Melon shippers in the West Side district of California are hoping for a repeat of last season, when shipments eclipsed the 23 million-carton mark. Jerry Munson, manager of the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board, said in early June that the board estimateed that 20 million cantaloupes -- in 40-pound cartons -- will be harvested this year in the West Side deal, but conceded that the deal "usually goes over that." The deal in 2004 came in at 23.5 million cartons. In 2003, the tally was 22.1 million, and in 2002 the total harvest was 22.9 million cantaloupes. The West Side deal covers

Foiling the evil plans of Doctor Doom, restoring world peace and teaching families about nutrition -- all in a day's work for Marvel's "Fantastic Four" superheroes. Families will fly to the produce department with Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch and The Thing at over 1,700 Wal-Mart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets on June 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to Build a Fantastic You with 5 A Day The Color Way. Being held just before the much-anticipated release of the Fantastic Four movie in July, this unique retail event is a collaboration between Produce for Better Health

Southern Specialties Inc. announced that its board of directors has named Gary L. James chief operating officer of the company. The announcement was made by Robert Colescott, president and CEO. Mr. James, 52, has served as general manager of Southern Specialties since September 2004. "I am pleased that Gary James was elected to be the company's next chief operating officer," said Mr. Colescott. "He is one of the brightest and most experienced executives working in the produce industry today, and Southern Specialties is delighted to have this talented manager as its leader. Mr. James has over

Watsonville, CA-based California Strawberry Commission has hired Rick Tomlinson to the newly created position of director of government affairs. Effective July 1, Mr. Tomlinson fills a role the industry's board of directors identified -- with the approval of a strategic plan in January -- as timely and of vital importance to the strawberry industry. The director of government affairs will serve as an industry liaison for regulatory issues at local, state, national and international levels. Based in Sacramento, CA, Mr. Tomlinson will be situated at the center of state legislation to represent

Magic potions tend to be made for fairy tales, without much real-world significance or relevance. But one company thinks it has stumbled upon something that almost qualifies for that lofty description. The products sold by Middleton, WI-based Nutra Park Inc. are being marketed as naturally occurring compounds that can both improve the ripening process and slow the decaying process of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Ultimately that means that shelf life can be improved  and improved significantly  according to Kim Nicholson, the firm's vice president of sales and marketing. Ms

Tristan Millar, formerly national accounts manager at Frieda's Inc., has been promoted to the newly created position of vice president of sales and marketing. In making the announcement, Friedas President Karen Caplan told The Produce News that given Ms. Millars talents and looking to the future of the company, "we thought it was perfect timing. We are very excited about her contributions." Friedas is a leading marketer of specialty produce. Ms. Millar joined the Friedas organization about six years ago as director of marketing. Later, she moved into the sales arena, overseeing national