Specialty crops funding secured in House appropriations bill
WASHINGTON -- Fruit and vegetable businesses will likely keep a close eye on a USDA spending bill as it moves to the House floor in early June since it contains funds for the popular specialty crops program and delays country-of-origin labeling for meat products.
INDUSTRY VIEWPOINT: Public policy impact on produce -- how promotion and regulation affect industry
In the daily grind of commerce, it's easy to lose sight of the larger picture of how public policy can affect the ebb and flow of the produce business. Long days of harvesting, packing and shipping, or working out the logistics of deliveries, don't often leave time for contemplating how larger issues affect the business. Those of us involved in public policy must be mindful that the way in which we approach nutrition policy has a direct effect on the health of not only our residents but on our produce business as well.
Mushroom marketers primed for summer grilling season
With the beginning of summer just weeks away, mushroom marketers are primed for the spike in sales that results with the start of the grilling season.
Joe Caldwell, vice president at Watsonville, CA-based Monterey Mushrooms, said that the summer month s used to be slow for Monterey Mushrooms, but about 10 years ago, the company started promotions in the summer. The promotions were buoyed by the lack of competition that mushrooms enjoy. "People eat mushrooms with other things, but they don't buy s omething instead of mushrooms," he said.
Washington State Potato Commission loses its Boss
In a press release dated May 26, the Washington State Potato Commission announced that its longtime executive director, Pat Boss, tendered his resignation from the organization on May 25, effective immediately.
Mr. Boss, who joined the commission as government affairs director in September 1996, became executive director in December 1998.
During his nine-year tenure, the commission saw several advances, including open trade with South Korea, key federal funding for projects specific to the potato industry and inroads for protection of farmers rights.
New York apple growing season under way
The New York Apple Association in Fishers, NY, announced that the 2005 apple growing season is underway as bloom began across the state, with some varieties already in full bloom in the Hudson Valley.
Western New York farms and orchards along Lake Champlain are expected to bloom in the coming days.
"This is an exciting time of year for our growers, and an overall high point for our industry as consumer demand for our apples continues to grow," said NYAA President Jim Allen. "With a new bloom comes new optimism for a good fall harvest.
Ole Tyme Produce using trucks as a vehicle to promote freshness
Ole Tyme Produce in St. Louis announced the launch of a new line of trucks with unique decals that feature close-up photographs of various fruits and vegetables.
The decals will raise awareness for the fresh produce company as well as showcase the quality of the product for which the company is known.
"We wanted something unique on our fleet of trucks that coincides with our message of fresh and natural," said Ole Tyme President Joan Daleo. "We hope everyone will take notice of our traveling fleet because of the unique design.
California Cantaloupe Advisory Board releases new GAPs
The California cantaloupe industry has developed a new quality-assurance program it hopes will further distance the state's melons from the food safety problems that have plagued Mexican melons in the past.
ASI Food Safety Consultants to offer new auditing service
Beginning July 1, produce companies that hire third-party auditors can tap a new service that allows managers, for the first time, to log on to a secure web site and view the corrective actions that need fixing, along with the employee responsible for the task.
Traditionally, a client who contracts with an auditing firm receives a bulky report with a numerical score on the top sheet, explained Karey Gilmore, spokesman for St. Louis-based ASI Food Safety Consultants Inc.
Seald-Sweet continues to look for growth opportunities
With its entry into the Texas citrus industry, Seald-Sweet International is continuing its effort to be the world's leader in the citrus industry.
If a customer defines a product as being in its citrus category, the Florida-based firm wants to be the provider of that product, no matter where the customer is and no matter where the product originates. "And more than that," said Seald-Sweet Senior Vice President David Mixon, it is not enough that we just supply it, we want to be the expert in that product.
RETAIL VIEW: E-commerce remains part of the buy-sell equation
It burst on the scene a half-dozen years ago promising a changed new world where all transactions would be done electronically, and just one touch of the keyboard would create the order, the invoice, the bill of lading and everything else associated with that transaction. While its bark proved to be much bigger than its bite, today e-commerce is a routine part of the produce industry with many transactions being instigated and finalized electronically.