Agricultural officials have detected a Mexican fruit fly infestation, a threat to the fresh produce industry, in Escondido in northern San Diego County. The California Department of Food & Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have expanded insect trapping in the area to detect any additional flies. A quarantine will be imposed to prevent the spread of the infestation once the boundaries of the infested area have been determined. Five Mexican fruit flies were discovered Nov. 6 in traps on two residential properties near Bear Valley Parkway and Oak Hill Drive in Escondido. The San

Salinas, CA-based Church Bros. LLC and True Leaf Farms -- Church's processing arm -- continue to roll out products in the "Disney Garden" line, which presents a variety of commodity vegetables and value-added items designed to reach younger consumers. The "Disney Garden" line features Disney characters. But as sales manager-partner Steve Church and Ernst van Eeghen, director of product development and marketing for Church Bros./True Leaf Farms pointed out, the line involves much more than simply using Disney's name and characters. "The mission is to increase consumption among kids," Mr. van

In February 2007, with the objective "to get people talking" about the connection between fresh fruit and glowing, good health, Selah, WA-based Rainier Fruit Co. Marketing Director Suzanne Wolter challenged a development team and creative consultant David Barbrack of New Path Marketing Inc. to "try something outside our comfort zone" in a trade advertising campaign. The result was the ad series launched during PMA Fresh Summit in October, and the response has been "mixed," according to Ms. Wolter. And that is a good thing, she added. People are definitely talking about the "Go ahead. Stare."

WASHINGTON -- Mandated food-security rules, food recalls and new import- certification requirements for "high-risk foods" are some of the policy changes the Bush administration will recommend in the coming months. Top administration officials delivered the Import Working Group report to President Bush with 50 recommendations to change policies in the wake of several recalls of contaminated imported toys and foods. Some changes may be sent to Congress as early as February in the government's next spending plan. "For example, we will establish new incentives for importers that follow strong

Twenty-one-year-old Pat Brownfield has a lot to keep him grounded -- figuratively and literally. Two months ago, he became part of the family team at Sweet Clover Produce in Walla Walla, WA. Along with his father, Bill, and his mother, Jan, Mr. Brownfield is helping the company get quality onions into the pipeline. That's the figurative part. As for the literal connection to the soil, Mr. Brownfield has been instrumental in creating and orchestrating mud bog races at Bonanza Raceway in Walla Walla. For the past two years, he's gotten down and dirty with the best of them, enjoying every mud

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ -- The green-hulled refrigerated ship Green Freezer docked Nov. 1 at the Gloucester Terminals LLC on the Delaware River waterfront, here. Under sunny and cool skies the next morning, stevedores unloaded the ship's cargo: the season's first Spanish clementines for the United States. Javier Arnal, who keeps a seasonal office at Gloucester Terminals, said that the Spanish clementine quality "is the best in five or six years." From a promotional point of view, he added, "That's easy to say. But it's for real. Our [Brix] ratios are 10 to 10.5 on the first boat. Normally they are