WASHINGTON " Produce buyers for restaurant chains must understand the produce growing process, visit the fields and know that suppliers are watching the growing process everyday in order to build confidence in their products, John Milwater of Yum! Brands Inc. said at a food safety meeting held here March 18. ?You must understand the process," said Mr. Milwater, who is quality assurance produce manager for the company that runs KFC, Long John Silver?s, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. It's like taking your car to a mechanic without knowing what was broken, he said. Restaurant chains must learn about

NEW YORK " Shoppers in the Carnegie Hill section of Manhattan have a new upscale supermarket from which to choose with the recent opening of the newest location of the small retail chain known as Gourmet Garage. Like the four other stores in the chain " all located in Manhattan " fresh fruits and vegetables play perhaps the most important role in this newest store, located on Park Avenue and 96th Street in one of the city?s more fashionable neighborhoods. The store, at around 5,000 square feet, is small by national standards although somewhat typical of Manhattan, where space is definitely at

While Santa Maria, CA, may not have a moniker such as "Salad Bowl of the Nation? like its northerly neighbor Salinas, the area does have plenty to offer growers. The biggest growth pattern for PIM is in Santa Maria," said Will McCarthy, regional sales manager for Salinas-based Pacific International Marketing. "Salinas is getting squeezed out." Santa Maria represents a strong area of expansion for the company, now in its third year of a five-year growth plan, Mr. McCarthy said. Mr. McCarthy told The Produce News March 23 that Santa Maria is gaining in popularity in part because the quality of

Steve Jewell believed he saw a need he could fulfill in the packaging industry when he launched Green Valley Packaging in Watsonville, CA, in 2003. What he found upon opening the company was such a variety of packaging that the typical supplier of corrugated packaging did not try to handle it all or suppliers that did not deviate from their specialty. Consumer trends in produce purchasing continue to evolve toward clamshell packaging, environmentally friendly packaging and different sizes and materials. Mr. Jewell began his packaging distribution company by using the knowledge and experience

In an effort to further emphasize fresh produce in its own stores and the stores it services, Supervalu has announced the formation of a specialty produce distribution company, W. Newell & Co., to be headquartered in Champaign, IL, and which will initially service two of the company's seven regions. With 1,500 corporate-owned retail grocery operations, the Minnesota-based retailer is one of the country's larger. And as a grocery and produce wholesale and distribution firm, the company also services 3,200 independent and smaller retailers. Those retailers are located throughout the United

SACRAMENTO, CA " California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger surprised the crowd gathered on the Capitol?s west steps on Tuesday, March 15, dropping by to lend his thanks and encouragement to the men and women of California?s agricultural community. He took a moment away from his day?s work inside the Capitol to enjoy the California sun and the festivities, honoring the important role of agriculture in people?s daily lives. Hosted by the California Women for Agriculture and the California Department of Food & Agriculture, the event visited by Mr. Schwarzenegger focused on nutrition, education and