The Southeast Produce Council is expecting strong attendance -- especially from retailers in the Southeast and Northeast -- at its seventh annual Retail & Foodservice Conference & Exposition, set for March 4-6 in Tampa, FL.

The conference and expo, known as Southern Exposure 2010, will also see the mix of education sessions, field tours, social events and networking opportunities that have made it consistently one of the premier events in the produce industry.

SunnyRidge Farm has expanded its product line to include organic blueberries. Product will be sourced from both company-owned farms as well as through contract growers, beginning with Florida production in March and continuing through August.

"Our expansion into organic blueberries is a natural complement to our existing product line and continues our company's commitment to innovation within the berry industry," Keith Mixon, president and chief executive officer of SunnyRidge Farm Inc., said in a Feb. 22 press release.

The New York Apple Association donated 10,000 McIntosh apples for runners participating in Run for Haiti, a four-mile run and walk to benefit Haiti relief efforts that was held Saturday, Feb. 20, in New York City's Central Park.

"Our growers are proud to help benefit this important effort to relieve the heartbreaking conditions in Haiti," Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association, said in a press release.

PHILADELPHIA --- First lady Michelle Obama delighted customers and employees when she visited The Fresh Grocer at Progress Plaza Friday afternoon, Feb. 19, accompanied by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The first lady was in town to outline her "Let's Move" campaign to reduce childhood obesity nationwide.

With early-season shipments of California avocados underway and volume expected to increase in February and March, the California Avocado Commission expects broad availability from April through September and plans for a marketing campaign to support the fruit nationwide.

One thousand, two hundred and three. That is the number of disputes resolved in the past 10 years by the Fruit & Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corp.

The Ottawa-based organization, which was incorporated Oct. 7, 1999, and officially opened its doors for business Feb. 1, 2000, has grown from about 250 members at its onset to nearly 1,300, and those members -- and the produce industry in general -- have reaped the rewards that the DRC has provided over the past decade.