PLANT CITY, FL -- He grew up working on an avocado farm in Homestead, FL, and planned to pursue an industrial engineering degree at the University of Florida, while his father hoped he would follow along in the family accounting business.

But instead, J.R. Pierce became a police officer.

As a kid growing up in Homestead, Mr. Pierce worked odd jobs in local nurseries and spent summers working in the fields at a family friend's avocado farm. Meanwhile, his father, a certified public accountant, did taxes for local farmers and hoped his son would follow the same path.

Pacific International Marketing, based in Salinas, CA, is celebrating its 20th anniversary by making a strong commitment to the produce industry: The company has pledged $250,000 to support the Produce Marketing Association's Foundation for Industry Talent.

The contribution helps the foundation's capital campaign surpass the $4 million mark along the way to its $5 million goal. The group will close the campaign after the conclusion of PMA's Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition, Oct. 2-5 in Anaheim, CA.

As the packingsheds in the southern part of the Mexican state of Sinaloa close for the season, mango supplies are dropping a bit and prices should strengthen, according to a number of U.S. mango importers.

WASHINGTON -- With President Obama traveling to Mexico for a high-level summit, the produce industry is hoping the administration will bring a proposal to end Mexico's retaliatory tariffs against agricultural products put into place after a Mexican trucking program was abandoned earlier this year.

"At this point, we've heard there's a proposal, but it has not been shared with the private sector," said Ken Barbic of the Western Growers Association, who started last month as the group's new director of federal government affairs in Washington, DC.

The Produce News had a chance to talk with a number of berry producers about the coming fall deal, and there is agreement that prospects are looking good going into the season. The growers also indicated that business continues to be driven among consumers by messages of healthfulness associated with berry consumption.

KENT, CT - "This is how it all began."

That's the phrase on the outside of the Davis IGA Inc. store, right next to photos showing the store's grand opening in 1974. There are also ads from that day 35 years ago, listing prices and specials, such as bananas for 23 cents per pound, cabbage for 23 cents per pound, pears for 49 cents per pound, and three-pound bags of Red Delicious apples for 99 cents. The photos not only portray how the store and the people looked back then but also give a sense of the store's roots in the community.