When it comes to the produce industry, Robert Sanders really knows the ropes. The 29-year-old salesman and buyer with Ben B. Schwartz & Sons, a wholesaler on the Detroit Union Produce Terminal, has been working in the trade since he was a teenager and has been exposed to the business since he was a preschooler hanging out - and helping out - in his uncle's fruit market. That uncle, Sam Katz, a survivor of the Holocaust, operated Sam's Fruit & Vegetable Fair in Madison Heights, MI, where from the time he was 4 years old, Mr. Sanders would help rotate produce and gather buggies. "I was helping

SALINAS, CA -- Kim Greer, president and chief executive officer of the National Steinbeck Center, died March 28 at his home in Monterey. He was 49. Mr. Greer had been director of the National Steinbeck Center since January 1998. He had six months to complete construction of the center, hire a staff, develop an operating budget and strategy, and work with many volunteer committees on grand opening events and capital campaign efforts. Much to his credit, the center celebrated its grand opening as scheduled in June 1998. The center achieved many milestones under his guidance, including the

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced March 23 that it was delaying the decision on import duties for Chinese garlic for the 2006-07 season for at least one month as it was not "practicable" to complete the analysis in the time initially allotted. To be sure, the analysis process is complicated, as are many issues surrounding the importation of Chinese garlic. Interviews with various members of the industry, as well as with the U.S. Department of Commerce, revealed that although the domestic garlic industry appears to be a bit better than it was a few years ago, imports from China continue

Philadelphia-area importers of Chilean apples said that while the Chilean deal is behind schedule, the storage apple deal of Washington state is also running behind. So it is expected that the Chilean apple imports will begin to increase as Washington cold storages clean up. Tim Davis, apple and pear coordinator for Dole Deciduous, said in late March that the Chilean apple season "is a little behind, and Washington has plenty of fruit, so most of us are holding off. There is not a lot happening now. In three or four weeks, you will see volume start hitting the water. In the third week of April

WASHINGTON -- The produce industry welcomed news that a Senate committee approved a guest worker program for agricultural workers last week, but the battle is far from over. Racing against the clock, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a comprehensive guest worker bill during a day- long session that included an amendment sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) designed to maintain an agricultural workforce. By an 11-5 vote, the Feinstein amendment was attached to a bill destined for the Senate floor in the coming days. "The thrust of this proposal is to create a legalized workforce for

VANCOUVER, BC -- The Canadian Produce Marketing Association's 81st annual convention and exposition held here March 22-25 drew record attendance for the second straight year. In 2005, when the CPMA event was held in Toronto, overall attendance -- including exhibitors and patrons -- stood at a record 3,400. This year the show drew 4,100 registered attendees, said Ron Lemaire, CPMA's executive vice president and director of marketing. There were 321 exhibitor booths at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre. The city of Vancouver's elaborate charms may account for some of the increased