The Chilean Blueberry Committee is redoubling its efforts to spread the positive nutritional message about summer-fresh blueberries by engaging Jonny Bowden, nutritionist and author, in a nationwide promotional effort.

To engage all levels of buyers — from importers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers — the CBC is focusing on communicating the strong nutritional benefits of fresh blueberries as well as their wide availability throughout North America during the winter months.

Leafy vegetables caused more illnesses than any other commodity from 1998-2008, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

The new report, "Attribution of Foodborne Illnesses, Hospitalizations, and Deaths to Food Commodities by using Outbreak Data, United States, 1998–2008," split up foods into 17 categories and matched them up with outbreak-associated illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths.

Southern Specialties announced that it is teaming with Northeast Produce Sales and Bob McGowan to further expand its presence in the New England area. The two companies will start working together by the end of January.

WASHINGTON — President Obama broke his silence on immigration reform Jan. 29, just one day after a group of senators outlined their own plan that recognizes the need for an overhauled agriculture worker program.

There’s a lot of news going on at Watsonville, CA-based Santa Cruz Berry Farming Co. LLC, but most of it relates to the northern districts.

In Southern California, the company’s strawberry program is very much like it was a year ago, according to Fritz Koontz, managing partner.

The company’s acreage in the Oxnard district is “about the same” as last year, Mr. Koontz said. The harvest there started in the latter part of December.

“Mostly, we have short day varieties, so our crop is going to be earlier than most down there,” he said.

For a variety of reasons, West Lake Fresh, a Watsonville, CA-based brokerage specializing in strawberries, is optimistic about the prospects for the 2013 season, but there are a couple of caveats — labor availability and truck availability.

“Our biggest concerns are pretty much labor availability at peak times and, this year in particular, availability of an adequate amount of carriers to haul the product,” said Vice President Louis Ivanovich.