WASHINGTON -- Producers are expressing outrage over a U.S. Department of Agriculture plan to collect $10 million in user fees to help finance enforcement of the new country-of-origin labeling measure. This comes as the produce industry is left guessing what the final COOL program may look like.

"It's shocking that the president would pledge to veto any legislation that increases taxes, yet propose a new tax to implement country-of-origin labeling," National Farmers Union President Tom Buis said in a statement.

NEWARK, DE -- Produce Marketing Association has announced that Julia Stewart has joined the association staff to manage its public relations and crisis communications activities.

As the association's new public relations director, the former Julia Daly will work with PMA staff and management to direct the association's integrated communications with members and other publics, serve as a media spokesperson, and direct PMA's crisis prevention, mitigation and management activities.

After 35 years in the produce industry, John Kalil, president of Houston's Finest Produce Co. in Houston, said that shutting his doors and filing bankruptcy was the last thing he wanted to do. But that was the move he made Jan. 29.

The Vidalia Onion Committee in Vidalia, GA, held its annual industry banquet Feb. 2, at which it named its 2007 award recipients for Grower of the Year and its Hall of Fame.

This year's awards ceremony was poignant, as the awards went to a father- son duo that has had significant impact on the Vidalia industry. Rodney (R.T.) Stanley Jr. was awarded 2007 Grower of the Year, and his father, Rodney Taylor Stanley Sr., was posthumously inducted into the industry's hall of fame. Mr. Stanley Sr.'s wife, Louise Stanley, accepted the award.

Produce Alliance, a produce management group based in Nashville, TN, has added Upper Lakes Foods Inc. to its membership. Cloquet, MN-based Upper Lakes Foods specializes in helping member businesses grow with a set of tools, services and plans for growth in the produce industry.

Steve Sorensen, president of Upper Lakes Foods, said in a press release, "Consistent quality, purchasing programs and the ability of Produce Alliance to acquire and service national and regional multi-unit chain accounts were the compelling reasons that drove Upper Lakes Foods to join the alliance."

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's proposal to overhaul the 50- year-old H-2A guest worker program may be welcome news for agricultural employers, but not all the news is good.

The Department of Labor reviewed the H-2A regulations and looked for ways to streamline the program so more than 75,000 workers -- a small fraction of the 600,000 to 800,000 illegal foreign workers currently working in the agriculture industry -- can participate in the program.