ALAMEDA, CA -- Life in fresh produce has come full circle for Dan (The Produce Man) Avakian, who has just purchased the open-air market where he got his start in the industry in 1976 at age 15. Mr. Avakian, who for years co-hosted the nationally syndicated radio show "The Produce Pair," officially opened his store -- Dan's Fresh Produce -- May 22. The open-air market has had several owners since Mr. Avakian got his start here at age 15, with Mr. Avakian now taking the helm. Mr. Avakian partnered with his brother and a friend - who will be silent partners -- in buying the store. He secured the

A hot lettuce market caused by decreased supplies blurred any impact that might have occurred following the late April report on NBC's television program "Dateline" linking several cases of E. coli-related sickness with bagged lettuce. On Sunday, April 30, the television newsmagazine show featured a segment detailing the connection between bagged salads and an E. coli outbreak in the Midwest last year. At the United-Food Marketing Institute convention a week later, retailers and shippers were noting little effect. During one private meeting, a group of retailers told grower-shipper

The Garden State Preservation Trust approved the State Agriculture Development Committee's funding request for $116.7 million to build on the momentum of farmland preservation efforts across New Jersey. "The majority of this funding will be used to provide grants to local and county governments to help purchase the development rights to preserve farmland in their communities," Agriculture Secretary Charles M. Kuperus, who chairs the State Agriculture Development Committee, said in a statement. "The benefits of this investment in farmland preservation are real and lasting -- everything from

Dennis Donohue, president of European Vegetable Specialties in Salinas, CA, has been elected treasurer of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California. In agribusiness since 1988, Mr. Donohue worked for River Ranch, Fresh Express and Fresh Western before joining European Vegetable Specialties in 1996. He became president of the company two years later. EVS, a privately held company, is among the larger producers of radicchio in the world, with growing operations and customers in North America, South American, Europe and the Pacific Rim. A 13-member board of directors, which is elected

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Inc. in Coral Gables, FL, has made four key appointments to its Asian, European and North American regions. Jimmy Tenazas, formerly vice president of Del Monte Fresh's North American deciduous program in Coral Gables, will take on the role of vice president of the Asia-Pacific region in Hong Kong, China, and will report directly to Hani El-Naffy, president and chief operating officer of Del Monte Fresh Produce Co. Michael Walsh, formerly vice president of deciduous sales in North America East, will relocate from Philadelphia to take on Mr. Tenazas' former role as

BANGKOK, THAILAND -- An agreement between the governments of Thailand and the United States is in place that will allow six fresh-market Thai fruits to be exported to the United States after undergoing treatment with irradiation. And while this means that U.S. marketers would have another source to satisfy the growing consumer demand for Asian and tropical products, there remains some uncertainly about the feasibility of bringing the items to the United States due to the high costs of production and transportation. During a seminar held here May 19 at the Impact Convention Center in