The "we dodged the bullet" clich? came a little too soon following the early January cold front that passed through Florida from the north. While field vegetables and fruits, including citrus, came through relatively unscathed, late reports arrived about a week after stating that strawberries suffered more than originally thought. And it looks like the damage could change the strawberry forecast for the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday -- a typically strong strawberry market time. "The amount of damage reported from grower to grower varies," Lloyd Rosen, vice president and marking director for

B"Brooks Tropicals has grown starfruit on its 100 acres of groves on Pine Island, near Ft. Meyers, on the west coast of Florida, since the 1960s," said Mary Ostlund, director of marketing for the Homestead, FL-based company. "The soil and climate are perfect for producing the highest-quality fruit. Starfruit are tart, but some are less tart than others, and these are the sweetest grown anywhere." Brooks' starfruit (also known as Carambola) is harvested from January through March, and again from June through December, with a slight lull in the summer. Ms. Ostlund said that the crop is currently

DINUBA, CA -- Fruit Patch Inc., here, a major shipper of California stone fruit as well as grapes, citrus and specialty fruit, has recently undergone a major reorganization of its sales operation. Several members of Fruit Patch's previous sales team have moved on to pursue other opportunities, and the company's newly named president, Glen McClaran, has brought in Dewey Forry Jr. and John Forry, owners of D.J. Forry Co. Inc., to head the new Fruit Patch sales organization. "We took our entire sales force" to Fruit Patch, including Tom Wolfe, Bill Shene, John Forry's son Mike Forry and "our

New Jersey farmers will soon have the opportunity to make their voices heard and help shape the future of agriculture for years to come when the 2007 Census of Agriculture arrives in their mailboxes. The surveys have been mailed, and they must be filled out and returned by Feb. 4. Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the census is a complete count of the nation's farms and the people who operate them. It looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and other topics. It provides a source of uniform

Frieda's Specialty Produce Co. in Los Alamitos, CA, has been supplying chefs with products perfect for foodservice professionals for decades. From the introduction of the shallot in 1962 to Haba?ero peppers and sugar cane swizzle sticks in the 1990s to recent exclusives like colored soy sushi wraps and pre-peeled fresh coconuts, Frieda's products have made a splash in the foodservice industry. Now, to keep up with the growing demand for its wow factor, Frieda's has entered a new partnership with Fresh Connect LLC, a sales and marketing organization that specializes in providing the foodservice

PASADENA, CA -- The Mixtec Group has announced that industry veteran Leonard Batti has joined the firm as managing and senior partner for its newly opened Monterey/Salinas office. Chris Nelson, president chief executive officer of the company, said that opening a recruiting office in the heart of the largest growing area has been something he's always wanted to do. "My partner, Jerry Butt, and I are thrilled to have Leonard Batti join the Mixtec team," Mr. Nelson said in a Jan. 8 statement. "I have known Leonard for over 15 years as a client, a candidate and even as a competitor when I was at