The Vidalia Onion Committee in Vidalia, GA, has announced an addition to its internal staff. William Braddy of Vidalia joined the office this growing season as the committee's compliance officer.

Unless all involved parties sign off on an emergency measure to buy water from Colorado's Western Slope, a recent decision to shut down nearly 450 irrigation wells on the state's Eastern Plains could lead to catastrophic losses for some farmers and outright bankruptcy for others.

Southeast Colorado watermelon grower Bill Grasmick and his wife, Lauren, are planning a weekend adventure in New York City later this summer, courtesy of Nunhems USA Inc.

Mr. Grasmick's name was drawn in April in Nunhems' nationwide "Give Me Liberty" Sweepstakes, and he could not be happier. "Oh, gosh. I thought it was one of those deals where they tell you, 'You've won something,' and then you find out the rest of the story," he told The Produce News.

MONTEREY, CA -- Agriculture needs to fully recognize its vital role - and be recognized - as part of the solution for food, fiber, fuel and more, California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura told an audience assembled May 11 at the 76th annual meeting of the Salinas, CA-based Grower-Shipper Association of Central California.

Mr. Kawamura said that there is "amazing technology taking place around the planet," and added that if Salinas and Monterey County could become energy-independent that it would "increase tremendously the economy in your areas."

PHILADELPHIA -- "Family lore," as they call it, figuratively piled on the table before them as four members of the Levin family discussed the centennial anniversary of their family's business, M. Levin & Co. Inc., here.

Four cousins patched together a historic story quilt that showed the colorful history of the produce business and a company that was founded in 1906 by Michael Levin, a Lithuanian immigrant.

The California Avocado Commission in Irvine, CA, has appointed Stacy Jaffa as its new marketing director with responsibility for leading the organization's strategy to promote California and Hass avocados in the U.S. marketplace.

"Stacy is the perfect leader for us in this white-hot competitive market," said Mark Affleck, CAC president and chief executive officer. "She will play a key role in our quest to create value for all stakeholders in the avocado category."