WASHINGTON -- The stalled immigration reform effort may get a jump-start early in the new Congress as Senate backers of comprehensive reform are drafting a new bill, sources said. This news cannot be more welcomed by fruit and vegetable growers facing a worsening labor shortage. Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) are said to be drafting a revised version of the immigration reform bill that passed the Senate last year. According to The New York Times, the bill's drafters are considering blocking funds to build the 700-mile fence along the border with Mexico and removing the Senate

The Produce Alliance announced the addition of two Florida-based foodservice produce distributors. Downtown Produce in Melbourne, FL, and Produce Distribution Center in Jacksonville, FL, have recently joined Produce Alliance in order to position themselves to service a very large region of the state that will allow the alliance to service the entire east coast of Florida. "This is a huge addition to our already large distribution base," Joe Collier, director of distribution and business development for Produce Alliance, said in a statement. "Both of these companies are an excellent fit and

From Jan. 1 until Feb. 28, national retailers will be participating in an apple promotion sponsored by the DeWitt, MI-based Michigan Apple Committee. In this "Warm Up to Michigan Apples" campaign, retailers must run three ads in that January-February 2007 time frame promoting bags of Michigan Red Delicious, Rome or Jonathan apples to enter. Denise Yockey, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee, said that if retailers complete the "Hot Deal" on three-pound bagged apples, they will receive a 25-cent per case rebate from the apple committee, payable to the business. For each five-

Haun Potato Co. in Kansas City, KS, has continued its tradition of giving with a recent donation of potatoes to the Kansas City Salvation Army. The donation -- 44,000 pounds of fresh-packed potatoes from the Red River Valley -- took place Dec. 8 and was part of the Salvation Army's "Christmas Food Basket" to help feed the area's homeless and needy families during the holiday season. Haun Potato Co. employees Dave and Spud Haun donated the cost of transportation, while Scott's Express in Grand Forks, ND, arranged to have the potatoes picked up and shipped to Kansas City on a Butler Transport

The first co-marketing program between the Hass Avocado Board and Melissa's/World Variety Produce in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month left no question that avocados have gone way beyond guacamole. The one-month contest, which ran from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, included a retail display contest as well as a recipe contest for consumers, who were invited to submit original recipes featuring Hass avocados and a Melissa's chili pepper product. The contest primarily targeted 2,500 independent Hispanic markets, a niche that Melissa's has cultivated, but it also quickly attracted major retailers

WASHINGTON -- With the new Congress reporting for duty in Washington, DC, this week, comprehensive immigration reform will be one of United Fresh Produce Association's top priorities. "There is a window of opportunity in 2007 as both President Bush and the new Democratic leadership in the House and Senate are more aligned on the need for immigration reform than ever before," Robert Guenther, United Fresh's senior vice president for public policy, said in a message to United members. "United Fresh will be working closely with key members of Congress and the administration to drive action," he