The 2008-09 Idaho potato marketing season will be the fifth in which fitness guru Denise Austin will serve as spokesperson for Idaho potatoes. Her activities on behalf of Idaho potatoes for the coming year will include a new television commercial and a satellite media tour, according to Frank Muir, president of the Idaho Potato Commission in Eagle, ID.

For the new commercial, the commission brought Ms. Austin to Idaho and filmed her "interacting with our water, soil and climate," Mr. Muir said. That is what makes Idaho potatoes the world famous potatoes that they are.

Fall has begun, and with it the harvesting of apples coast to coast, which should typically mean good supplies and good pricing. But the apple market, which has been fairly hot all year, has remained strong through the transition from last year's crop to the new crop  and there is no letup in sight.

"Demand is very good," said Nancy Foster, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Apple Association in Vienna, VA. The prices are good, and we are happy about that. It looks like it is going to be a good year.

W. Newell & Co., based in Champaign, IL, brought together many of its vendors and retail customers for an expo Sept. 9-10 that featured education seminars, entertainment, an exhibition and sales opportunities.

National Vice President of Operations John Aune said that the day-and-a- half, produce-only event featured 92 vendors and close to 200 customers. "We have a two-fold purpose," he said. "It is a sales opportunity, but it is also an opportunity to educate our customers on produce industry and consumer trends."

MONTEREY, CA -- As Jim Lugg, Fresh Express' executive vice president for science and quality, said, "Whenever you do research, it leads to more research."

Still, the Fresh Express 2008 Fresh Produce Safety Research Conference, held here Sept. 11 in an open forum at the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, likely advanced the industry's efforts toward coming up with solutions to lessen the occurrence of foodborne illness outbreaks.

With few changes from last year's promotion, the National Apple Month's 2008 fall retail and military display contests will feature T. Marzetti's "Caramel Apple Dip" and Smucker's "Natural Peanut Butter," both national leaders in their category.

Both products provide for excellent tie-in merchandising and are positioned to drive consumer impulse purchases. Both partners have been previous participants in the display contests.

PLEASANTON, CA -- Steve Burnham, the new vice president of produce for Safeway Inc., joked that he was happy to leave the meat department where E. coli and Salmonella scares often reared their ugly heads.

Speaking to more than 200 attendees at the Sept. 16 luncheon of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council, here, the longtime Safeway executive also quipped that he was glad his days of dealing with country-of-origin labeling in the seafood department were over.