Highline Mushrooms founder and co-owner Murray Roy O'Neil, 80, died June 30 when the plane he was piloting crashed into a soybean field near Colchester, ON. Dr. O'Neal, a retired allergist, founded Highline Mushrooms in Leamington, ON, in 1961. Through his knowledge of science and relentless passion for continual improvement, he pioneered many of the technological advances in the North American mushroom industry. At age 80, alongside company President Glenn Martin, he remained very much involved in the day-to-day operations of Highline. He was instrumental in implementing advanced cropping

Looking to add the same fresh ideas and innovation that it has brought to the watermelon category, Sundia Corp. has begun shipping its new "True Fruit" line of cut fruit to retailers nationwide. Merchandised in the produce department, "True Fruit" is available in five varieties: Perfect Peach, Mandarin Orange, Ruby Grapefruit, Purely Pineapple and Tropical Medley. "The first shipment should ship on July 11, and within four to six weeks we expect 'True Fruit' to be in 3,500 stores in 40 major retail chains across the country," Dan Hoskins, Sundia's chief operating officer, told The Produce News

FRESNO, CA -- The California Table Grape Commission, here, will be releasing shortly a report on a Stanford University study that tested grapes in various usages within its own foodservice system. According to Courtney Romano, a foodservice consultant to the commission, Palo Alto, CA- based Stanford University "looked at a couple of different things" in the study and found that diners responded favorably to options that include grapes, either on their own or as an ingredient. Stanford's award-winning dining services, which according to Stanford News Service serve "about 18,000 meals a day in

AVONDALE, CO -- The temperature was in the 90s as a group of 10 yellow- clad women made their way back and forth across Joe Pisciotta's melon field east of Pueblo, CO, hoeing weeds and chatting amiably among themselves. Nearby, a uniformed man, himself with a hoe, simultaneously dug at weeds and watched the women's progress. The man, Correctional Industries Supervisor Eric Letendre, is employed by the Colorado Department of Corrections, as are, in a less direct way, the women. All inmates at the minimum-security La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo, the women are part of a pilot program

WILLIAMSVILLE, NY -- Somewhere, Joe Dash's grandparents are smiling. Mr. Dash's grandparents Mary and Joe, who ran a small produce market on the east side of Buffalo, NY, probably would have never imagined that the family would still be involved in the retail produce trade some 84 years later. Building on his grandparents' idea and inspired by his father, Frank, whom Mr. Dash said was one of the original franchisee's of Tops Supermarkets and whom he deemed a "visionary and an inspiration," Mr. Dash said that he personally had an idea and a goal to build a chain of smaller upscale markets

As the summer onion shipping kicked into high gear in southeastern Washington, Bill Brownfield of Sweet Clover Produce in Walla Walla said that the transition from Walla Walla Sweets to Sweet Clover Sweets in late July or early August is expected to be smooth. Mr. Brownfield said June 28 that all onion varieties handled by his company are "growing exceptionally well" this season, and supplies of Sweet Clover Sweets will be good through January. "These are all yellow sweets, and we guarantee their sweetness," he said, adding that the globes are third-party tested for pungency. As the sweets