The Produce Marketing Association is developing a new plan to launch an educational conference that for the first time would be tailored to women, the next step in the group’s increasingly popular networking events for women professionals.

More than 300 women and men attended the women’s leadership breakfast at Fresh Summit Oct. 14, an event that has grown over the last few years, says Marguerite Prueitt, executive director of PMA Foundation for Industry Talent program.

WEATHER

Daytime highs in Yuma, AZ, were expected to dip into the upper 60s through Nov. 23. Overnight lows should remain in the low to mid-50s through Nov. 20 then fall into the mid-40s. There was a slight chance of rain showers through Nov. 22.

In Oxnard, CA, daytime temperatures were expected to fall into the upper 50s through Nov. 20 then return to the mid to upper 60s the week of Nov. 21. Overnight lows will range in the mid-40s to low 50s.

The upcoming season is a good news-bad news scenario for Texas vegetable producers.

The bad news is a record-setting drought that has already cost Lone Star ag producers $5.2 billion continues with no end in sight. The good news is that ground water is available, and a slight drop in production could prop up markets and help provide better returns to grower-shippers.

Alpine Fresh, a major grower, packer and shipper of asparagus headquartered in Miami, FL, announced that is will ship non-fumigated Peruvian asparagus from Florida to Canada.

The California Cherry Advisory Board, which was established in 1993 primarily to apply for federal Market Access Program funds and to promote California Bing and Rainier cherries in Japan, is undergoing a major transformation that involves expansion, in that it brings producers of other California cherry varieties into the organization, but also is a contraction, in that the board will be narrowing the focus of its activities.