John Livacich of Rialto, CA, died May 1 in Placentia (CA) Linda Hospital, leaving behind a trail of friendships in fresh produce he cultivated over his 50-plus years in the industry. He was 76.

Anton Caratan & Son, Four Star Fruit Inc., Delano Farms Co. and Sun Fresh International jointly announced a new late-season green seedless table grape called Pristine.

Pristine was developed by Anton Caratan after more than 20 years and over 225,000 cross breeds. The result is a new late variety that produces large, crispy grapes that have all the characteristics retailers covet, including long shelf life.

HARTFORD, CT -- With a display of Connecticut-grown plants and flowers as a backdrop at the regional produce market, here, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture kicked off a comprehensive, statewide advertising and public relations campaign to raise consumer awareness and support for state farmers and locally grown products.

WASHINGTON -- The Senate's immigration reform bill would help the agriculture industry's labor crisis, but the trick will be keeping the compromise language alive.

"We are deeply appreciative that the Bush administration and leaders of the Senate understood the uniqueness of the agriculture industry and embraced that in the legislative approach," said Craig Regelbrugge of the American Nursery & Landscape Association.

Increases in Florida blueberry production have been nearly phenomenal, more than doubling in the past three to four years alone. Even more impressive is that much of the growth has been south of the Tampa-Orlando regions, or what is typically referred to by Floridians as south of the Interstate 4 line, where temperatures during the eight-week (in a good year) blueberry season from mid- to late March through early May, average in the mid- to high 70- degree range.

After a two-and-a-half-year stretch as vice president of produce for Topco Associates in Skokie, IL, Rob O'Rourke is returning to RJO Produce Marketing, the company he founded in Fresno, CA, in 1993 with his brother John.

RJO President John O'Rourke said in a company statement that he is delighted to have his brother back on the RJO team.