Having become one of the larger watermelon growers and one of the faster- growing produce brands in its first year of operation, San Francisco-based Sundia Corp. has set its sights on several new offerings, including mangos, onions and tomatoes. Dan Hoskins, the chief operating officer of Sundia, said that it unveiled the branding program last year "in response to its current grower base, some of whom import and grow mangos, onions and tomatoes in the off-watermelon season and wanted to put the 'Sundia' sticker on these products because it helps them sell the products at store level." Mr

Mission Ranches Co. LLC and Sam McKinsey Farms LLC, two long-standing farming companies on California's Central Coast, are combining operations in order to meet growing consumer demand and pursue new market opportunities. The merger will allow both companies to improve efficiency and quality across a broader production base and to streamline parallel administrative and management functions. The combined company will be known as Mission Ranches Co. LLC and will be based in King City, CA. Under the terms of the agreement, Sam McKinsey and Ron Harney will join Stan Pura, John Romans, David Gill

MONTEREY, CA -- A voluntary marketing agreement for handlers of green leafy vegetables in California appears to be on its way to becoming a reality following a state hearing held Friday, Jan. 12 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, here. The California Department of Food & Agriculture convened the hearing, which drew more than 200 people including growers, produce companies and trade groups. The prevailing opinion among these groups as presented at the hearing is that a voluntary marketing agreement that places stricter standards on leafy green handlers is the desired next step. A voluntary

The Colorado Onion Association will hold its annual meeting Jan. 25 in Greeley, CO, and like many other segments of the produce industry, immigration is a key issue for those involved in the Colorado onion deal. "Immigration is something in the back of everyone's minds," said Tanya Fell, executive director of the association. Carol A. Hildebrand, an attorney who practices immigration and nationality law in the business and real estate department of Sherman & Howard LLC in Denver, will be the keynote speaker at the meeting. Ms. Hildebrand represents the firm's clients on immigration law matters

WASHINGTON -- Another California grower appears to be the focus of the Taco John's E. coli outbreak as samples from two adjacent dairy farms matched the bacteria that sickened more than 80 people last year. With the help of several state health agencies, investigators matched the DNA strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in ill restaurant patrons with two environmental samples gathered at dairy farms adjacent to lettuce-growing field in California's Central Valley. In December, state public health officials said the epidemiological evidence pointed to shredded lettuce as the most likely source

If approved by U.S. authorities, irradiated fruits from Brazil would be economical to ship, since the irradiation benefit of longer shelf life means that shippers could use sea freight rather than more costly air transportation. George Karski, president of Securefoods Inc., a food irradiation company, is setting up food irradiators in Brazil to treat papayas and mangos for the U.S. market. Despite being a top producer of fruits and vegetables, Brazil's post- harvest losses are significant because of insect infestation and rot, he said. The New Hampshire firm, formed in 2001 by Brazilian