NAPLES, FL - One might think that Reggie Brown would be upset about the Florida tomato industry these days, but in fact, he is actually quite upbeat about it.

Mr. Brown, manager of the Florida Tomato Committee, told The Produce News before the 2008 Florida Tomato Institute, held here Sept. 3 at the Ritz- Carlton Naples as part of the 33rd Joint Tomato Conference, that in spite of the Salmonella scare that decimated tomato sales, "I think the industry is relatively stable. Except for the last 90 days, we had a pretty good year."

It was an ironic twist of fate that brought Thomas Darlington into the cranberry and blueberry industries.

Mr. Darlington was an engineer by trade and was working in 1950 for the Westinghouse Co. designing jet engines when his brother Joseph was killed in a plane crash.

Mr. Darlington was expected to take his brother's place running the family's cranberry and blueberry operation, Joseph J. White Inc., and although he was not a farmer, he immediately went to work creating several pieces of machinery that would help make harvesting the fruits easier.

Recent weeks have brought good news and bad news with regard to agriculture pests in California as an Oriental fruit fly infestation was announced less than two weeks after the Mediterranean fruit fly was declared eradicated from the state.

A joint release from the California Department of Food & Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Aug. 14 that the Medfly had been eradicated and that quarantines in place since 2007 in parts of Santa Clara, Solano and Los Angeles counties were being lifted.

Food safety, sustainability and immigration reform will take center stage at the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association's 65th annual convention Sept. 21- 23 at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Naples, FL.

In its July 7, 2008 issue, The Produce News published an article, "Karla Stockli joins Cal Fig Advisory Board." Due to an unfortunate error by our Western Editor, Brian Gaylord, substantial portions of this article were inadvertently copied from an article which ran in the June 30, 2008 issue of The Packer, "Fig advisory board names general manager", written by Don Schrack of The Packer.

Wenatchee, WA-based Stemilt Growers, a major player in U.S. tree fruit production, recently opened the doors of its new Miller Street pear facility in Wenatchee.

According to Stemilt Marketing Director Roger Pepperl, the new facility features two commit-to-pack lines, a post-harvest pear-ripening center and a network of cold storage rooms.

Mr. Pepperl said that the new pear lines will increase efficiencies and give the company more flexibility when filling orders.