Salinas-based Ag Against Hunger, a clearinghouse for surplus crops grown in the Salinas Valley and the Pajaro Valley, distributed more than 11.9 million pounds of fresh produce to families in need in 2005. Food banks in California's Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties distributed much of this produce.

Ag Against Hunger President Joe Pezzini, who also works for Castroville, CA-based Ocean Mist Farms, said that Ag Against Hunger is the "local agricultural industry's way of fighting hunger in our community."

There is a new addition to Dole's packaged salad line, and it is a corker.

Consumers are in for a happy surprise as corkscrew pasta (and bow tie, shell and penne) make their debut in the produce section, thanks to Westlake Village, CA-based Dole Fresh Vegetables' line of four innovative Fresh Makes Veggie Pasta Salad Kits.

The New York Apple Association in Fishers, NY, announced the launch of its annual contest for defense commissaries, which encourages creating big displays of New York-grown apples.

"Over the years, we've worked closely with the Defense Commissary Agency to encourage [it] to promote New York apples in the commissaries," said David McClurg, vice president of marketing for the association.

Pro*Act in Monterey, CA, has appointed Kirk Massey to its director of client services post.

Mr. Massey brings over 20 years of foodservice produce management experience and produce knowledge to the position at Pro*Act. Since 1997, he has been the produce business manager at Shamrock Foods in Denver. His responsibilities included managing procurement, marketing, sales and operations for produce at the broadline distributor.

EurepGAP has announced its new board of directors. The board has four retailer and four supplier seats.

From the retail and foodservice side of the industry are board members Alfons Schmid, vice president of food safety and consumer affairs of Holland-based Ahold, Horst Lang of Globus SB Warenhaus in Germany, Johann Zueblin of Migros, and Stephen Ridge, technical solutions director of U.K. retailer Somerfield.

The board of directors of the Organic Trade Association in Greenfield, MA, announced Feb. 1 that it has selected Caren Wilcox as its new executive director.

Ms. Wilcox, who will begin work at the association in March, will succeed Katherine DiMatteo, the association's original executive director, who served in that role since 1990.