Mission Produce Inc. in Oxnard, CA, announced its entry into the fresh asparagus industry with its agreement to purchase the assets of Lee Pacific Asparagus in Salinas, CA.

The purchase includes a California and Mexican program which will strengthen Mission's strategic relationship with a Peruvian company to enable a year-round, fresh asparagus program.

WEST CHESTER, PA -- Science, education, free enterprise, creativity and opportunity mesh here at Cheyney University.

Michael Derro, a 30-year veteran of the produce industry, created Herban Farms LLC, a privately owned company built on university property. The project, which went into operation in June, is a greenhouse for simultaneously growing fresh basil and raising thousands of tilapia fish.

Mr. Derro told The Produce News that "Herban" is a play on words, explaining that his farm can be used to grow "herbs" in an "urban" environment.

Kim Reddin, director of public and industry relations for the National Onion Association of Greeley, CO, said that 2007 is going to be a year filled with exciting activities and promotions.

Research activities on a new retail guide are coming to a conclusion, and Ms. Reddin said that the publication should be available soon. Photography is expected to be completed in the spring.

Don Talley, owner of Talley Farms and Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande, CA, died Dec. 2 at Stanford Medical Center from complications of a heart transplant that he had received Oct. 17. He was 66.

WASHINGTON -- The spinach industry has high hopes for a bill introduced by Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) that would authorize new money for food-safety research and help bail out producers that suffered steep losses in this fall's spinach outbreak.

"Significant research has been done on protecting our meat supply from E. coli outbreaks, but very little has been done on protecting our vegetables," Rep. Farr said when he introduced H.R. 6379, the Spinach Research & Recovery Act of 2006.

James Richard Graves Jr., former president and chief executive officer of Graves Bros. Co. in Wabasso, FL, died of a cancer-related illness Nov. 28 at age 68.

Mr. Graves served as a member of the Florida Citrus Commission in the 1980s and as a board member for Florida Citrus Mutual from 1978 to 1981. He also served on the board of directors of the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association from 1982 to 1984, as its chairman in 1987 and as the organization's treasurer from 1992 to 1996.