On Tuesday, Jan. 5, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson requested that Gov. Charlie Crist declare a state of emergency and issue an executive order directing the Florida Department of Transportation to relax the weight, height, length and width restrictions for commercial vehicles transporting vulnerable crops to processing sites. The order was requested in response to the current cold front hovering over the state.

Freeze warnings remained in effect Tuesday morning, Jan. 5, for the state of Florida as far south as Miami on the east coast and Naples on the west, with sub-freezing low temperatures predicted to continue through at least Monday, Jan. 11.

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack named 25 committee members Jan. 5 who will advise him on key U.S. Department of Agriculture issues that affect the fruit and vegetable industry.

The new members appointed to the Fruit & Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee represent grower-shippers, wholesalers, retailers, processors, trade associations, importers, foodservice suppliers, brokers and state departments of agriculture.

The L&M Family of Companies, headquartered in Raleigh, NC, last month finalized its purchase of Griffin Holder Co., a year-round producer of yellow, mild, white, red and sweet onions based in Rocky Ford, CO, giving L&M a year-round supply of onions.

NEWARK, DE -- The Produce Marketing Association has announced key personnel changes and additions following a reorganization of staff to help implement the trade association's strategic plan. The plan, adopted in 2008, calls for PMA to align itself to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex and global industry.

DAYTONA SHORES, FL -- The most significant freeze in a century had Florida farmers worried at midday Monday, Jan. 4, about the fate of the winter crops. An icy artic mass blew into the state over the weekend of Jan. 2-3, and promised to hover throughout the week, with an even more threatening blow expected this weekend (Jan. 9-10).