FRESNO, CA -- The weather this past winter and early spring has been just about ideal to produce a strong and consistent bloom and a good set in cherry, apricot, peach, plum, nectarine and other stone fruit orchards in California's San Joaquin Valley, according to growers and shippers in the area. Barring any future weather problems, good-quality fruit and an orderly harvest with good volume are expected for the 2008 season.

Industry veteran Chris Elsie has launched a new grower-shipper operation called Pura Vida Farms, which is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, and will begin shipping melons in late April.

"We will eventually focus on a wide range of fruits and vegetables, but we are beginning this spring with a melon deal," he told The Produce News March 26.

In the 6th century B.C., a popular plant called lettuce was served to Peruvian kings. Today, this same lettuce has been nurtured into sophisticated packages of fresh-cut salad blends and displayed in produce departments.

When World War ll ended, big changes arrived with it. Many trends began to emerge in people's lifestyles, especially with eating habits. This post-war transition period was primarily triggered by the military service people who brought home various types of food experiences from foreign countries in which they had served.

MONTEREY, CA -- Pro*Act announced in mid-March that Freedom Fresh LLC in Miami has joined the company's distribution network.

FRESNO, CA -- Fazio Marketing Inc. and Trinity Fruit Sales Co., both here, have entered into an agreement to create a strategic marketing alliance for the two companies' California table grapes and other products, the two companies announced jointly Wednesday, March 26.

"This new alliance will bring together over 50 years and four generations of grape-growing experience from Fazio Marketing with the diverse marketing programs currently being offered by Trinity Fruit Sales," according to a joint press release announcing the new alliance.

VISALIA, CA -- California Navel oranges have lost market share to clementines and other Mandarin varieties in recent years during the early part of the traditional Navel season. Many in the industry believe that the reason for the decline is that although Navel oranges, when at their best, remain the U.S. consumer's favorite in the citrus category, the competing citrus varieties in the market simply satisfy consumer tastes better than some of the early- season Navels that are shipped before they are ready.