The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriation Committee approved the fiscal year 2006 funding bill May 25 for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food & Drug Administration. During the bill's consideration, the committee approved an amendment containing $7 million in funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grants authorized last year in the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act. "We applaud Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) on his efforts to ensure funding for this important program," said Robert Guenther, vice president of public policy for the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association.

May 23 was a good day for commodity promotion programs when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Beef Council program qualifies as "government speech" and thus is exempt from First Amendment challenges. The ruling was the latest from the Supreme Court on the issue of mandatory funding of commodity promotion programs, and was a clear victory for the proponents of these programs that are typically under the purview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or state agricultural agencies. The Supreme Court ruling said that Beef Council's efforts are administered by the USDA and constitute a

Jim Gorny, vice president of scientific and technical affairs for the International Fresh-cut Produce Association in Alexandria, VA, will depart the association to join Washington, DC-based United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association as vice president of quality assurance and technology. Dr. Gorny will fill the slot at United left vacant by the departure of Donna Garren, who earlier this year joined the National Restaurant Association. "Jim is one of the most respected people in his field, and we feel lucky to have him," United President Tom Stenzel told The Produce News, adding that Dr. Gorny

Wm. Bolthouse Farms Inc., headquartered in Bakersfield, CA, and one of the larger carrot grower-shippers in the country, is looking to sell at least part of the firm, according to an article in the May 20 issue of the Bakersfield Californian. Repeated calls to the Kern County shipper were not returned, but the company's finance manager, Marty Buck, was quoted in the newspaper article confirming the report that apparently had appeared on the Internet earlier in the month. Mr. Buck said that some members of the family-owned operation were interested in cashing out, and that the sale of at least

WALLA WALLA, WA -- As mid-May weather brought rain showers and warm temperatures to the Walla Walla Valley, grower-shippers of the region's namesake sweet onions were universal in their optimism that this year's crop, which will be the 105th official, will be big in both volume and size profile. According to Mike Locati, chairman of the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Marketing Committee, harvest of the overwintered fields was expected to begin sometime during the first two weeks of June, and the spring transplant fields will be dug from mid-July into August. Shipments will go through mid-September

Cameo apples generated the largest percentage increase in both dollars and volume of all apple varieties during the first quarter of 2005. Retail volume of Cameo apples increased 41.9 percent and retail sales dollars increased 29.5 percent nationwide from first quarter 2004, the highest of all apple varieties. The apples that are driving retail sales increases are new varieties, led by Cameo, said Kevin Precht of the Cameo Apple Marketing Association in Wenatchee, WA. He said that more aggressive retail pricing is also leading consumers to consistently purchase Cameo and other varieties. The