PORTLAND, OR " Eating just one juicy fresh pear with the skin is a good way to obtain a good portion of the recommended daily fiber requirements, according to the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

At about the size of a tennis ball, one medium-sized pear has nearly five grams of fiber or about 17 percent of the recommended daily intake for most adults.

What looks a heck-of-a-lot like a four-leaf clover? Epic Roots m?che rosettes.

Traditional St. Patrick?s Day cooking is heavy on meat and potatoes. Epic Roots has developed a recipe that is among the first to offer a healthy greens option. The recipe for lucky m?che salad features Epic Roots? m?che, asparagus, blue cheese and red cabbage with light vinaigrette, giving the retailer the option to cross-merchandise three produce items.

ANAHEIM, CA " With an earlier-than-usual date for its annual event and the excitement generated by the fact it will be the focus of a future PBS television special, the Fresh Produce & Floral Council Expo, held March 8 at the Disneyland Hotel, here, attracted approximately 1,000 industry professionals.

Monterey, CA-based Colorful Harvest LLC is rolling out several new carrot products, and the Fresh Produce & Floral Council Expo & Seminars in Anaheim, CA, March 8 provided an opportunity for retailers to get a first look at all the new items.

The products drew excellent response from retailers, said Doug Ranno, partner and chief operating officer for Colorful Harvest. Huell Howser, host of the PBS television show "California?s Gold," took an interest as well, Mr. Ranno said. "California?s Gold? airs on all PBS affiliates in California.

Cary Crum, director of sales and marketing at Green Tree International Inc. in Visalia, CA, has announced that Mike Prather, formerly senior category manager of produce for southeastern retailer Bruno?s Inc., has joined Green Tree as director of business development, a newly created position.

Mr. Prather will be based in Helena, AL, where Green Tree will open an office in late March.

The fresh-cut produce industry wasted no time in praising California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for remarks he made at a recent press event calling for a ban on junk foods in school vending machines and stressing the need to replace them with nutritious fruits and vegetables.