risk for transporting codling moth, an orchard insect pest of

The Grower-Shipper Association of Central California in Salinas, CA, held its 71st annual golf tournament, fashion show and dinner-dance June 25-27. This event raises funds for the Grower-Shipper Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps support local educational, training, scholarship and leadership programs, community outreach, and philanthropic endeavors. Golf tournament events were held Thursday, June 25, at Corral de Tierra Golf & Country Club and continued over three days ending Saturday, June 27, with a post-tournament brunch and awards ceremony. The annual fashion show was held

Sweet Clover Produce began moving a good size mix of white onions out of the Pacific Northwest July 20, and Sales Manager Bill Brownfield said that reds would start shipping July 27. "The whites are grown by Grotz Bros. of Hermiston (OR)," Mr. Brownfield said July 10. "They are our summer growers and produce whites, reds, sweet yellows and yellows," he added. "The whites this year have a wide range of sizing, with pre-packs in mediums, jumbos and colossal. They are very white, all retail quality, and we're shipping in cartons as well as 50-, 25- and 10-pound bags and consumer packs." Mr