Loblaw Cos. Ltd.'s customers should soon find an even better shopping experience at its produce departments across Canada.

The country's largest retailer recently implemented a new "Field-to-Fork" program, with "the end goal being to put fresher, higher-quality product in the hands of our customers," the program's director, Mike Mauti, told The Produce News Feb. 11.

O. Lippi & Co. Inc., one of the older firms on the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market, which specialized in bananas, tropical fruits, avocados and citrus, has gone out of business. The company closed its doors Jan. 30.

Michael Janis, general manager of the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market, said that O. Lippi was hurt by a difficult year in the banana markets in 2008 and that the "current national business environment severely impacted them."

Dan Newhouse, who has represented Washington's 15th legislative district at the state capitol since 2002, was appointed Feb. 13 by Gov. Christine Gregoire to become the new director of the Washington Department of Agriculture.

Mr. Newhouse is expected to be confirmed by the state Senate and to assume his official responsibilities Wednesday, Feb. 18. He replaces Valoria Loveland, who retired from the position last year.

CHERRY HILL, NJ -- New Jersey Assemblyman Douglas H. Fisher has been appointed secretary of agriculture for the state of New Jersey.

Mr. Fisher, who was first elected to the state Assembly in 2001 and who most recently served as chairman of the Assembly's Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, was introduced as the state's new ag chief during the New Jersey State Agricultural Convention, held here Feb. 10-11.

He replaces Charles H. Kuperus, who resigned Dec. 31 after serving for about seven years as secretary of agriculture.

Propelled in part by the success of a flourishing salad garden in front of a campus building, University of California-Davis graduate student Margaret Lloyd may be taking her mission of fresh food for all to the White House.

Ms. Lloyd and three other U.S. farmers are the nominees for "White House farmer," according to results from a recently conducted nationwide on-line poll.

Larry McIntosh is looking forward to a special present for his 49th birthday later this month.

The president and chief executive officer of Winnipeg, MB-based Peak Of The Market said in a press release that the firm's growers will donate 50 pounds of fresh vegetables to the Winnipeg Harvest Food Bank for every person that signs up to receive its free e-mail recipes between now and his birthday, Feb. 27.